
Purdue’s Online Data and AI Storytelling Certificate is Being Offered at a 10% Discount for Purdue Employees
During the 2024 election, America experienced a compelling story underpinned by data. Before the election, the likelihood that either party would win was forecast by election polls that projected candidates’ popularity state by state, congressional district by congressional district and community by community. On election night, viewers watched the story unfold in real-time by refreshing heat maps that were constantly updated with incoming data showing who had the most votes. Some people even kept track of data from the election’s betting markets. Data points like these told a story – one that led some data scientists to correctly predict the election’s outcome.
In politics and beyond, data storytelling can help people better understand complex information and learn from it. When data is presented in a compelling way, it has the power to inform audiences and move them to action, change their minds and activate their senses. Purdue University’s Data and AI Storytelling Certificate is an online professional development opportunity that teaches people who work with data how to craft persuasive narratives, visualize data effectively and use tools like Artificial Intelligence (AI) to improve their data-driven communication. The certificate is a valuable learning experience for anybody who consumes data, which these days is just about anyone. And now, it’s being offered at a 10% discount for all Purdue University employees.
“The fact is, even if you’re not a creative or working in a creative industry, storytelling is one of the best ways to engage your audience and get them to remember what you’re saying,” said Matthew Kerkhoff, a videographer who works at Purdue and is a graduate of the certificate course. “Learning the fundamentals of telling a good story and also being able to increase your data literacy in the process, those are skills that anyone can use.”
Learn more about the AI & Data Storytelling Program
The certificate program teaches students how to visualize data effectively and use data “stories” to persuade and move audiences. The program is taught by Sorin Matei, associate professor and associate dean in Purdue’s College of Liberal Arts, who has decades of experience communicating with data. Any Purdue employee who works with data in their role or is interested in learning more about data in general can benefit from the certificate program, which uses hands-on projects to improve students’ data literacy.
“Just as an individual in today’s world, you’re exposed to data constantly, and what I realize now is that a lot of that data is presented in a confusing or deceptive way, and understanding what it’s really saying is difficult,” Kerkhoff said. “In the classes, you learn how to present data effectively, but you also learn how to evaluate data and understand it better.”
To take advantage of the discount, Purdue University employees can use the code HailPurdue10 at checkout on the program’s registration page. Employees can enroll at any time. The certificate courses are fully online and self-paced, and all students have a full year of access to the certificate’s content after enrolling.
For more information about Purdue’s Data and AI Storytelling Certificate, visit the program’s webpage.