
Berlin/Leipzig, 19th September 2023: With a powerful departure into the digital future, the ambitious research project “Toolbox Datenkompetenz” (Toolbox Data Literacy) of the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) launches today in a beta version. With a total of 8.79 million euros in funding, the TBDK is producing an innovative platform that provides unrestricted access to data literacy for the German public at large.
The ambitious goal of the project is to empower people across Germany with basic data skills using a comprehensive training and tool platform. In this way, the Federal Government’s data strategy comes alive and can be experienced as we move forward together into a digitised future.
With the beta launch, a first version of the training and tool platform is officially available to all as of today. TBDK inspires with a wealth of features and course content to expand one’s knowledge and skills around data and artificial intelligence. With the beta launch, the TBDK team wants to actively collect feedback from users in order to further improve the platform for the remaining project period and to adapt it even more to the needs of users.
Commenting on the Toolbox Data Literacy, Mario Brandenburg, Parliamentary State Secretary at the Federal Ministry of Education and Research, said:
“I am confident that the Toolbox Data Literacy will bring about a positive change in the data literacy landscape and contribute to our citizens being able to act confidently and securely in the digital world. Our goal is to make the best possible use of the potential of digitalisation and at the same time raise awareness for responsible data use. The Toolbox Data Literacy is an important step on this path and shows that we, as the Federal Ministry of Education and Research, are actively shaping the digital future of our country.”
Highlights of the TBDK platform:
1 Versatile courses for more data literacy:
The platform offers a first selection of internal and external courses on data literacy. Users can choose between different courses and view the details, including course content and schedule. The TBDK internal courses are divided into modules, chapters and lessons to make individual learning progress measurable. Interactivity is emphasised: Texts, images, PDF files and videos accompany the participants’ learning.
2 Programming environment:
Another highlight is the introduction of an integrated programming environment in the form of a freely accessible “Jupyter notebook”, which invites users to try things out creatively and apply them practically. The interactive nature of the Jupyter notebooks encourages learners to try different approaches and visualise the results immediately. In addition, the Jupyter environment serves as a key technology for building the future platform modules, so that the TBDK continues to grow into a dynamic place of learning.
3 Interactive forum for the data community:
The forum on the TBDK platform is a place of encounter and lively exchange. Users have the opportunity to hold public discussions and ask questions. Special course-related forums promote direct exchange on course content. This creates a community that learns from each other and supports each other. A text editor with code window improves the presentation of programme code and admin management functions facilitate the management of the forum.
Voices from the project team:
The project partners, the Institute for Applied Informatics (InfAI) e.V. from Leipzig and StackFuel GmbH from Berlin, are responsible for the implementation. Their focus is on the development of an infrastructure that allows users to build up data and tool competences in order to be well prepared for the future.
Stefan Berntheisel, Co-Founder and CTO of StackFuel GmbH:
“The technical implementation of the Data Literacy Toolbox was a challenge that we at StackFuel were happy to take on. We developed a user-friendly platform based on state-of-the-art technologies with freely accessible data tools and interactive courses. It was particularly important to us to integrate a coding environment and a lively forum to make the learning process as interactive and hands-on as possible. We are pleased that we can make an important contribution to the promotion of digital skills in Germany with the Toolbox Data Literacy.”
Dr. Christian Zinke-Wehlmann, Head of the Competence Centre “Artificial Human Intelligent (KMI)” at the Institute for Applied Informatics (InfAI) e.V.:
“The curated courses and learning modules on the Toolbox Data Literacy cover a wide range of topics that are necessary for the acquisition of basic data literacy skills. We focus on didactically sound teaching of the content and practical application to ensure sustainable understanding. We want to help our users to orient themselves in the world of data, to be able to deal critically with data but also with data products (e.g. artificial intelligence), to make data-based decisions and to fully exploit their potential in dealing with data.”
Outlook for 2024: With TBDK to a data-competent society
The TBDK team is not only looking at the launch, but also into the future! Further exciting developments are planned for 2024 that will make the platform even more interactive and practice-oriented. With the “Data Spaces”, topic-specific data rooms are being created in which users can access different data sets and work collaboratively on projects and prototypes in order to deepen their skills in dealing with real data problems. The introduction of data competitions, the “Data Challenges”, also creates an exciting opportunity to prove the skills learned in a competitive environment.
The beta launch marks the beginning of a new era in data literacy! See for yourself and visit the platform at: https://beta.toolboxdatenkompetenz.de
About the research project:
The research project is funded within the framework of the measure “Funding for the design of the digital education space” of the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) and runs from 15.12.2021 to 14.12.2024.