• Unit 4: Visualization Tools and Techniques

    Remember when you first learned to drive? There were so many buttons, tools, and techniques you had to use just to turn the car on. Before putting your hands on the steering wheel, you buckled your seatbelt and checked and adjusted the rear, left, and right-side mirrors. Finally, you placed your hands on the steering wheel, shifted the gear from park to drive, looked both ways, and pulled off. While driving, you managed internal and external factors such as steering, gas and brake pedals, speed, turn signals, starting and stopping, and monitoring the drivers at your front, left, rear, and right sides. Somehow, you managed all the moving parts and coordinated them successfully, which resulted in your earning your driver's license. Similarly, you will have an opportunity to manage and coordinate all the moving parts regarding visualization tools and techniques. In this unit, you will learn and apply visualization tools and techniques using spreadsheet software. We will also introduce several open source tools.

    Completing this unit should take you approximately 5 hours.

    • Upon successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:

      • compare visualization tools;
      • apply visualization techniques;
      • describe data findings through visual charts, graphs, and dashboards; and
      • organize data visualizations to convey messages and main points.

    • 4.1: Number Representation

      • Visual Aids Page

        Read this article on visual aids. Pay attention to the purpose, emphasis, support, and clarity section. Take notes of techniques to improve presentations using clarity and simplicity. Also, focus on how to prepare visual aids.

      • Using PowerPoint with Excel Page

        Tables and charts are vital to effective business presentations. Read this article to learn how to paste, insert, and link Microsoft Excel charts and tables in Microsoft Powerpoint. Remember that other presentation and spreadsheet tools may have the same integration features.

      • Using Charts with Word and PowerPoint Page

        Read this article to learn how to paste, insert, and link charts in Microsoft Word and Powerpoint products and complete the Skills Refresher for each tool. Now you know to assess data using levels of measurement, frequency distribution, and frequency tables. Remember, graphic presentations (visual aids) are equally essential for proving effective business presentations. Use the visual aid criteria in this unit to provide straightforward and easy-to-read business presentations.

      • Describing Data Page

        Once the data is collected, it is important to summarize and present it in a way that will be meaningful to the audience. Read this article to learn how to present and summarize data graphically and numerically.

    • 4.2: Formatting and Organizing Data

      • Best Visualization Practices Page

        We've all been in meetings where the presenter used ineffective visualizations. Watch this video to learn how to iterate, experiment, and explore to make visualizations to effectively exploit the human visual system's power.

    • 4.3: Selecting Visual Representations

      • Visualization Tools URL

        Many free tools are available online to help clean data, identify patterns, or just create a data visualization. Finding the right tool for your need and skill level can be difficult. Click through the various categories on the left and review the visualization tools sites each one presents. View several of the sites presented to learn the wide variety of free data visualization tools available for you to use for a particular requirement.

      • Visualization Thought Process Page

        Watch this video to explore the process of taking survey data and creating compelling visualizations by iterating and experimenting with various display methods.

    • 4.4: Representing Data Values

      • Presenting Data with Graphs and Tables Page

        After collecting data, you need to figure out the best way to present that data meaningfully. How to present the data depends on the type of data and the story you are trying to tell using that data. Read this article to learn some of the different ways to present data based on the type of data being presented.

    • 4.5: Coordinating Data Positions and Scales

    • Study Guide: Unit 4

      We recommend reviewing this Study Guide before taking the Unit 4 Assessment.

    • Unit 4 Assessment

      • Unit 4 Assessment Quiz
        Receive a grade

        Take this assessment to see how well you understood this unit.

        • This assessment does not count towards your grade. It is just for practice!
        • You will see the correct answers when you submit your answers. Use this to help you study for the final exam!
        • You can take this assessment as many times as you want, whenever you want.