Infographics MOOC: Final Thoughts

   My foray into the world of MOOCs concludes this week. Guided by professor Alberto Cairo, I have found that I have learned quite a bit about infographics and data visualization over these last seven weeks. I began the course with a familiarity of the topic garnered solely through looking at infographics in newspapers, magazines and web sites. I regularly read the NY Times and they have a large infographics department. The online version of the paper offers many fine examples of infographic and data viz materials. (Check this blog entry for some information on the work found in the NY Times.) But you'll notice, if you are looking, that infographics appear in many media quite regularly.
   For this course, the goals were to learn the theory behind the the creation of an effective infographic, to be able to apply that theory in critiquing the work of others and to create infographics from data sets.  For those who were ambitious, materials were provided to learn more about two software products used in the profession to create static and interactive graphic materials. The software products, Tableau and Adobe Illustrator, were supported by a series of video and .pdf Help Guides.
   The course's final project asked each student to take a data set and create an infographic.  There are thousands of students enrolled in the class from all over the world, and not surprisingly, final projects covered a wide variety of topics.  I chose to utilize data from GSB's Admission Department.  Looking over enrollment numbers going back over 10 years, I tried to discern patterns that might provide useful information. In short, I was looking for a story.  What I ultimately decided on was an interactive infographic that would visually show the towns our students came from year after year.  You can take a look at the infographic as a .pdf or check the screenshot below. 

 

   

   Final thoughts? This MOOC offered what I was looking for. I learned a lot. I enjoyed the flexibility to work when it was convenient to me. I liked not having to commute to class. When I queried the professor with a question or concern, which I did three times, a response was offered quickly and in a thoughtful way. A considerable part of the learning structure was built around peer feedback. This part of the course was least satisfactory. Some feedback was excellent, some less helpful. But peer-to-peer interaction utilizing online forums is frequently found in MOOCs and other online coursework. It substitutes for class discussion and I suspect many find the trade-off frustrating.  Overall, I will say I was pleasantly surprised at how well this course was administered and how much I learned simply by following through on the readings, videos and activities. As in any course, the professor deserves a lion's share of the credit for its success. Thanks, Alberto, for shedding light on a new area of learning. 

iPads in the Kindergarten: An Update

   Not too long ago, I asked Diane and Elise how it was going with our iPads-in-the-Kindergarten program. The answer from both of our teachers was an enthusiastic "It's going very well!"  Naturally, I wanted to see for myself how the students were using the devices, and what, in particular, was working well.  For that matter, I was also curious about the program's shortcomings.  A couple of visits to the classrooms told me a lot.

   The iPads in each room are stored and administered by the teachers. They do not go home with the students. "Storing" really means keeping track of charging the devices. "Administering" means researching and loading apps students will use. Though we've established a system whereby apps can be purchased, thus far, only free apps are being used by the students. Elise and Diane have both told me there are plenty of free apps and no end in sight.

   Here's a look at a home screen from a students' iPad. You'll see many of the apps they are using.

   Keep in mind that apps are chosen for their value to kindergarteners.  So apps that facilitate counting, tracing, spelling and word recognition are important. Stories, especially if they have interactive features, are also utilized. And especially important this week, an app like Collage Pic that allows the kids to create Valentines for their parents is particularly timely.

   In looking over one of the story apps, I noticed that today, February 12, they had posted a special story on Abraham Lincoln. It is his birthday, after all, and the story telling seemed like a good fit for the age group.

   Here's a few pictures of our kindergarteners hard at work:

   Look closely and you'll see a few things. The students are definitely engaged in their work. They work on carpeted areas to reduce accidents. And they all are working on their own device. But do they ever collaborate?

   Yes, occasionally, as seen above. But for the most part, the apps dictate a more personal approach.  I asked both students and teachers what they did not like about the iPads.  The teachers mentioned that managing the devices was one more thing to do, but the tasks were not onerous. The students easily could tell me about their favorite apps but had a harder time telling me what they did not like about using iPads in  class. All in all, I have little doubt that our iPads are facilitating learning in a way that is both productive and fun for the students.

   And what about that Valentine's Day project? It's coming along...

My MOOC: Some further thoughts

   As I write, I'm continuing to learn about infographics and data visualization as a student enrolled in a MOOC hosted by the Knight School of Journalism, University of Texas. I posted earlier that this course had met my expectations; it is soundly structured, administered with care and most importantly, has provided the tools to learn quite a bit about infographics and data visualization. 

   Last week, we were given a data set to work with that had been generated by KPMG, a global accounting firm.  The data compared tax rates (and several sub-sets of tax rates) among the world's nations. Our job was to create a visualization of the data that helped a viewer understand the numbers.  Here's my project: Tax Rates and Standards of Living Though it's fairly clear how this graphic should be interactive, right now it is not interactive.  I've been learning a bit about Tableau and Adobe Illustrator, two software packages that can be used to create interactive graphics, but there's a lot to learn.  I'm still some distance from producing fully interactive graphics.

   As an enrolled student, I have a perfect opportunity to learn more about how MOOCs work. I asked our professor about attrition rates, and he mentioned that 15% of the enrolled students finished his last MOOC. He was quite happy with that number. Apparently, it's noticeably above average. Another notable characteristic is the international make-up of the enrolled students. I don't have hard numbers, but from the forums that have been created, it is very obvious that there are students from around the world and they bring a wide range of life experiences to the class. Even given that "conversations" are held entirely online, I do feel I have gained from the exposure to this wide range of peers.

   There's quite a body of literature that has been created over the last years as people critique, support and evaluate MOOCs. As a regular reader of The Chronicle of Higher Education, I know that MOOCs have been a continuing topic of interest. I read an article over the week-end and thought that it did a fine job reminding readers that for a great many currently enrolled college students in the U.S., new models of higher education are welcome, and even needed: Your Massively Open Offline College Is Broken  As presented in the article, facts about costs, enrollment and job prospects combine to make a compelling case for MOOCs and other education models that are cheaper, more responsive to shifting job markets and more flexible in how coursework is offered.

Data Visualization MOOC: an Update

   I'm entering my fourth week as a student in the Data Visualization and Infographics course offered through the Knight School of Journalism, University of Texas. The course is a MOOC (massive, open, online course) with about 5000 students enrolled. The course has lived up to expectations in all ways.

   The professor, Alberto Cairo, has put together a well-ordered curriculum that builds on itself, week to week.  From an entry point where I knew only that I was fascinated by the data visualizations I had seen, I have quickly become familiar with some of the field's theorists. Through readings and videos, I now have a much clearer sense of what makes an infographic work and where the common pitfalls lay.  I also understand that every set of data allows for multiple visual expressions and the role of the designer is in part to choose the tools that will most clearly display the data. Finally, I understand that data visualizations are designed to tell a story and to raise questions.  Not all are successful, but the best meet both goals.

   During week 3, we began to move from theory to production. One of our assignments was to look over a data set and create an infographic.  This infographic did not need to be "polished;" rather, it could be read as a set of working notes that allowed others to see what we wanted to do with our infographic.  I should note here that there are specific software tools designers use to create the very sharp looking infographics we see in newspapers, magazines and websites. These tools can allow for an interactive experience where the viewer, by hovering a mouse cursor or using a drop-down menu, can change the data set and the resulting presentation.  We have been offered tutorials on two software tools (Adobe Illustrator and Tableau) but for right now, virtually everyone seems to be using other more limited tools to create projects.

   Our data set involved two sets of interconnected data. One set divided higher education faculty in the US into classes: professors, associate professors, assistant professors, instructors and lecturers. The other set examined how for each class, the percentage of tenured, tenure-track and non-tenured changed over time.  Our job as students was to get the data to tell a story and to allow it to raise questions. We could bring in additional data sets but we needed to work with the set of AFT-generated data from 2001 to 2009.

   The data set: http://www.highereddata.aft.org/instit/national/tenure_rank.cfm

   Here is the infographic I created: Faculty Tenure in Higher Education: A Changing Landscape

   During this upcoming week, my project submission will be critiqued by a few other students via website forums. I'll do the same for other projects.  Then, with feedback, I'll have a chance to make some changes. 

   If you have looked over the project and would like to offer any comments, please feel free to use the comment section of this post. I'm happy to hear from others as I try and learn how this new skill.