The Data Education in Schools team have been working with the SQA to develop a National Progress Award qualification in Data Science at Levels 4, 5 and 6. These practical, non-exam based qualifications are now available to schools and colleges.
There are two core units at all levels: Data Citizenship and Data Science.
Data Science
This core unit will involve learners gathering data then analysing the dataset. They will visualise the results and present on their findings, reporting on what they have found and how it can make a difference to themselves or others.
Data Citizenship
This core unit will involve understanding how data is used in society. Learners will learn data literacy and basic statistics. They will learn how to interpret data in different formats to find out interesting things from the data, to investigate why unusual results or trends, and think about the impact or behaviour change resulting from the analysis. Learners will investigate how data can have both a positive and negative effect on society, such as when biased data is used in decision making or when data is misrepresented to influence people.
Optional Units
There are a number of optional units available at Levels 5 and 6. These include Data Science Project, Programming, Data Security, Data Science Statistics, and Machine Learning.