Data Analytics Foundations Course

What you will learn in 7 lessons

1. 1

   Data Analysis Process

   Start here

   Describe the data life cycle and the ask, prepare, process, analyze, share and act phases, and explain the roles, tools and thinking skills of data analysts.

   5 learning goals

   What you will learn

   1. 1.Explain what data analysis is and how it supports decisions
   2. 2.Describe the data life cycle
   3. 3.Work through the six phases of a data analysis
   4. 4.Think like a data analyst
   5. 5.Describe the roles and tools of data analytics
2. 2

   Asking Questions and Defining Metrics

   Turn a business problem into precise analysis questions, identify stakeholders and their needs, and define the metrics and KPIs that answer the questions.

   5 learning goals

   What you will learn

   1. 1.Frame the business problem before touching the data
   2. 2.Ask questions that lead to useful answers
   3. 3.Understand and work with stakeholders
   4. 4.Define the metrics and KPIs that answer the questions
   5. 5.Set the scope and success criteria of an analysis
3. 3

   Data Sources and Quality

   Compare data sources and types, judge data credibility and bias, and handle personal data with privacy and ethics in mind.

   5 learning goals

   What you will learn

   1. 1.Identify where data comes from and what form it takes
   2. 2.Store and organize data in files, spreadsheets and databases
   3. 3.Judge data credibility, bias and fitness for purpose
   4. 4.Protect personal data with privacy and security practices
   5. 5.Apply data ethics throughout an analysis
4. 4

   Cleaning Data

   Find and fix duplicates, missing values, inconsistent formats and invalid entries in spreadsheets and SQL, and document every cleaning step.

   5 learning goals

   What you will learn

   1. 1.Judge data integrity and find dirty data
   2. 2.Remove duplicates and handle missing values
   3. 3.Standardize text, formats and data types
   4. 4.Clean data step by step in a spreadsheet and in SQL
   5. 5.Document and verify the cleaning
5. 5

   Analyzing and Summarizing Data

   Sort, filter, group and aggregate data, combine tables and calculate summary measures in spreadsheets and SQL to answer an analysis question.

   6 learning goals

   What you will learn

   1. 1.Plan an analysis and organize the data
   2. 2.Create calculated fields
   3. 3.Combine data from several tables
   4. 4.Group and aggregate data
   5. 5.Calculate and interpret summary statistics
   6. 6.Check results and state the answer
6. 6

   Data Visualization

   Choose the right chart for a question, design clear and accessible visualizations, avoid misleading displays, and build charts in a BI tool such as Tableau, Power BI or Looker Studio.

   6 learning goals

   What you will learn

   1. 1.Match the chart to the question
   2. 2.Understand how people read charts
   3. 3.Design clear, focused charts
   4. 4.Use color well and make charts accessible
   5. 5.Spot and fix misleading charts
   6. 6.Build charts in a BI tool
7. 7

   Dashboards and Data Storytelling

   Build dashboards around key metrics and present findings as a clear data story with recommendations and limitations for stakeholders.

   5 learning goals

   What you will learn

   1. 1.Plan a dashboard around its purpose and key metrics
   2. 2.Design and build a clear, interactive dashboard
   3. 3.Turn analysis into a clear data story
   4. 4.Present findings to stakeholders
   5. 5.Recommend, qualify and summarize findings