Data Literacy Approaches and Models (Panel)

Behind the buzzword data literacy, there is genuine and growing urgency for organizations and individuals to better understand data if they are to get value from it. But much of the available information focuses on creating a data literacy culture, without addressing specifics of what people need to know and what skills they need to work with data. Cultivating literacy involves a purposeful approach to training, education, and culture change, but cultivation itself will not make people data literate. They need to learn about data and hone their skills in working with and communicating about data.

The goal of this discussion is to present the challenges around data literacy and propose concepts that will help us meet those challenges. Attendees will come away with:

• An understanding of data literacy in relation to general literacy
• Knowledge of the obstacles to building data literacy and ways to address these
• Models of data literacy with detail about the knowledge, skills, and experience people need to acquire in order improve their ability to understand, interpret, and communicate about data

Speakers:

Laura Sebastian-Coleman, Prudential

Laura Sebastian-Coleman, Ph.D., VP of Data Management & Governance at Prudential, has worked in Data Quality Management since 2003. She has implemented Data Quality metrics and reporting, launched and facilitated Data Quality working groups, contributed to data consumer training programs, and led efforts to establish data standards and manage metadata in support of Data Governance goals. Author of Navigating the Labyrinth (2018) and Measuring Data Quality for Ongoing Improvement (2013), her latest book, Meeting the Challenges of Data Quality Management, was published in February 2022. Laura was the production editor for the DAMA-DMBOK2, for which she received DAMA’s award for Contributions to the Data Management Profession (2018).

Mara Inglezakis Owens, Cargill

Mara has been interested in systems of representation from the time that she consumed her first book (literally) at 6 months old. With a teaching and research background in history, information science, and literature, Mara has been practicing information architecture full-time since 2016.

Rajeev Sinha, Intel

Dr. Rajeev Sinha is a recognized digital thought leader in the field of data and supply chain. He currently serves as a Chief Data Architect at Intel and had previously served as a Chief Business and Data Architect (Supply Chain) at ExxonMobil. He has an Engineering degree in Computer Sc. , Masters's in Data Science, and an MBA and PhD. in Supply Chain. He has authored multiple major publications including "Art of Mining Data: Design Concepts."