Session 6: Practice Activities
Time to Practice!
6 activities to reinforce what you learned. Try them all!
Difficulty levels: Easy Medium Challenge
1 Who Is Missing? Easy Discussion
Look at a dataset (school survey, neighborhood census, or product reviews). Ask: who might NOT be represented? List at least 3 groups and explain why they might be missing.
2 Fairness Audit Easy Activity
Choose a school rule or policy that uses data (like attendance records or test scores). Is the data used fairly? Could it disadvantage any group? Write a short analysis.
3 Algorithm Impact Research Medium Research
Research one real-world example of algorithmic bias (hiring, facial recognition, loan approval, or criminal justice). Write: what happened, who was affected, and what should be done differently.
4 Data User's Pledge Medium Writing
Write your personal Data User's Pledge: 5-7 commitments about how you will use data responsibly. Include principles about accuracy, fairness, privacy, and ethics.
5 Bias Case Studies Medium Discussion
Read 3 case studies of data being used unfairly. For each: What went wrong? Who was harmed? How could it have been prevented? What would you have done differently?
6 Design a Fair Algorithm Challenge Critical Thinking
Your school wants to use data to decide who gets into a special program. Design a fair selection process. What data would you use? What would you NOT use? How would you check for bias? Present your design.