Practical public online data: Introducing Tuva and CODAP

This is a report on a hands-on workshop in which we explored two web-based data analysis tools — Tuva and CODAP — designed for novices. The author has used both systems, and developed curriculum materials for students, ranging from high-school students in the USA to post-secondary learners in Sudan. We will provide links to the online materials we used. However, the tools are changing rapidly, and we don’t have control over public data. Therefore, the specific links from this paper and our online document, although containing extensive instructions, will not be maintained. Still, both tools will have easily-accessible introductory material. Rather than describing the tools in detail, this paper briefly lays out the need for tools for novices, gives an extended example, and frames some questions about their features and use.