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Main Authors: Lackie, Paula, Pickens, Elliot, Coyier, Dashiell
Format: Preprint
Published: 2025
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Online Access:https://arxiv.org/abs/2511.19688
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author Lackie, Paula
Pickens, Elliot
Coyier, Dashiell
author_facet Lackie, Paula
Pickens, Elliot
Coyier, Dashiell
contents The DataSquad at Carleton College addresses a common problem at small liberal arts colleges: limited capacity for data services and few opportunities for students to gain practical experience with data and software development. Academic Technologist Paula Lackie designed the program as a work-study position that trains undergraduates through structured peer mentorship and real client projects. Students tackle data problems of increasing complexity-from basic data analysis to software development-while learning FAIR data principles and open science practices. The model's core components (peer mentorship structure, project-based learning, and communication training) make it adaptable to other institutions. UCLA and other colleges have adopted the model using openly shared materials through "DataSquad International." This paper describes the program's implementation at Carleton College and examines how structured peer mentorship can simultaneously improve institutional data services and provide students with professional skills and confidence.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2511_19688
institution arXiv
publishDate 2025
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle The DataSquad Experiment: Lessons for Preparing Data and Computer Scientists for Work
Lackie, Paula
Pickens, Elliot
Coyier, Dashiell
Computers and Society
The DataSquad at Carleton College addresses a common problem at small liberal arts colleges: limited capacity for data services and few opportunities for students to gain practical experience with data and software development. Academic Technologist Paula Lackie designed the program as a work-study position that trains undergraduates through structured peer mentorship and real client projects. Students tackle data problems of increasing complexity-from basic data analysis to software development-while learning FAIR data principles and open science practices. The model's core components (peer mentorship structure, project-based learning, and communication training) make it adaptable to other institutions. UCLA and other colleges have adopted the model using openly shared materials through "DataSquad International." This paper describes the program's implementation at Carleton College and examines how structured peer mentorship can simultaneously improve institutional data services and provide students with professional skills and confidence.
title The DataSquad Experiment: Lessons for Preparing Data and Computer Scientists for Work
topic Computers and Society
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2511.19688