PRDV007: Spreadsheets III: Presenting Data

First, read the course syllabus. Then, enroll in the course by clicking "Enroll me". Click Unit 1 to read its introduction and learning outcomes. You will then see the learning materials and instructions on how to use them.

We often use charts to organize our data and help our audience visualize information and grasp concepts more quickly. The best type of chart to use depends on the information you are presenting. For example, you might use a pie chart to compare sales totals from five or six branch offices of a company. However, a pie chart is not as useful for looking at sales trends over five years; a line or scatter plot would be more appropriate for visualizing trends over time.

Completing this unit should take you approximately 2 hours.

This unit examines some more advanced charts you can create in Excel and other spreadsheet programs. We discuss the scatter plot, which shows correlations between two variables plotted on the x- and y-axes. We will learn about linear fit, which creates a best-fit line and equation for data. We will then explore combination charts, which combine two different chart types to compare two different sets of data.

Finally, we will examine sparklines, a relatively new feature of Excel. Sparklines are very small charts that can fit into a cell, usually adjacent to the cell where the data is derived from. The sparkline graphically represents the number. When used in consecutive cells, they create a way to differentiate numerical data that lets us comprehend it more easily without the need for a large separate chart.

Completing this unit should take you approximately 1 hour.

Presenters use graphics to clarify and convey information to their audience. Just as charts help explain complex data visually, graphics can highlight data you want readers to understand. However, be cautious about using too many visuals since they can distract from the information you want to share.

Completing this unit should take you approximately 1 hour.

Tables let us organize large amounts of information meaningfully and usefully when we do not necessarily want to produce a chart. Tables in Microsoft Excel have database properties that let us sort and filter the data to answer specific questions and perform calculations. In this unit, we examine how to design and use tables and create pivot tables, a special type of table that gives statistical information.

Completing this unit should take you approximately 1 hour.

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To receive a free Course Completion Certificate, you will need to earn a grade of 70% or higher on this final exam. Your grade for the exam will be calculated as soon as you complete it. If you do not pass the exam on your first try, you can take it again as many times as you want, with a 7-day waiting period between each attempt.

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