Course Syllabus
Welcome to BUS612: Data-Driven Communications
Specific information about this course and its requirements can be found below. For more general information about taking Saylor Academy courses, including information about Community and Academic Codes of Conduct, please read the Student Handbook.
Course Description
In this graduate-level course, examine how data is used to convey and communicate the results of data analysis, including findings, helpful facts, and data insights.
Course Introduction
Business owners have been generating data for years. Yet, analyzing the data has often proven difficult. Recent innovations in technology increased data for almost every business exponentially. This data explosion ushered in much-needed tools for analyzing data and uncovering valuable insights. The increase in data also allowed improved data communications through data visualization.
Data-driven communication unlocks the value of everyday business data, creating a powerful asset that a business can use for competitive advantage. Therefore, it is one of the most sought-after skills in companies today. Data-driven communication enables practitioners to select and structure data for visual communication.
This course includes the following units:
- Unit 1: Defining the Business Objective and Sourcing Data
- Unit 2: Data Analysis
- Unit 3: Visualization Principles and Processes
- Unit 4: Visualization Tools and Techniques
- Unit 5: Evaluating Data Visualizations
- Unit 6: Storytelling with Data
Course Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion of this course, you will be able to:
- identify and define data gathering methodologies as well as data analysis processes, methods, and models;
- differentiate between data-gathering methodologies as well as data analysis processes, methods, and models;
- apply data gathering methodologies as well as data analysis processes, methods, and models;
- identify and define basic principles and methods of graphic design and storytelling styles for communicating information;
- differentiate between basic principles and methods of graphic design and storytelling styles for communicating information;
- identify and define theoretical aspects of visualization design;
- differentiate between different theoretical aspects of visualization design;
- describe interactive visualizations and dashboards; and
- identify and describe visual presentations of data analysis findings.
Throughout this course, you will also see learning outcomes in each unit. You can use those learning outcomes to help organize your studies and gauge your progress.
Course Materials
This course's primary learning materials are articles, lectures, and videos.
All course materials are free to access and can be found in each unit of the course. Pay close attention to the notes that accompany these course materials, as they will tell you what to focus on in each resource and will help you to understand how the learning materials fit into the course as a whole. You can also see a list of all the learning materials in this course by clicking on Resources in the navigation bar.
Evaluation and Minimum Passing Score
Only the final exam is considered when awarding you a grade for this course. To pass this course, you will need to earn a 70% or higher on the final exam. Your score on the exam will be calculated as soon as you complete it. If you do not pass the exam on your first try, you may take it again as many times as you want, with a 7-day waiting period between each attempt. Once you have successfully passed the final exam, you will be awarded a free Course Completion Certificate.
There are also end-of-unit assessments in this course. These are designed to help you study and do not factor into your final course grade. You can take these as many times as you want until you understand the concepts and material covered. You can see all of these assessments by clicking on Quizzes in the course's navigation bar.
Tips for Success
BUS612: Data-Driven Communications is a self-paced course, which means that you can decide when you will start and when you will complete the course. There is no instructor or an assigned schedule to follow. We estimate that the "average" student will take 32 hours to complete this course. We recommend that you work through the course at a comfortable pace that allows you to make regular progress. It's also a good idea to schedule your study time in advance and try to stick to that schedule as best as you can.
Learning new material can be challenging, so we've compiled a few study strategies to help you succeed:
- Take notes on the various terms, practices, and theories that you come across. This can help you put each concept into context and will create a refresher that you can use as you study later on.
- As you work through the materials, take some time to test yourself on what you remember and how well you understand the concepts. Reflecting on what you've learned is important for your long-term memory and will make you more likely to retain information over time.
Technical Requirements
This course is delivered entirely online. You will be required to have access to a computer or web-capable mobile device and have consistent access to the internet to either view or download the necessary course resources and attempt any auto-graded course assessments and the final exam.
- To access the full course, including assessments and the final exam, you will need to be logged into your Saylor Academy account and enrolled in the course. If you do not already have an account, you may create one for free here. Although you can access some of the course without logging in to your account, you should log in to maximize your course experience. For example, you cannot take assessments or track your progress unless you are logged in.
For additional guidance, check out Saylor Academy's FAQ.
Fees
This course is entirely free to enroll in and to access. Everything linked in the course, including textbooks, videos, webpages, and activities, is available for no charge. This course also contains a free final exam and course completion certificate.