The way in which I developed this course actually started
from a lot of research I did into what employers are looking for.
So, I read employers surveys that had been put out by the
American Academy of Colleges and Universities and by other sources,
and so when I focus on data skills and I focus on
formal presentation and short written briefings,
this is based not just upon my own experience at the State Department,
but also what surveys about employer interest
and employer needs seem to indicate.
The role that I adopt in this particular class is really one of a facilitator.
So, I'm telling my students that this is your class and this is your canvas,
and it's for you to communicate to the rest of the class 
what you got or didn't get out of a particular information source.
Because remember, the goal of all of this is to really have students
understand the limitations and the strengths
of a particular information source.
And what I tell them right at the beginning of class is that,
"Just imagine that I'm your supervisor, and I've told you to give me 
a really quick idea about water pollution levels in Paraguay,
because I want to know because I'm going there next week
and I need to make a presentation."
So, that's who I am.
And you have to convince me why the particular information sources that you 
use to explain water pollution in Paraguay should make sense to me.
And I have only ten minutes to give to you, because 
I have a million other things that I want to do.
And so, when you speak to me and you speak to your
classmates, you are thinking about how you can communicate
what you have learned in a way that I, as well as the other
people in the room, can absorb very, very quickly.
And the way in which I grade them or measure them is in their
ability to communicate clearly and concisely and effectively.
So after every presentation, I share my comments and details
with the presenting group, but I also tell the rest of the class that
Jane did a really good job because she quickly summarized
how water pollution is measured in Paraguay.
Or, Joe did a very good job in doing the research, but he 
might have benefited from slowing down the cadence of his oral delivery.
So I'm giving them that feedback as it is happening, so that the
students themselves are making the presentation understand
what they're doing right and what they could improve on,
but also the rest of the class is getting a sense as well.
So I'm trying to create a peer-based environment where everyone's
participating and giving feedback and receiving feedback.
So I would say more than a traditional class, where I'm giving
a lecture and they're absorbing information, taking notes,
and they're using that in a final paper or midterm or exam,
this is one where we're working together to collectively improve our skills.
And sometimes I'll learn a lot from them. There are some students 
that have taught me things about certain data sources
or kinds of data analysis that I wasn't familiar with at all
before I heard them speak.
Subtitles by the Amara.org community
