The Game
Let’s travel around the world and explore topical issues mission by mission, chart by chart. Data and graphs will no longer have any secrets to you! Making data-driven decisions will become a walk in the park!
If you feel uncomfortable with data, don’t worry: More than 70% of the population feel the same way! In the game, there is no risk of failure. To solve the game challenges, you will have to call upon your creativity and visual sense as much as on your numeracy skills!
And if you belong to the confident 30%, do you feel it challenging to communicate your results? This game can become your best source of inspiration for effective and innovative communication!
CHOOSE A MISSION
Motivation and engagement are our keywords! Start by choosing a mission that really engages the players. Would you like to discover the role of energy in climate change? Who should be the favorite trading partner to UK after Brexit? Why do people buy electric vehicles?
You have made your choice… It’s time to discover your mission!
PICK A CARD
Organize two teams of 2 to 3 players each, unfold your game board, and get started! You’ve rolled a “3” and landed on “Trend”. Pick a card from the deck or on the Datatrotters app. Here is your first question: “What range do you expect for electric vehicles in the year 2030?”. Study the card carefully! Can you find the answer?
ANSWER THE QUESTION
The other team will give you the answer. Did you get it right? Learn more about the solution with additional comments and highlights about data literacy and the topical issue. When you have accumulated enough data-driven clues to solve the mission, wrap up and present your arguments to convince the opponent team. Were you the closest to the solution?
HOW IT WORKS
A simple game session lasts about 1,5 to 2 hours. All missions are available on the Datatrotters app, and some are available in printed version if you prefer. How to use the game? You can organize your own playing sessions or we can customize workshops for you with additional material and guidance. The target groups are people who want to familiarize themselves with data and data analysis or people who want to improve their ability to communicate with data. It can be colleagues, lifelong learners, students or pupils, or family and friends!
WHAT YOU WILL LEARN
Data analysis • Data visualisation • Fact-based knowledge • Strategic thinking • Problem solving • Data-driven innovation
•improve your ability to read, analyse and interpret graphs
•learn how to bridge facts and theories in order to enrich your analysis
•learn how to choose the best visualisations to communicate your findings
•learn to set out your arguments in a structured and engaging way
•increase your knowledge about facts and theories related to the issue at hand
A PROVEN METHOD
The game is teaching the language of data as a visual language in a cooperative and explorative way.
AN ANALYTICAL METHOD
The game is based on the four pillars of data analysis: Comparison, Trend, Relationship and Model. These pillars support analysis of extensive datasets related to a specific subject matter. Models help structure the reasoning, get a new perspective on the subject and bring in proven causalities.
The method supports a limitless number of case studies that learners can play on the same board.
The impact of this learning method has been scrutinised by academic research, that showed significant improvement in results among students.
A VISUAL LANGUAGE
The learning material is mostly based on data visualisation. You are introduced to its vocabulary, grammar and conjugation. How to read double Y-axes? What does a Sankey diagram mean? How to display raw data to make a bubble chart?
Data visualisation is also used to apply models, to replace calculations with numbers or as a starting point to navigate between different ways of expressing data as numbers in tables, texts or equations.
COOPERATION AND EXPLORATION
The language of data is complex and is used to deal with complex issues. The learning environment needs to be secure and engaging.
Cooperative learning builds trust and encourages constructive interactions between peers. It creates a secure learning environment.
Learning by exploring lets learners discover the content of their mission on a randomized way, at their pace. The game keeps them active and motivated.