LTC Lunch 1-16-18 Teaching the Politics of Data

Inside/Outside the Binary: Teaching the Politics of Data At Occidental, we are experimenting with the integration of quantitative reasoning into courses outside of STEM. Guided by this programmatic interest, this presentation zooms in on the design process for one inquiry-based course on non-normative gender identities and the politics of counting and classification. The course involves a class-wide research project that designs measures for non-binary gender identities and collaboratively analyzes the gender diversity of the campus. From this singular prototype, we derive some overall principles for the design of inquiry-based courses that aim to cultivate a critical approach to data collection and the quantification of human experience. Jacob Alden Sargent, Associate Director, Center for Digital Liberal Arts, Occidental Jessica Blickley, Instruction and Research Scientist Specialist, Occidental