On March 31, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign professors Karle Flanagan from the Department of Statistics and Wade Fagen-Ulmschneider from the Siebel School of Computing and Data Science collaborated with the Discovery Partners Institute (DPI) and Chicago Public Schools (CPS) for a full-day professional development event. Focused on Data Science and CS+X education, the event was hosted at Google’s downtown Chicago office and brought together approximately 60 CPS teachers to explore innovative ways to integrate data science into their classrooms.
The event included sessions designed to immerse teachers in data science concepts and resources. These included hands-on workshops, demonstrations, and breakout sessions covering artificial intelligence, machine learning, and the Data Science DISCOVERY platform. Teachers had the opportunity to explore the DISCOVERY web resource—a free online collection of lessons, guides, and weekly MicroProjects developed at the University of Illinois.
Through the DISCOVERY platform, CPS teachers engaged in the MicroProject, 'Trends in High School GPAs,' which introduced them to using Python and pandas for data analysis. This activity gave teachers practical tools and techniques they could readily apply in their classrooms.
"We want to provide teachers with resources that are both cutting-edge and user-friendly," said Fagen-Ulmschneider. "Our goal is to support educators as they introduce Data Science concepts in their classrooms, fostering curiosity and creativity in their students."
"It’s about building a community of educators who feel confident teaching data science," Flanagan explained. "Through these workshops, we’re not only providing resources but also creating connections that will continue to grow and benefit students."
Danna Dotson, Associate Director for Teacher Training at DPI, noted the enthusiasm throughout the day. "The space was full of high energy the entire day. I don't believe that in my 27+ years of teaching, I've seen such an engaged group of teachers at a full-day professional development event."
Feedback from CPS teachers highlighted the transformative nature of the event. “One teacher shared that before the PD they thought you would need to take months teaching students how to clean data, create spreadsheets, and then do visualizations. Now they have a whole different appreciation of how using Python and pandas could really be a game changer!” said Kris Beck, Director of Computer Science at CPS.
The DISCOVERY initiative aims to broaden access to Data Science education by providing free, high-quality resources for anyone to use. “DISCOVERY includes hundreds of Data Science lessons and guides and a new Data Science project every week, allowing anyone to nerd out with the very best Data Science content available online,” said Fagen-Ulmschneider. The resources are accessible at https://discovery.cs.illinois.edu/.
Teachers left the event feeling inspired and ready to incorporate what they had learned into their classrooms. “Data Science and CS + X with Drs. Karle Flanagan and Wade Fagen-Ulmschneider’s resources were amazing,” noted one participant.
Looking ahead, many CPS teachers plan to incorporate the free, accessible Data Science MicroProjects from the DISCOVERY platform as a post-AP exam resource to further develop their students’ skills. These hands-on projects offer students valuable opportunities to deepen their understanding of data science. Teachers noted that the DISCOVERY resources are versatile enough to be used not only between AP exams and the end of the semester but also throughout the school year in other capacities.
Beyond the 'Trends in High School GPAs' MicroProject, users will have access to other innovative DISCOVERY projects, such as the 'Bechdel Test' analysis of women’s representation in film, a study of over 45,000 FIFA matches since 1872, image steganography for uncovering hidden messages, and upcoming projects exploring topics like the Boston Marathon, World University Rankings, COVID-19 data, and even Dungeons & Dragons, among others.
In addition to the March 31 workshop, Flanagan and Fagen-Ulmschneider are collaborating with DPI to offer a two-week Data Science teacher intensive this July, along with a six-week Data Science DISCOVERY program as part of DPI’s Digital Scholars summer activities.
Mark Harris, Director of the Pritzker Tech Talent Labs at DPI, emphasized the significance of these collaborations. “Since 2021, DPI and Illinois’ Grainger College of Engineering and College of Liberal Arts & Sciences have been partnering to expand the reach of data science learning for high school students and teachers across our region. This workshop is just another example of the tremendous interest and momentum that is building to increase opportunities to engage high school students with authentic datasets and data science education across content areas, as we build these critical competencies for the future of work.”
Reflecting on the event’s success, Flanagan said, “It was such an honor to be in a room with so many people who are passionate about teaching! The teachers were actively engaged in the MicroProject, and many of them talked to us about how they plan to use what we have created in their classrooms.”
“It has been so rewarding to grow DISCOVERY in collaboration with high school teachers and educators across the state to make sure what we're building is relevant and useful as a public good,” said Fagen-Ulmschneider. “I look forward to nerding out with students working on MicroProjects after their AP exams later this Spring, and learning from teachers on how we can keep improving what we’re doing at Illinois to continue to support their amazing work in high schools across the state.”