Human-Centered Data Science (HCDS) Pedagogy Toolkit

For those teaching courses on Data Science, Ethics, or HCI, the Human-Centered Data Science Lab at the University of Toronto is pleased to release the HCDS Pedagogy Toolkit—an open-access curriculum companion to the textbook Human-Centered Data Science: An Introduction (Aragon, Guha, et al., MIT Press, 2022).

The Goal: To provide “plug-and-play” technical modules that bridge the gap between social theory and computational practice.

Current Status:

  • Module 1 is available now: This module introduces students to the HCDS framework and includes slide decks and initial assignments.
  • Rolling Release: We will be publishing subsequent technical modules (mapped to future chapters) incrementally over the coming months.
Module 1 on GitHub

Slide Deck

30 slides that introduce key concepts in human-centered data science, include learning outcomes, and outline multiple embedded activities for instructors to use or adapt in their class.

Code Notebook

A code notebook (.ipynb) with a human-centered data science example and work-through leveraging real-world data and Python code. Instructors can introduce the code during class or leave it as a take-home exercise for students.​

Instructor Guide

A step-by-step guide for instructors to use or adapt the material to their class. Timing recommendations for the slide deck, additional readings, and individual assessment (quiz) are provided.

How to Participate:

We invite you to “Star” or “Watch” the repository on GitHub to be notified as new modules are released:

Link to GitHub!
Link to Zenodo!
 
How to Cite:
If you use this toolkit in your classroom or research, please cite both the toolkit (for the materials) and the textbook (for the methodology):

1. The Toolkit (Code & Slides):

Guha, S., Chui, V., Silver, M., & Irfan, M. (2026). HCDS Pedagogy Toolkit. GitHub. https://github.com/uofthcdslab/hcds-pedagogy-toolkit

2. The Textbook (Methodology):

Aragon, C., Guha, S., Kogan, M., Muller, M., & Neff, G. (2022). Human-Centered Data Science: An Introduction. MIT Press. https://mitpress.mit.edu/9780262543213/

We hope these resources support your teaching. Please reach out to hcds.uoft@gmail.com with any questions or comments!