Hackathon + Assignment 4

Workshop

PSYC 81.09: Storytelling with Data

Today's agenda

  1. Recap The Collaborative's data
  2. Discussion — choosing your angle and visualizations
  3. Hackathon time — start exploring the data
  4. Assignment 4 release — tell a "real" story about data

Recap: The Collaborative's data

On Monday we met our social impact practicum partner, The Collaborative (thecollaborative.us).

Key reminders:

  • The dataset covers their programs, participants, and outcomes
  • The data is real — treat it with care and respect for privacy
  • Your story should answer a meaningful question and serve a real audience
  • You may also choose a different real dataset if you prefer

Discussion: choosing your angle

What angle will your story take?

Think about:

  • What is the one question your story will answer?
  • Who is your audience — and what do they need to hear?
  • What is the "so what?" — why should someone care about your findings?
  • How does your angle connect to the broader mission of The Collaborative?

Share your thinking with a neighbor and help each other sharpen the focus.

Discussion: effective visualizations

What visualizations would be most effective for your story?

Consider:

  • What type of data are you working with? (time series, categories, distributions, relationships)
  • What is the key insight your visualization needs to communicate?
  • Would a simple bar chart tell the story better than a complex interactive plot?
  • How will your visualizations support the narrative arc of your story?

Sometimes the simplest chart is the most powerful.

Hackathon time

Use the rest of class to dig into the data and start building your story.

  • Form groups or work solo — your choice
  • Load the data into a Colab notebook and start exploring
  • Try some visualizations — even rough ones help you find the story
  • Ask questions — of me, of each other, and of the data itself

Do not worry about polish yet. The goal today is exploration and discovery.

Assignment 4

Create a notebook-based data story using a real dataset.

  • Use The Collaborative's dataset or another real dataset of your choosing
  • Your notebook should weave together narrative text, code, and visualizations
  • Tell a story with a clear beginning, middle, and end — do not just list analyses
  • Can be completed individually or in groups
  • Due: Monday, April 27

Wrap-up

  • Use the weekend to continue exploring and building your data story
  • Coordinate with group members via Slack if working in teams
  • Next week starts Part II of the course — your independent data story projects

See you next week!

Questions? Want to chat more?

📧 Email me
💬 Join our Slack
💁 Come to office hours
  • Monday: Review stories — Part II begins!