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
The third module in our Data Literacy Series invites participants to fall in love with the stories behind the numbers. This engaging module explores how qualitative data brings meaning, connection, and context to quantitative results—moving from the what to the why. Through hands-on activities, attendees will craft purposeful questions, engage stakeholders, and generate and analyze qualitative data using relevant college examples. Offered in both in-person and virtual formats, this session blends data, dialogue, and heart for more informed, equitable decisions.
Watch the Module 3 Recording View the Module 3 Slide Deck
Module 4: Sensemaking - Moving from Data to Insight
Our fourth module focuses on sensemaking—the process of interpreting data to build shared understanding and inform action. We review our work around Flight Path and how to move beyond the metrics and dashboards to examine data through the lens of student experience, particularly for students underserved by current systems. The module introduces key sensemaking principles and practical strategies for facilitating inclusive, action-oriented data conversations that turn insight into shared meaning.
Module 5: Translating Insight into Action
In this fifth module, we explore real data, challenge assumptions, and turn insights into action. Together, we examine how our individual perspectives shape how we interpret information—and how building an inclusive data culture leads to stronger decisions.