The PIDLit Lab Directors are experienced teachers of credit-bearing courses and have both pedagogical training and qualitative and quantitative data analysis training. The PIDLit Lab is a culmination of our team's passions and expertise, as a student and community focused project that highlights the benefits of PIT in addressing social problems and public health.
The Year 2023 PIDLit initiative was funded by the Public Interest Technology University Network (PIT-UN) Challenge Fund.
We generated several curricular items via this grant-funded project that we are sharing as Open Education Resources (OER):
PIDLit Learning Lab – Course Syllabiby Dr. Halley E.M. Riley, Ashley Rockwell, and Dr. Mandy Swygart-Hobaugh
These syllabi were created for a Georgia State University undergrad-grad course entitled “Tackling Food Insecurity – a Public Interest Data Literacy (PIDLit) Learning Lab.” This two-semester experiential-learning course connected students with local community partner organizations (Panther’s Pantry, Wholesome Wave Georgia, MARTA Market, and ATLytiCS) to apply data skills to address food insecurity. The course was funded by a grant from the Public Interest Technology University Network (PIT-UN) Challenge Fund.
“PIDLit Learning Lab - Course Syllabi" © 2024 by Dr. Halley E.M. Riley (hriley@gsu.edu), Ashley Rockwell (arockwell3@gsu.edu), & Dr. Mandy Swygart-Hobaugh (aswygarthobaugh@gsu.edu) is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
Understanding Food Insecurity – Introduction to Food Security Terminology & Governmental ApproachesLectures + In-Class Activities by Ashley Rockwell
To introduce students to a sociological understanding of food insecurity we created to lectures focused on the importance of food, food insecurity terminology, and the intersecting and compounding issues related to food insecurity including poverty. Each lecture lasted approximately an hour (or two hours total). To kick-off the lectures we led the students in an in-class activity, brainstorming and connecting the importance of food socially, culturally, physically, economically, etc.
"Understanding Food Insecurity - Introduction to Food Security Terminology & Governmental Approaches" © 2024 by Ashley Rockwell (arockwell3@gsu.edu) is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
Data, Data Everywhere – Introduction to Data, Data Literacy, and Data CollectionLectures + In-Class Activities by Ashley Rockwell
To introduce students research methods concepts including research questions, types of methods, types of measurements, and survey design these two lectures were created. Each lecture lasted approximately an hour (or two hours total). During the second lecture students get a chance to put to the concepts they have learned to the test by evaluating survey questions and creating their own research and survey questions.
"Data, Data Everywhere - Introduction to Data, Data Literacy, and Data Collection" © 2024 by Ashley Rockwell (arockwell3@gsu.edu) is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
Research & Data EthicsLectures + In-Class Exercise by Dr. Halley E.M. Riley
To prepare students to conduct ethical research on food insecurity, two lectures on research and data ethics and in-class activity were developed. The lecture included two case studies: (1) the Tuskegee Syphilis Study, and (2) Wakefield et al.’s research connecting the MMR vaccine to Autism Spectrum Disorder.
The in-class exercise asked students to consider potential research scenarios and identify ethical concerns.
“Research & Data Ethics” © 2024 by Dr. Halley E.M. Riley (hriley@gsu.edu) is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
Developing Quantitative Data Analysis Skills to Assess Food Insecurity DataLectures + Applied Data Analysis Examples by Dr. Halley E.M. Riley
To prepare students to develop and answer research questions in the social sciences, Dr. Riley developed this lecture series on teaching best practices for conducting descriptive and inferential statistics using SPSS. Lectures cover: development of research questions, construct operationalization, data cleaning, and univariate and bivariate data analysis. Feeding America’s Map the Meal Gap data was used for the applied data analysis examples in the “Descriptive Statistics using SPSS” presentation; these data can be requested from Feeding America. Other data examples are from survey data collected specifically for the PIDLit Learning Lab. Screenshots (primarily from SPSS; some from SAS) and/or screen recordings are embedded in lecture slides.
“Developing Quantitative Data Analysis Skills to Assess Food Insecurity Data” © 2024 by Dr. Halley E.M. Riley (hriley@gsu.edu) is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
PIDLit Goes ‘Qual’ In! An Overview of Qualitative Research MethodsMini-Methods Talk + In-Class Exercise by Dr. Mandy Swygart-Hobaugh
To prepare students to analyze Wholesome Wave Georgia’s Food For Health program evaluation data (focus group interviews) and the open-ended questions data from our two food insecurity surveys, the PIDLit course instructors included a curricular unit (one class session = 2.5 hours) devoted to introducing qualitative research and analytical coding, including this in-class exercise on coding an interview transcript.
"PIDLit Goes ‘Qual’ In! An Overview of Qualitative Research Methods" © 2024 by Dr. Mandy Swygart-Hobaugh (aswygarthobaugh@gsu.edu) is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
INTERVIEW TRANSCRIPT - one interview but split into 4 Word files with a large right margin for hand-coding space. NOTE: The interviewee gave permission to share the transcript for teaching/learning purposes – you may reuse it for teaching/learning purposes only.
Homework Assignment Series by Ashley Rockwell
To help students break down the information and concepts they were learning about through the assigned readings and podcasts and apply those concepts to what we were learning in the classroom we had the students complete a written reflection assignment. Approximately every two weeks students completed a Media Reflection on one (or a combination) of the assigned readings or podcasts that correspond to the Media Reflection Due Date. The students were given the choice of which reading(s) or podcast(s) they wanted to write their reflection on, as long it was that was assigned in the two weeks prior to the due date. They were required to address four key questions on the material which usually resulted in about 2 pages double-spaced.
“Media Reflections - Processing & Applying Concepts from Assigned Readings & Podcasts” © 2024 by Ashley Rockwell (arockwell3@gsu.edu) is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
Data-Skills Trainings (Recorded Tutorials) + Badges Micro-Credentials by GSU Library's Research Data Services (RDS) Members
To help students gain foundational learning in data concepts and skills, we assigned several data-skills trainings badges from the GSU Data Ready! Badges Micro-Credentials created by our Research Data Services (RDS) Members. NOTE: While earning our badges is limited to current GSU affiliates, anyone is welcome to use the recorded tutorials associated with the badges (tutorial links shared below).
Data Dive Assignment - Pivot Tables, Charts, & Google SheetsLecture + Assignment by Ashley Rockwell
To introduce students to basic data analysis and visualizations that can be completed with commonly available tools such as Excel and Google Sheets, we included a curricular unit (one class session = 2.5 hours) devoted to teaching students how to create pivot tables, use column and row percents to answer questions about the data, and create bar charts. During the second half of the class time, students started the associated homework assignment that way if they ran into any issues or questions, they could ask the instructors.
“Data Dive Assignment - Pivot Tables, Charts, & Google Sheets” © 2024 by Ashley Rockwell (arockwell3@gsu.edu) is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
Data Dive Assignment - Using NVivo for Coding Qualitative Databy Dr. Mandy Swygart-Hobaugh
To prepare students to analyze qualitative data for their final research projects, we included the following: (1) A curricular unit (one class session = 2.5 hours) devoted to introducing qualitative research and analytical coding, including an in-class exercise on coding an interview transcript; (2) Students watched two recorded NVivo trainings (GSU Library’s Research Data Services (RDS) NVivo 1 and NVivo 2 workshop recordings) and earned the NVivo Ready! Badge. (3) Students then completed this “data dive” assignment outside of class to apply the skills they learned by doing some initial exploratory analysis on the Wholesome Wave Georgia’s Food For Health program evaluation data (transcripts from two focus group interviews).
“Data Dive Assignment - Using NVivo for Coding Qualitative Data” © 2024 by Dr. Mandy Swygart-Hobaugh (aswygarthobaugh@gsu.edu) is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
Final Team Project – Research Project, Data Product, & PresentationAssignments & Guides by Ashley Rockwell, Dr. Halley E.M. Riley, and Dr. Mandy Swygart-Hobaugh
The final project included multiple smaller assignments that culminated in teams of 2-3 students (1) creating and answering research questions related to food insecurity using the data collected by the two research studies conducted in the first semester of the course, (2) creating a data product (such as an infographic, slide deck, dashboard, or policy memo) to aid our partners in as they attempt to address food insecurity, and (3) presenting their results, data-driven suggestions, and data products to the class, our community partners, and other special guests.
“Final Team Project - Research Project, Data Product, & Presentation" © 2024 by Ashley Rockwell (arockwell3@gsu.edu), Dr. Halley E.M. Riley (hriley@gsu.edu), & Dr. Mandy Swygart-Hobaugh (aswygarthobaugh@gsu.edu) is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
Survey Instruments & Codebooks – Food Insecurity Surveysby Dr. Halley E.M. Riley, Ashley Rockwell, and Dr. Mandy Swygart-Hobaugh
PIDLit instructors created two surveys examining food insecurity experiences of GSU students (424 total participants) and MARTA public transportation users (115 total participants) – including online and in-person recruitment. To accommodate the IRB process, the PIDLit instructors created the survey instruments without student input prior to the Fall 2023 semester; with more time, we would have involved the students in the survey creation and administration process from start to finish. Students conducted in-person survey participant recruitment at MARTA train station stops (the sole mode of recruitment) and on the GSU downtown campus, the latter supplementing email recruitment among all six GSU campuses. Our grant funding allowed us to distribute $10 digital gift cards as participant incentives. Surveys were administered online using the Qualtrics platform.
“Survey Instruments & Codebooks - Food Insecurity Surveys” © 2024 by Dr. Halley E.M. Riley (hriley@gsu.edu), Ashley Rockwell (arockwell3@gsu.edu), and Dr. Mandy Swygart-Hobaugh (aswygarthobaugh@gsu.edu) is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
GSU STUDENT FOOD INSECURITY SURVEY
MARTA MARKET FOOD INSECURITY SURVEY
PIDLit Learning Lab Pre and Post Evaluation - Attitudes and Assessment of Quantitative Reasoning and Data Literacy Pre & Post Assessment of Attitudes & Data Skills by Ashley Rockwell
To determine students’ initial attitudes towards quantitative reasoning/data literacy as well as their quantitative reasoning/data literacy skills a pre-evaluation was created given to students during the first week of class. Then to determine if the students’ attitudes and skills had changed the students answered the same questions in a post evaluation at the end of the semester. The students were not graded on the answers of the evaluation but given credit for completing each evaluation.
“PIDLit Learning Lab Pre and Post Evaluation - Attitudes and Assessment of Quantitative Reasoning and Data Literacy" © 2024 by Ashley Rockwell (arockwell3@gsu.edu) is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
