Data literacy for all

Computer science and data literacy have an increasingly important role in the education and required skill sets for graduates moving into the workplace of tomorrow. Educators must consider how introductory courses in STEM topics will serve all students, not just STEM students. Students are likely from varied backgrounds and come with varied experiences, they are not just going to classes with different levels of preparation, but likely also have different social and cultural upbringings that must be considered if instructors are to be effective. This chapter reflects the experiences of teaching an introductory Discovering Informatics course during the semester after removal of the precalculus prerequisite. The authors shares observations and interpretations of those observations from the perspective of a faculty member who teaches university courses intended for freshmen to those targeting doctoral students in computer science, electrical engineering, and informatics. Significant course changes were made in response to those observations and to changing course needs; the impact of those changes is also provided. Finally, this chapter concludes with lessons learned, and suggestions for what others could consider in their own STEM courses to support a broader audience and better serve our entire student population.