Perron

Essential knowledge, abilities, and practices with AIImage by the author created using Midjourney.This article is the second in a series introducing social work students to generative AI. I recommend starting with the first article, which you can find here:Mastering AI tools like ChatGPT offers MSW students a range of career advantages. Proficiency in these technologies streamlines work processes, increasing efficiency and accuracy in tasks like case management, data analysis, and resource allocation. As technology…

A need for changeImage from Midjourney created by the author.As a data-driven social work professor, I am preparing for the transformative impact that AI technologies will have on our field. While AI won’t replace social workers, it will significantly reshape research, practice, and education.Princeton University economist Ed Felten and his colleagues developed a unique metric called AI occupational exposure. This measure highlights the impact of AI on specific occupations by connecting ten AI applications (such as…

A paradigm shiftASCII art of a puppy produced by the author using ChatGPT.Artificial intelligence (AI) has advanced incredibly fast in recent years, giving rise to powerful tools known as generative AI and large language models. Generative AI is artificial intelligence that can create new content, such as text, images, or music, based on patterns learned from existing data. Large language models, like OpenAI’s GPT series, are a subset of generative AI that have been specifically trained on vast amounts of text to…

This past Sunday, the most viewed television event of the year so far took place––and so did the Super Bowl. Rihanna’s Super Bowl LVII halftime show reportedly generated more views than the actual football game, with the return of Ms. Fenty garnering 118.7 million compared to the Super Bowl’s 113 million overall viewers. It goes without saying that Rihanna’s performance was really the main event, and stage designer Willo Perron made sure to create a platform fit for a billionaire superstar.“I always start designing shows…

Thinking critically about essential skills and experienceFood preparation for pao cai. Image by the author.I teach data courses in an applied social sciences program, preparing students to work on various social and environmental problems in community-based agencies or government settings. My students are not preparing for a career in data science. Still, they will have data-intensive positions — e.g., data analyst, business intelligence (BI) manager, program evaluator, research coordinator, quality improvement…

Converting administrative reports into meaningful informationImage of a cannabis dispensary by Jan Zwarthoed from UnsplashOne of the most practical skills to learn, especially in data visualization, is converting administrative reports into easy-to-understand charts. This skill is especially relevant for students preparing to work in social and environmental impact organizations, the non-profit sector, and government. These sectors are filled with vast collections of tables of summary data, requiring considerable work to…

Building an effective and efficient learning planBar in Santiago, Chile. Image by the author.If you have spent time learning Tableau, you have seen multiple references to the Sample Superstore data set. This data set comes pre-packaged with Tableau, containing information about a fictitious business’s products, sales, and profits. I’m an applied social scientist, so I am not interested in this content area. I remember cringing every time I heard the phrase, “sum of sales.”Perhaps later than I should have, I realized that…

Clearly define your deliverable to avoid project driftDazu rock carvings. Chongqing China. Image by the author.As part of my portfolio of professional work, I do a lot of data consulting in the legal and non-profit sectors. This work typically involves analyzing administrative data, extracting information from extensive collections of text documents, and building visualizations and dashboards. I enjoy this work because of the flexibility, opportunities to learn new things, and financial gain. At the same time, data…

A guide with free resources for building your skillsInka Trail in Peru. Image by the author.Tableau is an excellent tool for visualizing data. However, it’s not intuitive software you can learn through discovery. Expect a lot of frustration if you start clicking around the interface without having a solid background in data and visualization principles.This article builds on my recent article containing a collection of free resources for learning Tableau.The best free resources for learning TableauHere, I help you…

Maximize your learning without spending a dimeAuthor’s workspace.I think Tableau is one of the most important data visualization tools available. Learning the basics of Tableau is not difficult, especially if you have a strong understanding of spreadsheets and pivot tables. But, going from the basics to becoming proficient with Tableau takes a lot of time and effort. Fortunately, an abundance of resources exists to support your learning. This article is a curated set of online resources that can level up your Tableau…