What happens on Monday? (BoF)
Over the past three years, the provision of digital literacy training has greatly increased in New
Zealand, largely led by NeSI and a number of universities and Crown Research Institutes, in
affiliation with the international Carpentries initiative. By attending 1-2 Data and Software Carpentry
workshops, and digital literacy training events such as Research Bazaar, learners and participants
can be rapidly introduced to a range of tools and techniques to empower their research. These
workshops rely on examples that are generalised, and that in a workshop environment give a sense
of ability and accomplishment. After the workshops, however, researchers can find it difficult to
translate the concepts for application in their specific research contexts. In addition, post-workshop,
the immediate community of the workshop is no longer present, which often leads attendees to ask
“what happens on Monday?”
This session seeks to discuss solutions that both trainers and trainees have found for continued
support and training as learners progress from novice to competent practitioner.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR(S)
Dr Murray Cadzow has recently completed his PhD student in the Department of Biochemistry at the University
of Otago, under the supervision of Professor Tony Merriman and Associate Professor Mik Black.
Murray’s research involved the analysis of genome-wide genetic variation to identify regions of
DNA associated with altered risk of human disease, focusing in particular on variation that changes
the risk of developing gout and diabetes in Māori and Pasifika populations. Murray has a strong
interest in computing, and also in digital literacy training. He is a certified Carpentries instructor and
instructor trainer, and has helped organise and deliver multiple training and education events over
the past few years.
Associate Professor Mik Black received a BSc(Hons) in statistics from the University of Canterbury, and a MSc (mathematical
statistics) and PhD (statistics) from Purdue University. After completing his PhD in 2002, Mik
returned to New Zealand to work as a lecturer in the Department of Statistics at the University of
Auckland. An ongoing involvement in a number of Dunedin-based collaborative genomics projects
resulted in a move to the University of Otago in 2006, where he now leads a research group
focused on the development and application of statistical methods for the analysis of data from
genomics experiments, with a particular emphasis on human disease. Mik has also been heavily
involved in major initiatives designed to put in place sustainable national research infrastructure for
NZ: Genomics Aotearoa and NZ Genomics Limited for genomics, digital literacy training via The
Carpentires, and NeSI (New Zealand eScience Infrastructure) for high performance computing and
eResearch.
