Features

Inspire students to visualize, investigate and understand data

Students discover meaning as they explore data with the unique visual nature of InspireData. Integrated Table and Plot Views work together as students build databases and then visually analyze the data with multiple plot types, such as Venn, stack, pie and axis plots.

Develop data literacy

In Table View, students:

• Enter multiple data types easily, such as numbers, text, lists, series and formulas
• Start with one of InspireData's 50+ curriculum-based databases
• Import data from the Internet or other sources
• Use the Questionnaire tool to launch surveys and guide data collection
• Customize table properties or create multiple tables within a database
• Add notes to reference sources and provide explanations

Analyze data with multiple plot types
Venn, stack, pie and axis plots offer students multiple ways to visualize and investigate data.

In Plot View, students:

• Create Venn plots with up to three loops to show similarities and differences
• Create stack plots to show distribution of values and take data analysis further using stack plot options, such as parallel stack plots
• Create pie plots to easily recognize patterns or subdivide data in multiple pie plots
• Create axis plots to investigate correlations and discover relationships
• Manipulate variables and settings to further explore data
• Easily select and change axis labels to visualize different sets of data
• Isolate data subsets to focus investigation
• View data as it changes over time with animated Time Series
• Customize plots with labels, colors and unique icons
• Combine data categories to discover larger trends
• Perform calculations and use basic statistical tools, such as mean, median and summary counts, to support conclusions and summarize data

Enhance the inquiry process

 Communicate findings with Slide Show
Slide Show enables students to capture the sequence of data analysis and present their work. They can continue investigation throughout a project using the live data that resides in each slide. Students also use Slide Show to document findings and conclusions to support project completion.

 Add details with Notes
Using Notes, students can add explanations or document processes and observations. Teachers can use Notes to give students project instructions or feedback

Customize icons
Easily recognize patterns and bring more visual meaning to plots with customizable icons. Students can create or import icons or choose from more than 100 icons in InspireData's library.

Integrate classroom projects
Integrate InspireData in the classroom with any of the 10 classroom projects found in the complimentary Classroom Projects book. The projects contain complete lesson plan ideas for science, mathematics and social studies to help teachers quickly start using InspireData with their students.

Plot Types 

InspireData™ supports multiple plot types to help students investigate and interpret data as they go through a dynamic inquiry process. As students explore the way data moves through the various plot types, they formulate questions and discover meaning from the visual representation.

With InspireData, students create multiple plot types.
Venn plots
Stack plots
Pie plots
Axis plots

About Venn plots
A Venn plot is a powerful way to describe and compare attributes by separating objects into groups based on their characteristics. Venn plots show relationships between mathematical sets or can be used to identify the commonalities and differences between things, people, places, historical events, ideas or physical attributes. With InspireData, you can create Venn plots with up to three loops.

About axis plots
An axis plot—also known as a scatter plot—is an ideal way to investigate correlations. By choosing different variables for the X and Y axes, students can use the resulting plots to examine relationships between the variables. Is there a correlation between height of largest drop and the top speed achieved on the roller coaster? This axis plot provides an answer: the fastest roller coasters are also the ones with the largest drops. Color-coding the icons also reveals that the fastest coasters have steel tracks.

Animated Time Series
InspireData's unique Time Series animation lets students observe data as it changes over time. As students compare changes over time, patterns and trends emerge, making it easy to analyze historical facts and predict future events. Most commonly represented as a line graph, a Time Series can be displayed with any plot type to show events or results that occur over time.

About pie plots
A pie plot shows the distribution of values within one field of a database. The sizes of the pie's slices are proportional to the percentage of records in each category. Pie plots are used to graphically represent the distribution of the entire set of data. Patterns can be easily identified, as well as the values that have the largest or smallest representations. Pie plots can be used to illustrate percentages of a whole or to numerically represent a category of facts.

Students can separate data into two or more pie plots based on distinct characteristics. Viewing the individual pie plots allows students to easily compare the relationships for the unique groups and the whole.

About stack plots
A stack plot displays the distribution of values within one field of a database. Stack plots are used to represent a range of data for one variable. Frequently referred to as "sorting bins," you can sort or group data by the selected variable into one of the bins. The height of the bar is proportional to the number in the bin. Stack plots are ideal for comparison activities.

Students can divide the data into categories by selecting from InspireData's multiple stack plot types. By representing an additional variable on the Y axis, students can easily see the differences between the individual groups.

Grounded in education research

Originally funded under a grant from the National Science Foundation, InspireData has been developed by TERC and published by Inspiration Software. TERC is a leading educational research and development lab committed to improving mathematics and science teaching and learning.

What's new in InspireData 1.5

InspireData 1.5 offers more ways to explore and understand data. This latest version of InspireData has many powerful new features to help students collect and explore data and help educators integrate InspireData and data literacy into the classroom.

Easier data collection!

• e-Survey tool
  Collect data anytime, anywhere using InspireData's e-Survey tool. Create and publish an online survey to gather data, then instantly download results to jumpstart analysis.
• 100+ subject-specific databases
  Get started quickly with more than 100 content-rich databases.
• Database templates
  Use database templates with predefined structure to guide data collection.
• Expanded data formatting options
  Select and define field formats and valid list content to ensure consistent data collection.

More plot options!

• Bar charts
  Students can create a bar chart or a stack plot with one click.
• Line of best fit and line graphs
  Display line of best fit and line graphs in axis plots to connect data points or to clarify data relationships and investigate trends.
• Export plots
  Export plots as .jpg, .gif or .png files.

Expanded teacher and classroom support

• Lesson plans and classroom projects
  These lesson plans include ideas and instructions for achieving data literacy, corresponding database templates to guide student data collection and exemplars for teacher demonstration and student assessment.
• Learn-to-Use Handouts
  These teacher tools provide easy-to-follow instructions for quickly learning and using InspireData.
• Web resources
  Teachers can easily access additional support materials such as lesson plans and database templates.
• Teacher database templates for classroom analysis
  Customisable templates allow teachers to track student performance over time, identify classroom trends and support data-driven decision making.