Conclusion: Building Fair Data Cultures in Higher Education

This chapter presents the conclusions of the book Data Cultures in Higher Education: Current Practices and Emergent Challenges. It is divided in three parts. The first part introduces the contributions of the initial chapters in the book, highlighting the idea of complexity in the current landscape of data practices. It also reviews the cases introduced along the several chapters, placing them in a symbolic space which highlights the tensions between reactive and proactive data epistemologies. The second part characterises “the challenge ahead”, basing the reflections on the conceptual lens of data cultures. In fact, building on cultural-historical activity theory, we purport the need for a dynamic approach to data cultures in higher education. This idea is further explored through examples and a case study. To conclude, the third part of the chapter makes some final remarks for future practice and research, emphasising the relevant role of academics’ professionalism, participation and activism to build fair data cultures in higher education.