Data Visualization and Dashboards with Excel and Cognos

Data Visualization and Dashboards with Excel and Cognos

This course is part of multiple programs.

Instructors: Sandip Saha Joy

What you'll learn

Create basic visualizations such as line graphs, bar graphs, and pie charts using Excel spreadsheets.
Explain the important role charts play in telling a data-driven story.
Construct advanced charts and visualizations such as Treemaps, Sparklines, Histogram, Scatter Plots, and Filled Map Charts.
Build and share interactive dashboards using Excel and Cognos Analytics.

Skills you'll gain

Data Visualization

Details to know

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Assessments

2 quizzes, 8 assignments

Taught in English

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There are 4 modules in this course

Learn how to create data visualizations and dashboards using spreadsheets and analytics tools. This course covers some of the first steps for telling a compelling story with your data using various types of charts and graphs. You'll learn the basics of visualizing data with Excel and IBM Cognos Analytics without having to write any code.

You'll start by creating simple charts in Excel such as line, pie and bar charts. You will then create more advanced visualizations with Treemaps, Scatter Charts, Histograms, Filled Map Charts, and Sparklines. Next you’ll also work with the Excel PivotChart feature as well as assemble several visualizations in an Excel dashboard. This course also teaches you how to use business intelligence (BI) tools like Cognos Analytics to create interactive dashboards. By the end of the course you will have an appreciation for the key role that data visualizations play in communicating your data analysis findings, and the ability to effectively create them. Throughout this course there will be numerous hands-on labs to help you develop practical experience for working with Excel and Cognos. There is also a final project in which you’ll create a set of data visualizations and an interactive dashboard to add to your portfolio, which you can share with peers, professional communities or prospective employers.

In this module, you will be introduced to the basics of charts and the Excel functions that are used to create basic charts and pivot chart visualizations. By learning how to manipulate these features and creating visualizations, you will begin to understand the important role charts play in telling a data-driven story.

What's included

6 videos4 readings1 quiz1 assignment2 plugins

6 videosTotal 31 minutes

Course Intro3 minutesPreview module
Introduction to Charts4 minutes
Interview: Using Visualizations to Tell a Data Story3 minutes
Creating Basic Charts in Excel (Line, Pie, and Bar Charts)5 minutes
Introduction to Creating Pivot Tables in Excel7 minutes
Using the Excel PivotChart Feature 6 minutes

4 readingsTotal 62 minutes

Helpful Tips for Course Completion2 minutes
Syllabus10 minutes
Optional Hands-on Labs on Excel Basics40 minutes
Summary and Highlights10 minutes

1 quizTotal 21 minutes

Graded Quiz : Visualizing Data using Spreadsheets21 minutes

1 assignmentTotal 12 minutes

Practice Quiz: Visualizing Data using Spreadsheets12 minutes

2 pluginsTotal 30 minutes

Reading: Excel Keyboard Shortcuts10 minutes
Hands-on Lab 1: Creating Basic Charts20 minutes

In this module, you will learn about creating advanced charts and visualizations and learn about the basics of dashboarding and how to create a simple dashboard using a spreadsheet.

What's included

5 videos2 readings1 quiz3 assignments2 plugins

5 videosTotal 31 minutes

Creating Treemaps, Scatter Charts, and Histograms7 minutesPreview module
Creating Filled Map Charts and Sparklines6 minutes
Introduction to Dashboards3 minutes
Interview: Using Dashboards to Present Data Results5 minutes
Creating a Simple Dashboard using Excel7 minutes

2 readingsTotal 20 minutes

Summary and Highlights10 minutes
Summary and Highlights10 minutes

1 quizTotal 12 minutes

Graded Quiz: Updating Advanced Charts12 minutes

3 assignmentsTotal 32 minutes

Graded Quiz: Creating Dashboards using Spreadsheets 12 minutes
Practice Quiz: Creating Advanced Charts8 minutes
Practice Quiz: Creating Dashboards using Spreadsheets 12 minutes

2 pluginsTotal 40 minutes

Hands-on Lab 2: Creating Advanced Charts20 minutes
Hands-on Lab 3: Creating a Simple Dashboard with Excel20 minutes

In this module, you will be introduced to another dashboarding solution called Cognos Analytics. After registering with Cognos Analytics, you will then explore the platform capabilities by creating visualizations, building a simple dashboard, and discovering its advanced features. Optionally, you can explore Google Looker Studio to create visualizations and build dashboards.

What's included

4 videos6 readings4 assignments6 plugins

4 videosTotal 25 minutes

Cognos Analytics: Introduction and How to Sign Up3 minutesPreview module
Navigating in Cognos Analytics7 minutes
Creating a Simple Dashboard in Cognos Analytics7 minutes
Advanced Capabilities in Cognos Analytics Dashboards6 minutes

6 readingsTotal 43 minutes

Summary and Highlights1 minute
Summary and Highlights10 minutes
About this optional lesson with Looker Studio2 minutes
(Optional) : Getting Started with Google Looker Studio10 minutes
Creating Visualizations in Reports using Looker Studio10 minutes
Summary and Highlights10 minutes

4 assignmentsTotal 38 minutes

Graded Quiz: Creating Visualizations and Dashboards with Cognos Analytics 12 minutes
Practice Quiz: Getting Started with IBM Cognos Analytics8 minutes
Practice Quiz: Creating Dashboards with Cognos Analytics10 minutes
Practice Quiz: Creating and Configuring Visualizations with Google Looker Studio8 minutes

6 pluginsTotal 250 minutes

Hands-on Lab: Getting Started with Cognos Analytics40 minutes
Hands-on Lab: Different Methods for Creating Dashboard Visualizations with Cognos Analytics 45 minutes
Hands-on Lab: Advanced Dashboard Capabilities in Cognos Analytics30 minutes
(Optional):Hands-on Lab: Getting Started with Google Looker Studio60 minutes
(Optional): Hands-on Lab: Creating and Configuring Visualizations in Reports with Google Looker Studio60 minutes
(Optional) Hands-on Lab: Advanced charts in Looker Studio15 minutes

Congratulations! You have now completed the modules for this course. In this module, you will complete the final assignment that will be graded by your peers. In the first part of the final assignment, you will use provided sample data to create some visualizations using Excel for the web. In the second part of the final assignment, you will create some visualizations and add them to a dashboard using Cognos Analytics or Google Looker Studio.

What's included

2 readings1 peer review4 plugins

2 readingsTotal 11 minutes

Congratulations and Next Steps10 minutes
Course Credits and Acknowledgements1 minute

1 peer reviewTotal 45 minutes

Final Assignment-Part 3: Peer-graded Assignment45 minutes

4 pluginsTotal 205 minutes

Final Project Overview10 minutes
Final Assignment - Part 1: Creating Visualizations Using Excel45 minutes
Final Assignment - Part 2a: Creating Visualizations Using Cognos Analytics75 minutes
Final Assignment - Part 2b: Creating Visualizations Using Google Looker Studio75 minutes

Instructors

Instructor ratings

4.7 (1,197 ratings)

Sandip Saha Joy

IBM

5 Courses479,193 learners

Offered by

IBM

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Reviewed on Jan 20, 2022

Familiarity with the powerful Cognus program was very good. If you continue this course, good things will surely happen to you. This was the third course I took and it was really great

Reviewed on Jul 8, 2023

I like this course a lot. It introduces and teaches me how to use Cognos Analytics to create dashboard like a professional Data Analysts do. Thank you so much.

Reviewed on Feb 2, 2022

The course was great. The tutors did excellent job and the course materials were self explanatory. I am indeed happy to be a party to the process.

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