For my data visualization partnership with Professors Jack Dougherty and Rachel Levanthal-Weiner, it appears I will be focusing primarily on two different projects.
The first project will require me to work with data utilized in various educational studies classes. Often there are various sets of data that could be better seen and taught if presented as an interactive visual. I intend to display this information in interesting and intuitive ways. For example, in my first piece of work for the class, I was able to demonstrate a strong correlation between median household income and achievement on the Connecticut Mastery Test for 8th graders. This visual is displayed below.
The second project will require me to work on and improve a map showing various cycling routes in the city of Hartford. This is a data visualization in itself, and working on it provides a perfect scenario to learn other very useful skills. It will not only allow me to work with a map-based visualization extensively, but will also expose me with javascript coding, a very useful coding language for web design. Seeing as I’m currently enrolled in a computer science class, and am interested in working with computer programming, I’m very grateful for this opportunity.
It appears with both of these particular projects, many kinds of visualizations could be appropriate and useful. Specifically for the first one, I would think graphs demonstrating correlation would be most useful, however. Most of the info I have seen thus far is searching for trends, therefore graphs that can show both an explanatory and response variable may be most appropriate.
Though I am still new to the many ways data can be visualized, I have been intrigued by what I have seen thus far. I look forward to working with and being able to explore real world trends.
Ben – Good work on your first data visualization. Before moving on to the next BikeMap project, let’s focus on ways to enhance this school district test & income data viz:
1) Think about all of the titles and data labels that are missing. What year were the tests? What year was the income data? Also, you write “percent passing tests” but that’s not a phrase used by CT Dept of Ed.
2) Can you also show the data points within each tooltip?
3) For viewers who are not familiar with the geography, would it be helpful to create a map version of this data? If so, what type of map would it be?
4) Think about placing the final dataviz in a longer post to provide more context to Trinity students about what the data means. Do you envision that the post would tell viewers — or ask them questions — about the relationship?