DALIA Search Platform: Data literacy for all from the very beginning
Abstract
In today's challenging world, a world which is only growing to become more digital and data driven, data literacy is one of the key competencies for taking on those challenges. To acquire these competencies teaching and open educational resources (OER) are two main pillars. But curricula in schools and higher education develop slowly and are currently sparse regarding integrating data literacy components. Additionally it is not easy to find the right OER in the plethora of platforms and resources. Inspired to support the needs of learner, teacher and content providers to improve data literacy, members of several NFDI (National Research Data Infrastructure in Germany) consortia as well as of the NFDI-Section Training & Education assembled to establish a platform for data literacy. The formed initiative DALIA (DAta LIteracy Alliance) is developing this platform as a user-centered knowledge graph based on semantic web technology. These efforts contribute to DALIA's paradigm: "Data literacy for all from the very beginning!" In the DALIA search platform, OER from external repositories are indexed based on their metadata in a knowledge graph (KG). This way the OER becomes findable, which is one of the four FAIR principles (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable). Moreover, DALIA serves as a single point of entry, allowing lecturers and learners across various career stages, disciplines, and levels of research data management expertise to discover OER that meet their personal needs with ease. The findability of resources is closely tied to the availability of comprehensive metadata. To enable effective storage and processing of this metadata within the knowledge graph, two key components were required: a metadata specification based on established standards and an ontology (MoDalia). The respective metadata specification, known as the Dalia Interchange Format (DIF), defines four mandatory, eleven recommended, and three optional attributes. Users can see a subset of these attributes in the search results, while the full details are presented on the resource's detail page. A "Go to Resource" button provides one-click access to the corresponding resource, ensuring a streamlined user experience. We are excited to present the DALIA Platform, a scientific infrastructure project designed to enhance data literacy within the academic community. In our presentation, we will showcase the various search modes—both basic and advanced—and the filtering functionalities available on the platform. Attendees will learn how to navigate DALIA, contribute their own materials, and effectively find existing resources for training and teaching purposes. We will highlight how DALIA indexes, links, and visualizes a wide range of data literacy materials and tools, positioning itself as a valuable reservoir for resources related to the NFDI, federal RDM initiatives, and data competence centers. We welcome feedback from participants to help us further develop our service and better meet the needs of the community while fostering a strong data culture in academic environments. DALIA is currently funded by the Federal Ministry of Research, Technology, and Space (BMFTR) and the funding measure from the EU’s Capacity Building and Resilience Facility under the funding code 16DWWQP07.