1. Developing the Collection of Historical and Contemporary Census Data and Related Materials (CHCC) into a Major Learning and Teaching Resource Funded by JISC for 3 years (Oct 2000 - Sep 2003) as part of its initiative to enhance JISC Data Services for Learning and Teaching

2. Partners:

3. Overview of presentation • Aims and deliverables • Learning and teaching materials • Consultation • How you can become involved

4. Collection of Historical and Contemporary Census Data (CHCC) • Census Area Statistics (MIMAS/CDU) • 1991 Sample of Anonymised Records (CMU) • Historical Census Collection (HDS) Census data has great value across many disciplines and there is considerable scope for widening use of CHCC for learning and teaching Aim: develop the CHCC into a major L&T resource

5. Objectives • To promote effective student use of network services across learning and teaching. • To increase the CHCC user base in learning and teaching and to build new user communities. • To improve access to primary data sources by linking together data extraction, visualisation and exploration tools with learning and teaching. • To reduce the work needed by tutors to use CHCC data in learning and teaching (“pick and mix”). • To speed the use of 2001 Census outputs.

6. Deliverables • Learning and teaching resources for tutors and students(e.g. tutorials, exercises, exemplar based case studies). Web-based or downloadable. • A portal with cross-searchable metadata to facilitate resource discovery across the CHCC and related learning and teaching materials. • Improved web-based data extraction and data exploration/visualisation interfaces to the CHCC suitable for student use. • Enhancement of the CHCC through linking to primary and secondary texts, images and area classifications.

7. Learning and Teaching Materials • Freely available from common Census Portal • For use in the classroom and exploratory online materials for student use and self-directed learning • Based on data sets in the CHCC • Developed as short units to slot into courses • Increase use of empirical evidence across a range of topics, across the social sciences • Allow online exploratory data analysis • Available to pilot from Autumn 2001 • Searchable by topic, geography and time

8. Consultation Extensive and ongoing consultation on: • content • format • delivery Consultation to include • Workshops (31 January 2001) • Partnerships • Needs analysis survey

9. Consultation Workshop - initial feedback • Current Practices, Experiences and Limitations • Use varies: a research tool; basis for teaching statistics; computer techniques; and primary data collection methodologies. • Current use also depends on discipline - eg. geographers tend to use Census data for teaching GIS methods. • Barriers to use - registration and ease of access; other datasets easier to access (GHS, BSA); lack of confidence to use real data in teaching; lack of equipment and network problems; mixed abilities of students. • Preaching to the converted?

10. Consultation Workshop - initial feedback • Subject Specific and Joint Learning and Teaching Modules • Units NOT modules • Flexibility and customisability, very important • Teachers’ guides particularly important for beginner modules • Emphasise self-directed learning (at all levels) • Interactivity important (at all levels)

11. Consultation Workshop - initial feedback • Delivery and Access Issues • Flexibility in format of data delivery (CSV, SPSS, Excel, Minitab, Epi-Info, Microfit) • Online interactivity at introductory level useful (esp. for FE) • Willingness to trade off the the amount of substantive and methodological material covered in order that more software packages can be incorporated into teaching modules • No need for hardcopy books

12. Progress to date • http://www.chcc.ac.uk/ • census-learning-and-teaching@jiscmail.ac.uk • If you are interested in helping pilot/write materials for the CHCC Project please speak to MIMAS staff or email j.carter@man.ac.uk Thankyou