Applied Visual Analytics

Catalog description

This course covers the fundamental principles, methods, and tools of visual analytics that enable data and security analysts to synthesize information and derive insight from data. When dealing with complex decisions, analysts are faced with a continuously growing set of data originating from a wide range of sources and in a wide variety of formats. Such data needs to be analyzed to characterize a situation and to take actions promptly. Visual Analytics (VA) represents a human-centered approach in designing interactive data visualizations and dashboards that enables full cycles of data analysis, from making sense of data, assessing situations, detecting unexpected patterns, as well as communicating findings and informing actions. The objective of this course is to introduce a set of data visualization and interaction methods that enhance the analytical skills of students in solving problems. Students will gain skills and knowledge in designing interactive visual dashboards that support analytical reasoning with data. Upon completion of this course, students should develop skills in (1) choosing proper data visualization methods (e.g., bar charts, line charts, tree maps, scatter plots, histograms, bullet charts) to reveal patterns in quantitative and categorical data; (2) designing visualization of spatial and temporal data for exploring geo-temporal patterns; (3) creating customizable and dynamic visualizations for exploratory data analysis; (4) creating interactive dashboards for investigative analysis; (5) applying visual analytic skills in applications such as detecting risk or threats in security investigation or monitoring pandemic spreads.