Photo by Brian Legate (Flickr)#jiconf / 2.8.13Jake Batsell, SMU@jbatsell

Teaching Data Visualization

Through Coffee Prices

Introducing

students to “data journalism” can

beINTIMIDATING

Image by Brett Jordan(Flickr)

By adapting an exercise from Thornburg’s “Producing Online News” and adding a dose of caffeinated competition...

STUDENTS CAN MASTER THE BASICS

OF DATA VISUALIZATIO

N IN 48 HOURS.

STEP ONE:Put students in small

groups.The mission• Use a combination of reporting skills and data tools to create an interactive map that visualizes local coffee prices.*

Photo by codepo8 (Flickr)

* 16 oz. drip

STEP ONE (cont’d):Groups create reporting strategy.

• Settle on data elements.• Create Google spreadsheet.• Agree on reporting methods: Shoe-leather, phone calls, Web research, crowdsourcing, etc.

Photo by codepo8 (Flickr)

STEP TWO:Collecting the data.• Finalized spreadsheets

due by start of next class.

• Standardizing is key.• If crowdsourcing, must

vet contributions and decide whether to use

them as is, correct them, or exclude.

STEP THREE:Visualizing the data.• Groups reconvene

in class to turn spreadsheets into interactive maps with Google Fusion.

• Class time is for polishing and troubleshooting only;no additional reporting.

STEP FOUR:PRIZES!!

@jbatselljbatsell@smu.edu

More details, links & resources:

http://j.mp/teachdataviz