The Role Cultural Competency Plays in Teaching Data Science

Supporting Pacific Indigenous Computing Excellence (SPICE) is based on unique expertise and proven models established through a partnership between the Texas Advanced Computing Center at the University of Texas at Austin, Chaminade University of Honolulu and Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech). The SPICE program leverages shared partnership experiences to address two goals: 1) Perform original research and program development to bridge computation and culture — developing culturally-consistent conceptual and practical frameworks for thinking about big data problems and communicating student outcomes and attainment to family, community and kupuna (Hawaiian wisdom figures); and 2) Implement an in situ Data Science, Analytics and Visualization (DSAV) Summer Immersion Experience (SIE) as a summer program in Hawai’i to provide a month-long summer immersion program in data science, visualization, and virtual reality to Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander (NHPI) and disadvantaged students. In this paper, we present the framework for this effort, with relevant educational, and cultural research to justify decisions made to date.