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SYNTRA
Data ThinkingFoundationSelf-paced

Data Thinking: Reasoning with Evidence

Asking better questions of evidence instead of reaching for the nearest available number.

Taught by Sofia Marchetti
5h 05m 14 lessons Foundation

Course overview

Data thinking is a reasoning skill, not a software skill. This course teaches how to evaluate evidence critically — spotting weak correlations, misleading framing, and unstated assumptions — so you can make sharper arguments and better decisions.

What you’ll learn

  • Spot weak or misleading evidence in a real argument
  • Ask the right follow-up question before trusting a number
  • Build an argument that evidence actually supports
  • Communicate uncertainty honestly instead of hiding it

Curriculum

5 chapters · 14 lessons · 5h 05m

Why more data doesn't mean better decisions.

  • The gap between data and reasoning14m
  • Common evidence traps16m
  • Reading a claim skeptically15m

Evaluating evidence systematically.

  • Correlation, causation, and the space between18m
  • Spotting framing and selection effects17m
  • Case study: a misleading growth chart19m

Asking better questions before trusting a result.

  • A checklist for evaluating any claim15m
  • Exercise: stress-test a real report20m

Building and communicating an evidence-based argument.

  • Structuring an argument evidence actually supports16m
  • Communicating uncertainty without losing the room14m
  • Responding when your evidence is challenged13m

Build a complete evidence-based case.

  • Project brief: evaluating a proposed initiative8m
  • Presenting your evidence-based case18m

Requirements

  • No statistics background required
  • Comfortable reading basic charts and tables

Who this is for

  • Product and marketing professionals who use data daily
  • Analysts who want to sharpen their reasoning, not just their tools
  • Anyone who has to make a case using evidence