visualizing data to measure and communicate state and ......eric s. atchison, arkansas state...
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Eric S. Atchison, Arkansas State University System
Wendy Kallina, PhD, Agnes Scott College
Visualizing Data to Measure and Communicate State and
System Metrics
Eric Atchison• Vice President for Strategic Research• [email protected] / @ericatchison
• Founding Faculty Director of Data Visualization• [email protected] / @wendykallina
Wendy Kallina
Goals for this session
• Comprehend data visualization basics• Understand structure and function of dashboards• Create several of Tableau’s primary chart types• Aggregate tables/charts into usable dashboards• Utilize filters to customize views• Apply parameters to switch between views
Basics
• Start with the end in mind.
• What questions are you trying to answer?
• What information are you trying to use to inform policy decisions?
What is a dashboard?
Think about a puzzle
Think about a puzzle
Think about a puzzle
Think about a puzzle
What is a dashboard?
• A single display of a small number of important, high-level metrics
• Allows the user to relatively quickly understand the outcomes the state is trying to achieve and the progress it is making to get there
What are the elements of a dashboard?
• Dimensions• Measures• Filters• Marks• Parameters
What are Dimensions?
What are Measures?
• Fields that cannot be aggregated.• Institution name• State• Sector
• Fields that can be measured, aggregated, or used for mathematical operations.
• Count• Sum• Percentage
What are Filters?
What are Marks?
• Filters allow limitations of dimensions and measures to provide comparability or further investigation.
• Marks options provide control over how the data is displayed in the view.
• Overall display | Detail• Color | Label• Size | Tooltip
What are Parameters?• Functionality to show specific pieces of a dashboard
based on a selection. • Switch between categories shown (e.g., by state, by institution)• Switch between types of values shown (e.g., count, percentage)
Questions so far?
Some examples…
https://public.tableau.com/profile/asusystem
Begin with the end in mind• Interested in examining state-level postsecondary
awardees.
• You need to access data for all states over several years. [NCES IPEDS Completers data]
• Want to show the figures in a variety of ways because of a variety of audiences.
Review the available data• IPEDS_2017-2013.xlsx Completers tab
Transition to Tableau
Journalistic Style• Descriptive titles• Printable• Minimalist design / color scheme• Easily understood data visualizations • Use of iconography and text to speed understanding
Eric S. Atchison, Arkansas State University System
Wendy Kallina, PhD, Agnes Scott College
Visualizing Data to Measure and Communicate State and
System Metrics