Data Literacy Series, From Evidence to Action
This five-part professional development series is designed to strengthen data literacy skills and foster a data informed culture at Reynolds. Using real student success data, participants will learn how to interpret, visualize, and apply data to support decision-making across campus. Faculty and staff will work together to explore Reynolds' data, transform insights into understand and move from evidence to action.
Module 1: You are a Data Person
You’re already a data person—this session connects the numbers, stories, and context you use every day to smarter decisions in higher ed. Grounded in Amelia Parnell’s You Are a Data Person, we’ll build comfort and confidence by spotting patterns, asking better questions, and forming simple, testable hypotheses. Walk away with a practical, shared approach to data that blends evidence with professional judgment—so using data becomes everyone’s job, every day.
Module 1 was offered during convocation and there were about 60 attendees. A recording is not available for this module.
Module 2: Data Visualization
This second module in the From Evidence to Action series, led by Melanie Boynton and Karen Pettis-Walden, explores the essentials of data visualization and the critical role data tools play in supporting evidence-based decision-making at a community college. Data literacy empowers us to interpret charts, dashboards, and reports accurately; enabling teams to move beyond assumptions, question data sources, recognize biases, and make informed choices that reduce risk and improve outcomes. This session demonstrates how dashboards serve as central hubs for accessible, up-to-date insights—transforming complex datasets into clear visual patterns through features like filters and tooltips—and highlights how these visualizations can guide conversations about enrollment trends and practical applications of data across departments.
Module 3: Advancing the Use of Qualitative Data
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Module 4: Sensemaking - Moving from Data to Insight
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Module 5: Translating Insight into Action
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