A one-day class introducing the skills necessary to clean, process, and visualize NYC Parks data with Microsoft Excel. This class reinforces problem ideation and process mapping skills taught in Introduction to Data Analysis, as well as introduces best practices for documenting work. Working collaboratively in small groups, participants develop an analytical question they explore throughout the class, presenting their data story at the end of class for constructive feedback.
Employees of all levels of responsibility who work with data in some form as part of their job. No familiarity with Microsoft Excel or the data analysis process is necessary for this class, but participants should complete Introduction to Data Analysis prior to attending this class.
- Introduce and practice key steps in exploratory data analysis
- Demonstrate key techniques using Microsoft Excel for advanced data analysis
- Reinforce brainstorming, problem ideation, and process mapping skills introduced in previous classes
- Practice presenting true and compelling data stories to peers
- Cultivate an attitude of curiosity to foster a culture of data-driven inquiry
Conceptualizing: Supported scoping of analytics problem and process
Skill Development: Advanced analytics operations, including formulas and functions to clean and process NYC Parks data
Integrating: Investigate context using provided resources
Communicating: Project pitch with content critique in order to foster an entrepreneurial mindset with respect to developing and communicating analytical work
Language Objective: Develop greater fluency in basic data skills to conceptualize a problem with data, integrate context, and communicate a true and compelling data story to others
- Participants will be familiar with the key steps of exploratory data analysis with Microsoft Excel
- Participants will be practiced in using the techniques of brainstorming, problem ideation, and process mapping to scope and execute an analytical question
- Participants will be practiced presenting analytical findings and describing the key steps in their analysis to their peers
- Participants will have an increased curiosity about how data can be leveraged for operational awareness and program success
- Welcome and Introductions
- Exercise (aggregating 311 data by Boroughs)
- Overview of Excel
- Break
- Data Analytics 101
- 5 Analytics Tasks
- Exercise (Explore 311 data set)
- Lunch
- Exploratory Analysis
- Transforming Data with Functions and Formulas
- Exercise (Telling a story with 311 data)
- Break
- Visualizing Data in Excel
- Exercise (Refine data story)
- Presentations
- Wrap-up
- Dismissal