Open Data Learning Designs in Elementary School: Defining the Essential Elements for Developing Open Data Competencies

Although schools are recognised as relevant actors in addressing the lack of skills of citizens for participating in Open Data ecosystems, educational approaches have not been clearly defined. In this paper, a design-based research methodological framework has been used to iteratively develop a learning design grounded in data literacy and real-world problem-solving to build Open Data competencies in elementary school. We conducted three cycles including five interventions in Danish schools with 117 pupils and nine teachers in 7th to 9th-grade. The first exploratory cycle provided contextual insights. The second cycle focused on designing an authentic game. The third cycle focused on supporting the Open Data competencies. We have iteratively developed The Open Data Newsroom, a role-playing game that immerses students in a data journalism process to solve a local environmental mystery with data. The results show how central design elements such as an authentic Open Data practice, local open data, physical and digital elements, and real-world complex problems support the development of Open Data skills, keeping students engaged, and creating an authentic experience in Open Data learning designs. The discussion section elaborates on how game-based and authentic learning approaches are central for integrating Open Data in elementary school education.