Learning Adventure 5: Part 2

Assignment:
Imagine that you will share your data set for InspireData with the world in a form that allows learners or researchers to answer their own questions.

In order to do so, you may need to take action to answer the following questions:
• Is your data set complete enough for users to interrogate the database? In other words, if you constrained the initial database so that you could answer a specific question about one specific election, could more data be added to make the database more flexible? Not every user will have the same interests as you.
• Can you merge multiple databases created by your cadre mates in order to make the database more powerful? You may copy/paste, Append or Import data into an existing InspireData file.
• Would your new and improved database benefit from including notes? You may add notes to the file.
• How else might you embellish your new and improved InspireData file?
We can share the best files with the community of InspireData users, perhaps even officially.

Reaction:
Today, I sat down to complete the endless Learning Adventure 5. Gary asked us to consider the following question to complete this learning adventure:
* Is your data set complete enough for users to interrogate the database? In other words, if you constrained the initial database so that you could answer a specific question about one specific election, could more data be added to make the database more flexible? Not every user will have the same interests as you.
I was thinking with merging two data base sets that are comprehensive and including multiple if not all election years, that in essence I have create a good starting pointing for others to extrapolate out what information he/she needs to decipher. I think by almost adding in a multitude of data sets it could lead to too much information to sort through unless you exported it back into Excel to sort through the information sought after.

I am still trying to discern through InspireData how to sort the fields and label the information I specifically want. I think that through both InspireData which visually demonstrates so the information, it is a good pairing with the original txt files. I am no-data expert yet, but I do think I am feeling more confident about sorting through data and pulling different files of information together.

• Can you merge multiple databases created by your cadre mates in order to make the database more powerful? You may copy/paste, Append or Import data into an existing InspireData file.
I did this with Dan’s comprehensive election file as well as my height and weight comparisons. I think you could even add a set of election data from a specific election to make your set even more robust to a specific election in comparison to all the other elections that have taken place. This would be especially good if one wanted to focus on a specific election with a wide depth of data in comparison to overall trends in elections.

• Would your new and improved database benefit from including notes? You may add notes to the file.
I think the only notes that one would need or find beneficial with the new database would be the original sources used to compile these two sets of data.

• How else might you embellish your new and improved InspireData file?
One way is I suggested above that going beyond merging two comprehensive data bases you could compare them to one specific election with a deep depth of information. So you could in theory compare very specific information within a long period of time. For instance, I could compare the education background of voters in one election with the presidential candidates running for office, in comparison to making some predictions about other races in past elections.

Reflecting on my learning:
(Gary didn’t ask for this specifically, but I was proud of myself so I am sharing that) At first I wasn’t sure what data I wanted to deal with besides my own, and how would I get the data to merge. I haven’t dealt much if at all with data until this learning adventure. To be honest, Excel is one program I have managed to stay away from because I am just not a row and column girl despite my overly Type-A-ness. So, rather than seeking help from my cadremates, I decided to do a little problem solving on my own. How could I take multiple sources of data and merge them into one chart in Inspire data. I thought I could do it through InspireData but through much trial and error, I realized that option wasn’t working for me. I took a break and went to watch my step-son’s soccer game, and while driving home, I had an epiphany of Excel. I could use Excel to import all the data sets into then export it into Inspire Data. WAHOO! I swear there is sometimes no better feeling than figuring things out on your own.

So, I combined my data set since it entailed many years, with Dan’s set of data because his as well was a comprehensive set of years even more so than mine. I saw Dan’s posting and decided to see what I could build off from his. What I learned is that it is okay to struggle with figuring out technology because whether you figure it out yourself or ask others to assist you, you are learning along the way. Like Mihalyi Csíkszentmihályi explains in his notion of flow, that true learning occurs when you are struggling with challenges just beyond your skill set so that you are entering a higher state of concentration and thus learn more. When you are successful, then you are more willing to challenge your self again.