RDM101 at TU Delft: Short and Long-Term Impact on Data Curation Skills

This poster reports a mixed-method evaluation of the impact of TU Delft’s three-week, blended RDM101 course. Using feedback from every run, pre/post surveys from four runs, and 13 semi-structured interviews (11 alumni, 2 data stewards), we assess short- and long-term impact on data curation skills. Short-term outcomes are substantial: awareness of institutional RDM support rose from 45% to 98%; reliance on secure institutional storage increased markedly with 90% of learners expressing they changed their storage strategies after the course and 81% established new backup routines; 98% felt better equipped to start or improve a DMP, frequently citing the Data Flow Map (DFM); FAIR understanding shifted from naming the acronym to enacting practices (documentation, metadata, README files). Intentions to publish data/code increased from 76% to 95%, with choices moving toward trusted repositories. Course alumni reported sustained organisation, documentation, and reproducibility practices, reduced anxiety about compliance, and continued engagement with data stewards. Drawing on these findings, we outline educational design principles for resilient RDM training to inform the 2026 course update: (1) blend modular and discipline-specific learning pathways with personalised feedback; (2) prioritize actionable skills over definitions; (3) sustain evaluation and timely updates.