datAR

Abstract:
Data literacy, the ability to work with data, is essential for the younger generation. However, high school instructors often struggle to engage students from diverse backgrounds with abstract concepts that may not seem immediately tangible to them. This project introduces embodied data literacy, an approach that integrates data into everyday objects. We demonstrate this through datAR, a tablet-based application that uses augmented reality and tangible analysis blocks to help students explore and interact with data.
We presented a case study for the use of datAR in a local high school, where 15 students with little to no prior data science experience were introduced to data literacy through the analysis of nutrition information in familiar snacks. Our findings show that, despite students struggling to recognize the relevance of the learned concepts in their own lives, datAR helped them develop data science skills through hands-on interaction with familiar objects.