Learn how to discover, use and describe the benefits of open data, and how it impacts your organisation on this live, instructor-led, online and interactive course.

Who is this for?

Employees from private companies, third-sector organisations and government departments. Previous participants have included: decision makers, managers, civil servants, researchers, policy advisors, journalists, students, strategists, data owners and publishers.

Over the course of the day, you will learn

• What open data is, its benefits and opportunities
• Case studies of successful open data projects
• How to minimise risks by understanding licensing and certificates
• How to discover and use open data

With a mixture of practical exercises, case studies and the latest learnings from the field of open data, our experts will remove the complexity and increase your confidence in working with open data.

The course is split into five sections. The detailed outcomes of each of these sections show the broad and essential range of subjects covered on the course.

Course timings

The course starts at 09:45am and finishes at 16:45pm.

We will convene at 09:45 so everyone can take a virtual seat and get comfortable with the technology and aim to start the first session at 10am.

The course will consist of 5 sessions, of lengths between 50 minutes to 1 hour 30 minutes. With a mixture of activities the total time on group calls will be just over 4 hours spread across the day. Other activities include watching videos, reading and reflecting. Breaks between sessions will be extended.

Session 1: Discovering open data

Start time: 10:00

Duration: 40-50 mins

Activities: Group brainstorming, polls, presented content.

By the end of the session you will be able to:

• Define open data
• Explain how cost and availability are key aspects of open
• Evaluate how to customise the definition of open data for different communities and requirements
• Differentiate between human and machine readable data

Session 2: The benefits of working with open data

Start time: 11:15

Duration: 1h30

Activities: Self watch video, online whiteboard, expert Q&A, group brainstorming.

By the end of the session you will be able to:

• Describe the benefits of working with open data
• Draw on successful case studies of open data use and publishing
• Explain how open data sits in the current economic climate
• Evaluate the success of open data projects and communities

Session 3: Copyright, licensing and open data

Start time: 13:30

Duration: 1hr

Activities: Group brainstorming, individual work, presented content.

By the end of the session you will be able to:

• Describe how copyright and licensing relate to open data
• Identify instances of open licences and effective application
• Build and use open licences
• Manage third-party data and sub-licensing

Session 4: Making data usable

Start time: 15:00

Duration: 1hr

Activities: Group brainstorming, presented content, self watch video, expert Q&A.

By the end of the session you will be able to:

• Use Open Data Certificates to assess the usability of open data
• Apply the five stars of linked open data to analyse technical quality of data
• Describe the importance of persistent identifiers for data

Session 5: Getting hands-on with open data

Start time: 16:00

Duration: 45mins

Activities: Group brainstorming, individual work.

By the end of the session you will be able to:

• Discover a number of open datasets
• Evaluate the usability of an existing open dataset
• Identify a number of errors that exist in data
• Clean a dataset
• Validate data to assess usability
• Suggest a number of ways to improve the publication of open data

Course prerequisites

No previous experience of data is required, however good computer literacy, especially in using spreadsheets and the web, is essential.

Course requirements

You will need a web browser that can access:

• Zoom for web conferencing – https://zoom.us
• Miro for interactive learning – https://miro.com

Please note that you do not need to create a Miro or Zoom account. Access to these tools will be provided to you. You will need to check that your organisational IT policies do not prevent you from accessing these tools.

Minimum requirements

• Internet connected computer
• Microphone/headset to join in conversation

Improve your engagement (in addition to the above):

• Webcam

Maximise your experience (in addition to the above):

• Second screen (one for Miro, one for Zoom)
• Touch screen (helps in Miro)

About ODI online training courses

Co-founded by the inventor of the web, Tim Berners-Lee, the ODI offers courses that are friendly, supportive, and fun. No question is a silly question in our classrooms, and our expert teachers will arm you with all the practical skills you need for applying what you’ve learnt to the real world.

How does an online ODI training course work?

This is a live course, adapted from our classroom format to an online environment, and covering the same learning objectives. How does it work?

• You will start the course at the same time as other participants and will be interacting live, online, with both your instructor and your classmates.
• The course is first accessed using the Zoom web conferencing link provided in your confirmation email.
• You will then be guided by your ODI instructor on how to access and use the specially designed Miro learning environment and any other tools that will be used on the course.
• Throughout the day you will explore each section with your peers, through group discussion, small group exercises and individual practical activity.
• During the course you will have regular breaks and a longer break for lunch.

What is the Miro online learning environment?

The Miro online learning environment designed for this course provides an engaging, intuitive, in-person collaboration experience with multiple options for real-time teamwork on an online whiteboard.

All slides and exercises are made available for participants to access, use and share under an open licence.