Wednesday 5th February 2020 – Lunchtime Seminar with Dr Eleanor Lockley (Research Fellow)

Title: Me and my big data: developing citizens data literacy
Speaker: Dr Eleanor Lockley (Research Fellow)
Date and time: Wednesday 5th February 2020, 1pm-2pm

Abstract
This seminar will provide an overview of the Me and My Big Data project which seeks to understand the levels of and variations in UK citizens data literacy. The “Cambridge Analytica” scandal made clear the extent to which we as citizens are potentially unaware of the uses and abuses to which our data can be put. Unfortunately, evidence from UK (Ofcom) and USA (Pew) indicates that many citizens have limited understanding of the data they share, its use by organisations, nor basic data protection behaviours. Nor are they aware of how they can utilise publicly available data to undertake both personal and civic action. This lack of “data literacy” opens citizens up to risks and limits their ability to operate as active citizens in a digital society. This project is one of the first national empirical studies to explore these specific issues in depth and whilst it is at its midway point the survey reveals some interesting results.

Biography
Lockley is a Research Fellow in the Communication and Computing Research Centre who has worked on a variety of interdisciplinary research projects at Sheffield Hallam University since 2008. Her research focuses around the sociology of communication and digital media: how people make use of and interact with and understand technology and digital media, issues associated with new media and society, digital inclusion and digital and media literacy. Lockley is also a co-investigator on a Nuffield funded project entitled ‘My big data and me’ (2019-2021 in association with the University of Liverpool and Glasgow University) which seeks to understand the levels of and variations in UK citizens data literacy, and to develop policy and educational materials to support improving this. The project will explore the extent of citizens’ data literacy through survey data and citizen workshops; develop training and support materials for schools, universities and third sector groups in order to enhance citizen’s data literacy and develop policy recommendations for stakeholders on enhancing citizen data literacy.

1.00PM-2.00PM
WEDNESDAY 05 FEBRUARY 2020
CANTOR 9138, CITY CAMPUS, SHEFFIELD HALLAM UNIVERSITY

See here for details of other seminars in the series.

All SHU staff and students are welcome to attend the C3RI Lunchtime Research Seminars. If you are from outside of the University and would like to attend a seminar, please email the C3RI Administrator to arrange entry.