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Introduction to Data Literacy

Beginner

4.3+

Updated 12/2024

Data is all around us, which makes data literacy an essential life skill.

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TheoryData Literacy2 hours16 videos61 exercises4,100 XP61,673Statement of Accomplishment

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Course Description

Explore the Basics of Data Literacy

Data is all around us, which makes data literacy an essential life skill. It is a skill that empowers you to ask the right questions about data and choose the right tools to read, interpret and communicate data. This non-technical course will equip you with the necessary knowledge and skill to feel confident around data and understand how data can be used to gain actionable insights and drive change.

Through hands-on exercises, you’ll learn how to get from data to insights, how data drives decision-making, how to collect and manage data, the four types of analytics and how to use storytelling and visualization to improve your data communication, and more.

You’ll start with the basics, understanding why data literacy is important and why you should take steps to become data literate. You’ll also learn how to use data to your advantage, from gaining insights to making decisions.

Get a Deeper Understanding of Data

Next, you’ll discover how to identify data sources, looking at some of the most common types, how to manage them, and what to do when you run into problems with your data.

In the second half of this data literacy course, you’ll focus on how you can gain insights by using data analytics. As well as exploring the different types of analysis and when to perform them, you’ll also learn about presenting your findings with impact using data visualizations and storytelling.

By the time you’re finished, you’ll have a strong understanding of why data literacy is so essential in the modern world, as well as some of the fundamentals of identifying the right types of data for you to use.

Prerequisites

There are no prerequisites for this course

1

Data Literacy Basics

Why data literacy is an essential skill

Defining data literacy

Reasons to become data literate

The data literacy toolbox

From data to insights

DIKW pyramid as a process

What is insight?

Information or knowledge?

Data-driven decision making

Becoming data-driven

Facts & myths about being data-driven

Data-driven process

Fitting the problem statement

2

Reading Data

Data is all around us

Finding the right data

Finding the right data source

Open vs. internal data sources

Common data types

Importance of data types

Structured vs. unstructured data

Quantitative vs. qualitative data

Managing data

Using databases

Storage in the cloud

Which tool do you need?

Common data problems

Consequences of data problems

Find the data problems

Countering dirty data and data bias

3

Working with and Analyzing Data

Descriptive analytics

Reasons (not) to use descriptive analytics

Exploring the data

Exploring connections

Diagnostic analytics

Finding causes

Root cause analysis steps

Descriptive vs. diagnostic analytics

Predictive analytics

Are we predicting yet?

Building a predictive model

Looking into the future

Prescriptive analytics

Characteristics of prescriptive analytics

Predictive vs. prescriptive analytics

Matching use cases to the type of analytics

4

Communicating Insights

Data visualizations

The purpose of visualizations

Providing context

Data storytelling

(Not) part of the story

Crafting a story

Three keys to communicating effectively

Focus on your central message

Getting your outline in order

The importance of form

From data to story: a case study

Formulating the central message

Setting up the narrative structure

Choosing visualizations

Best and bad practices

Introduction to Data Literacy

Course
Complete

Earn Statement of Accomplishment

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Included withPremium or Teams

Don’t just take our word for it

*4.3

from 21 reviews

71%

14%

5%

0%

10%

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Most recent
Top reviews

simone v.

23 days

Awesome! And it goes for all the course I have completed and started so far. They cover a great range of relevant topics from the begginer perspective, without being far too simple. I am already putting everything to practice in my work and am extremely grateful.

Ana U.

26 days

This course was more thorough than I expected. It gave me more tools to do better at my job.

Antwyn M.

2 months

Great course

Tracey T.

3 months

It was handy that the subject matter was broken down into small sections that you get tested on as you go along

kapkhan k.

4 months

That was incredible. I love it

"Awesome! And it goes for all the course I have completed and started so far. They cover a great range of relevant topics from the begginer perspective, without being far too simple. I am already putting everything to practice in my work and am extremely grateful."

simone v.

"This course was more thorough than I expected. It gave me more tools to do better at my job."

Ana U.

"Great course"

Antwyn M.

FAQs

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