Data Visualization for Impact
  • Type Learning
  • Level Foundational
  • Time Hours
  • Cost Free

Data Visualization for Impact

Issued by Penn State College of Engineering

Data are central to decision-making across industries. Communicating that data involves making complex information accessible to a broad audience. This requires knowledge of tools like Excel; an understanding of how people process information; and strategies for data visualization. Earners of this badge have core Excel skills as well as principles of data visualization in terms of the importance of being simplistic and strategic use of graphics.

  • Type Learning
  • Level Foundational
  • Time Hours
  • Cost Free

Skills

Earning Criteria

  • Earners attend a 2-hour live interactive workshop led by an engineering professional.  During this workshop, earners are made aware of the ubiquity of data (both technical and business process); key functions in Excel to analyze data (such as pivot tables, v-lookup, and conditional formatting); and principles for visualization to make data communication more impactful.
  • Following the live workshop, earners analyze a data set to identify a recommended vendor based on both cost and product physical specifications.  They then communicate this information using text, color, and graphics to show why the recommended vendor is data-based.