
- Description
- Curriculum
- Reviews
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1Course Syllabus
Course Code: CRJ 360-02
Semester: Spring 2025
Instructors: Prof. Lena Winfree and Dr. James Pratt, Jr.
Meeting Times: Tuesday & Thursday, 10:00 AM - 11:15 AM
Location: 1000 17th Avenue N. Nashville, TN 37208Co-Branding Note: This course is presented in collaboration with LocalTek and Fisk University and incorporates its mission to educate and empower students to create meaningful social impact.
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2Course Policies
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3Who is Fisk University?
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4Introduction Video
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8Week 4: Data Analysis for Non-Technical Users
Overview
This week is dedicated to equipping students with foundational skills in data cleaning, organization, and visualization using accessible tools like Google Sheets and Tableau. The goal is to empower students, regardless of their technical background, to work confidently with raw data, identify insights, and communicate them effectively. Students will gain hands-on experience with practical tools and processes critical for interpreting real-world datasets and making informed decisions.
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9Week 5: Visualizing Social Justice Data
Overview
This week’s focus is on the art and science of data visualization, particularly as it applies to highlighting social justice issues. Students will learn how to design clear, impactful charts and graphs that not only communicate data but also tell compelling stories about inequalities. The skills learned in this session will help students transform raw datasets into tools for advocacy, policymaking, and public awareness. Special emphasis will be placed on linking visualizations to actionable insights and solutions.
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10Week 6: Storytelling with Data
Overview
This week emphasizes the transformative power of storytelling when paired with data. Students will learn to create compelling narratives that explain, contextualize, and amplify the significance of their data findings. Storytelling with data allows complex social justice issues to be communicated in an engaging and relatable way, ensuring that the insights derived from data inspire awareness, action, and systemic change. By exploring case studies of successful advocacy campaigns and engaging in hands-on activities, students will master the art of using data to craft persuasive and impactful stories.
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11Week 7: Ethical Use of Data
Overview
The use of big data has transformed how organizations, governments, and individuals approach problem-solving and decision-making. However, with great power comes great responsibility. This week focuses on the ethical challenges surrounding big data, such as privacy concerns, algorithmic bias, and the equitable use of data for social justice. Students will explore the responsibilities that come with leveraging data for advocacy, as well as strategies for mitigating potential harms. Through detailed discussions, real-world case studies, and an engaging debate, students will critically evaluate the ethical implications of various data applications and learn how to apply ethical principles to their work.
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12Week 8: Designing Your Project
Overview
This week is pivotal in transitioning students from learning theoretical concepts and practical skills to applying them in a real-world context. Students will design their final projects, which will utilize data to address a pressing social justice issue. Through brainstorming, collecting datasets, and refining their ideas, students will develop actionable plans for their projects. The week culminates in a "lightning pitch" session, where students present their ideas succinctly and receive constructive feedback from peers and instructors.
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13Week 9: Building Your Project
Overview
Week 9 marks a significant turning point in the course as students move from ideation and planning to the actual execution of their final projects. This week is focused on creating or refining datasets, preparing them for analysis, and developing impactful visualizations that effectively communicate key insights. The session also emphasizes collaboration through structured peer reviews, ensuring that students benefit from constructive feedback to improve their projects. By the end of the week, students will have a fully developed framework for their final projects, complete with well-structured datasets and draft visualizations ready for refinement and integration into their final presentations.
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14Week 10: Presenting Your Findings
Overview
Week 10 is the culmination of the course, providing students with the opportunity to showcase their work and demonstrate how their data-driven projects address critical social justice issues. This week focuses on presenting findings professionally, fostering reflection on the broader implications of their work, and engaging in collaborative discussions to explore how data can inspire actionable change. Students will refine their communication and storytelling skills, gain insights from peer feedback, and deepen their understanding of how data can drive advocacy, inform policy, and empower communities.
By the end of this week, students will have not only completed and presented their projects but also developed a nuanced understanding of the practical applications of their findings and their role in promoting social justice.