Exploring Big Data with the All of Us Data Browser

Teacher Support materials

The All of Us Research Program is a historic effort to accelerate research that may improve health by gathering data from at least one million people living in the United States. By taking into account individual differences in lifestyle, environment, and biology, researchers will have the information to better understand health and disease. The program is creating the largest and most diverse health research database of its kind, including communities who have been historically underrepresented in biomedical research.

These materials make use of the publicly-available All of Us Data Browser. It provides aggregate-level data and a view of the types of data that are being collected to inform health research. NOTE: Information in the Data Browser changes over time. You may need to make adjustments to student materials as needed.

Activity Index

Activity	Description	Estimated Class Time	Learning Objectives	Links
Beyond the Thermometer	Students explore how traditional medical data as well as genetic and survey data create a better picture of human health.	10-20 min	Understanding of human health is improved by including biomedical data, genetics, and information about lifestyle and environment.	Online card sort Paper card sort (PDF)
Data Browser Webquest	Students learn about how the All of Us program facilitates the gathering of varied data and keeps the data private to protect participants.	45-60 min	The Data Browser is an interactive view of publicly-available data from the All of Us Research Program. The Data Browser contains data from electronic health records, DNA samples, physical measurements and survey responses. All data in the browser is de-identified and aggregated. The Data Browser contains data from A LOT of people.	Student sheet (fillable PDF)
How Big is Your Data?	Students measure the height of students in their classroom and then compare them to height data in the Data Browser to see that a larger sample size leads to better results.	30-45 min	Data trends (conclusions) may be different depending on sample size. A large amount of sample data that reflects the population provides a more accurate representation of population-level trends. Caution should be used when drawing conclusions based on only a small amount of data.	Student sheet (fillable PDF)
Data Symphony	You are the composer! Through an interactive musical interface, students add data and diversity to see (and hear) how much better the results can be (and sound). They also learn that data inaccuracies fall away with large data sets.	5-10 min	A large and diverse data set has a higher probability of accounting for or better representing a question or a problem.	Interactive
What is Big Data?	Students learn about how big collections of data are gathered and how useful they can be for making our lives better.	5-10 min	Big data is a term used to describe large amounts of data that can be mined for information (and used in machine learning, predictive modeling and advanced analytical applications.) Computers and specialized programs are needed to store, process, and analyze data on a large scale.	Video
Research with the Data Browser	Students examine three important aspects of research and data interpretation: the difference between raw numbers and prevalence, the potential for research to be stigmatizing, and the need for research questions to be specific and measurable. This activity includes gentle prompts for students to consider bias and potential stigmatization in research—you may choose to stop there. If you would like to use the activity as a springboard for deeper examination and discussion of stigmatizing research, see the Discussion Guide for suggestions.	45-60 min; longer with discussion min	The data browser can be used to explore population-level data on factors that influence health. One cannot draw conclusions about health outcomes for specific groups from simple counts. A good research question is specific and measurable.	Student sheet (fillable PDF) Discussion Guide (PDF)

NOTE: The information on genetics and heredity may be sensitive to the students. Consider creating a sample script as an introduction to the material that will be discussed. Here is a good resource for that. Effective Communication: Barriers and Strategies

Possible Learning Sequences

These materials are designed to be used flexibly. Feel free to be creative! The following are some possible learning sequences based on some questions you might want your students to answer.

What is the All of Us Research Program?

Conducting Research with the All of Us Researcher Workbench

Show the video. Here are some key points you may want to highlight.

Includes largely underrepresented populations
Goal is to have more than 1 million participants to include a large diverse population
Goal is to enhance precision medicine
Diverse data can help lead to new insight

NOTE: It may be beneficial to include a mini lesson on how data can be influenced or skewed on surveys based on how the participants answer and read the questions.

Beyond the Thermometer card sort

You may either print the paper version and have them complete in pairs or have each student complete the online version.

Data Browser Webquest

Have students complete either alone or in pairs. For students who need more help, you could provide this written guide How to Use the Data Browser and/or the set of Introductory Videos.

Why does sample size matter?

Conducting Research with the All of Us Researcher Workbench

Show the video. Here are some key points you may want to highlight.

Includes largely underrepresented populations
Goal is to have more than 1 million participants to include a large diverse population
Goal is to enhance precision medicine
Diverse data can help lead to new insight

NOTE: It may be beneficial to include a mini lesson on how data can be influenced or skewed on surveys based on how the participants answer and read the questions.

Beyond the Thermometer card sort

You may either print the paper version and have them complete in pairs or have each student complete the online version.

How big is your data?

In Part 1, students will be measuring height in small groups. Supply them with meter sticks, tape, etc. Instead of measuring height, you could have students find heart rate or blood pressure or use something from the survey section.

Part 1 also includes an opportunity for graphing. Here are some resources you might find useful if you choose to have students graph digitally.

Excel
Flourish
Google Charts
Google Draw
Adobe Spark
Meta-chart.com

They will need access to devices to research the All of Us Data Browser for Part 2.

Possible discussion topics

Age differences between class data and All of Us data (no one under 18 is represented)
Why do some of the measurements say “mean” and some don’t? Is there any actual reason?

Data Symphony

Preferably students will explore this activity on individual devices. You could also project the activity and explore it as a class. Included is a short demo video that you could utilize if time is short or if poor connectivity is an issue.

Have students explore the topics on the webpage below the activity and on the Composing the Data Symphony page linked there.

How is big data useful for research?

What is big data?

Show the video to the class. Have students and explore the other content on the page.

Data Symphony

Have students explore the topics on the webpage below the activity and on the Composing the Data Symphony page linked there.

How big is your data?

Part 1 also includes an opportunity for graphing. Here are some resources you might find useful if you choose to have students graph digitally.

Excel
Flourish
Google Charts
Google Draw
Adobe Spark
Meta-chart.com

They will need access to devices to research the All of Us Data Browser for Part 2.

Possible discussion topics

Age differences between class data and All of Us data (no one under 18 is represented)
Why do some of the measurements say “mean” and some don’t? Is there any actual reason?

Research with the Data Browser

Students will need devices to complete the activity. You can print the student sheets or have them fill it out electronically.

See the Discussion Guide for possible class discussion topics.

About this Unit

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