InspireData

overview

InspireData is an innovative piece of software that allows students to make take their first steps into the field of meaningful data analysis. With this software, they can create questionnaires, collect and collate data, and then graphically investigate the results to discover patterns and trends or to answer questions, such as “If I get more sleep, will I do better in tests?”

Data is often collected in schools, using a variety of methods, electronic and traditional. Pupils learn to analyse data in science, maths and ICT to draw conclusions from their surveys, and historical data analysis of old census data is a well-known theme in history lessons. In the past, the process has been quite demanding, even where spreadsheets are employed, and the outcomes of enquiries can take a long time to arrive at, and be quite difficult to ‘see’ when they are completed. Enter InspireData.

This software is produced by the same people who make Inspiration, and it is similarly clear and intuitive to use; it can be used as ‘white screen’ software, meaning that you can use your own data and set up enquiries completely from scratch, or you can explore one of the 50 or so sample sets of data that come with the package. Some of the sample data sets are quite American in theme, but are easily edited or can simply be used ‘as is’.

The software can naturally print and save results, but pupils can also make slideshows out of their graphical representations, which themselves can carry annotation. They could use the resulting files as the basis of a presentation, or if it were being used by older pupils as part of coursework, this would be ideal portfolio evidence material.

InspireData is the kind of software that reveals its power the more it is played with. Lines of investigation often suggest themselves as the data is played with. The interface is not particularly difficult to learn so that once a basic set of skills and a little understanding have been collected, pupils and teachers will be able to get down to the business of investigating the data, not the software.

Product information on the supplier's site