The Sydney data stories: Towards an inclusive, interdisciplinary approach to large, diverse, first year cohorts

While first-year undergraduate cohorts in data science tend to be increasingly large and diverse, the approach to teaching can be somewhat siloed and not capitalize on the wealth of data stories across an institution. What could a more inclusive approach look like? How can we leverage the interdisciplinary nature of data science to design a curriculum which engages students from many different fields and backgrounds? Our study focuses on the Sydney Data Stories, which is a large, collaborative project across the University of Sydney. Colleagues across the university brought their stories into the lecture theatre, showcasing data and their insights from their field. We outline the storytelling shape of the curriculum, and then consider three case studies, with findings from student data.