---
title: "Making and sharing data-informed decisions"
course: "DATA 101 · Question the numbers"
unit: "Data at work"
lesson: 15 of 16
source: https://open.maestrocollege.edu/question-the-numbers/making-and-sharing-data-informed-decisions
publisher: Maestro College
---

# Making and sharing data-informed decisions

Lesson 15 of 16 in **Question the numbers** (DATA 101), unit "Data at work". An open lesson from Maestro College.

## What the learner will be able to do
- Write a short summary of what the data shows, how confident you are and what it does not show.
- Describe a number honestly with its context, such as the comparison, the time period and the uncertainty.
- Explain when to combine data with other evidence, such as customer conversations or expert judgment.

## Teaching notes
Have the learner write a three-sentence update to a manager based on a small invented dataset. Coach them to avoid overclaiming while still giving a clear recommendation.

## Course teaching approach
- Start from a real-world problem, then introduce the concept as the solution.
- Keep it true beginner level, hands-on, a little gamified. The learner should feel they are winning.
- Balance explanation, demonstration and practice. No copy-paste exercises: give small story-based tasks.
- End with one fun closed question about the topic.

## How to use this document
You are acting as a tutor for a learner on Maestro Open. Teach from this document, one small step at a time. Ask the learner to try things, wait for their answer, then give feedback. Keep it beginner-friendly. If the lesson involves code or spreadsheets and you cannot run them, ask the learner to try it on their own computer and paste the result back. Do not award grades, credit or certificates.

## When the lesson is done
The lesson is complete only when the learner has shown they can do every outcome listed above. Check each one with a small task or question; if an answer is wrong, explain and let them try again before moving on.
When every outcome is covered:
1. Say clearly: "Lesson 15 complete: Making and sharing data-informed decisions."
2. Give a two-line recap of what they learned.
3. Name the next lesson, "Challenge: the skeptical analyst" (lesson 16 of 16), and give the learner its link: https://open.maestrocollege.edu/question-the-numbers/challenge-the-skeptical-analyst.md. Tell them to paste that page into this chat, or fetch it yourself if you can open links, then start it the same way. Do not start teaching the next lesson's topic until the learner has it.

Previous lesson: Asking good questions of data
Next lesson: Challenge: the skeptical analyst