D210 - Representation and Reporting
Representation and Reporting focuses on communicating observations and patterns to diverse stakeholders, a key aspect of the data analytics life cycle. This course helps students gain communication and storytelling skills. It also covers data visualizations, audio representations, and interactive dashboards
Course Analysis
D210 was my introduction to data visualization with Tableau, a tool I hadn’t used before. In preparation for this course, I took Udemy’s Tableau 2022 A-Z: Hands-On Tableau Training for Data Science course . I completed the entire series and found the learning curve enjoyable. As a WGU student, I took advantage of the complimentary one-year Tableau Desktop license we receive. While I haven’t explored Tableau Prep Builder or pursued the Tableau Desktop Specialist certification yet, I plan to do so post-program, especially since we have free access to Tableau’s preparation materials and a discount on the certification exam.
The challenging part of D210 was finding a dataset to complement WGU’s offering. The difficulty was in finding a dataset to meaningfully join with it. I overthought this initially, but realized that any dataset with zip codes or states could work, even if the connection seemed superficial.
I chose the Telco sample customer churn data from Kaggle. My goal wasn’t to join but to compare similar columns from WGU’s and the Telco’s datasets, with a UNION operation. I tagged each dataset with a ‘Source’ identifier to distinguish between them in my analyses, allowing for comparative visualizations in Tableau without the need for a JOIN.
Creating the dashboard in Tableau was straightforward. I downloaded Tableau Public using my student license and worked from my PC. My approach was to experiment with a worksheet, then recreate it methodically once I understood the process through trial and error.
Final Thoughts
I managed to complete all the coursework for D210 within a week, wrapping up just in time for a long planned trip for me. My data preparation was conducted in Python, and I submitted my entire report, addressing all rubric criteria, through a Jupyter Notebook without any complications. This course was particularly enjoyable for me, as the DataCamp modules were well-constructed, and I had the opportunity to learn Tableau, a highly valuable tool. It’s regrettable that WGU doesn’t facilitate a Tableau certification, but given its affordability, I’m inclined to obtain it independently.
