fbpx

KidsKonnect

Intro to Data Visualization Facts & Worksheets

Data visualization is a valuable and powerful skill to have in this information age.

Search for Worksheets

Worksheets /Technology /Computer Science /Intro to Data Visualization Facts & Worksheets
Premium
Intro to Data Visualization Worksheets
Not ready to purchase a subscription? Click to download the free sample version   Download sample

The human brain naturally loves to consume visual information or content, because a big chunk of it is devoted to processing what the eyes see. This is why visual design permeates many aspects of daily life. Data visualization is a valuable and powerful skill to have in this information age.

See the fact file below for more information on the data visualization or alternatively, you can download our 27-page Intro to Data Visualization worksheet pack to utilise within the classroom or home environment.

Key Facts & Information

Defining Data Visualization

  • Data visualization is defined as “the graphical representation of information and data”.
  • We can think of it as a form of communication that happens between the designer and the audience.
  • With the use of charts, graphs, and other visual elements, designers present information in a way that is engaging and easier to understand.
  • These visual elements also help summarize data, making the process of interacting with data quicker and easier.
  • The audience can avoid going through pages and pages of statistics just to understand them.
  • Eye-catching visuals can help draw more people to their work and sustain the audience’s attention. They also help people retain and recall information better.
  • The purpose of visualizing data is also to make trends, patterns, and outliers obvious.
  • Because of this, people can quickly analyze and pull insights from the data presented to them. This leads them to decide and act faster based on what they have learned.

Data Visualization Process

  • Data visualization is not just about designing attractive visuals for your data; it is mainly about successfully getting your message across to your audience.
  • Before anything else, you need to know who your audience is. Are these people part of the general public or are they experts in the field? You need to consider where they are coming from so you can decide whether to put technical details or not.
  • Once you know your audience, you can decide what visual elements are best to use when presenting your data.
  • The heart of this practice is your data; it is the most important part of the project. There are many ways to collect data, but first you need to know what data you are looking for (eg., which t-shirt design is popular among buyers who are 18-25 years old). Are you looking for qualitative (non-numerical or more focused on people’s ideas and experiences) or quantitative (numerical) data?
  • Now you can decide what data collection method to use to represent your data.
  • Conducting interviews or focus groups is a great method to use if you are looking to collect qualitative data.
  • Conducting experiments is often good for collecting quantitative data.
  • Other methods like conducting surveys, doing observations, or studying primary sources from archives are also used to collect both types of data mentioned above.
  • After collecting your data, you need to record, organize, examine, and interpret your data. Doing all of these things will help prepare it for visualization.
  • A great way to do this is to use a chart or table. See the example:
  • By just looking at the table, we can easily see and understand the data we have collected. We can tell right away that Arts is the most liked subject in Classroom 2. We can assume that there are more students who are artistically inclined.
  • Once your data is prepared, you can start visualizing it.
  • Remember that the visual elements you decide to use should highlight important parts of your data.
  • Pie charts are used when you need to show or compare different parts that make up something. For example, you can use a pie chart to show the distribution of votes from your school election.
  • Bar graphs are also used to compare different values. The height of the bars depends on how high or low the values are (taller or longer bars represent higher values). For example, you can use a bar graph to show the amount of each fruit type that was sold during the week.
  • Line charts help us see how different things change over a period of time. The plotted dots represent different numerical values. For example, you can use a line chart to track your weight.
  • Area charts are similar to line charts. They also display progress that happens over time, but are not as concerned with exact values as line charts. After plotting and connecting the data dots, the area below is filled in with a specific color.
  • For example, you can use an area chart to show the number of enrolled full-time and part-time students from 2015-2020.
  • Scatter plots display how two sets of data are connected. They show how two elements or events react and respond to each other. For example, you can use a scatter plot to show how temperature and ice cream sales are affected by each other (if the temperature goes up, do ice cream sales go up as well?). Note that scatter graphs may show positive, negative, or no correlation between the data sets.
  • Pictographs allow us to represent data through pictures or symbolic figures.
  • There are so many ways you can share your work. You can share it offline or online. If you would like to digitize your work and share it online, platforms like Canva (graphic design platform) make it easier to do so.

Intro to Data Visualization Worksheets

This is a fantastic bundle which includes everything you need to know about the data visualization across 27 in-depth pages. These are ready-to-use Intro to Data Visualization worksheets that are perfect for teaching students about the data visualization which is a valuable and powerful skill to have in this information age. The human brain naturally loves to consume visual information or content, because a big chunk of it is devoted to processing what the eyes see. This is why visual design permeates many aspects of daily life.

Complete List Of Included Worksheets

  • Data Visualization Process
  • Name That Graph!
  • What’s the Purpose?
  • Create a Fun Online Poll
  • Visualize the Poll Results
  • Observe to Collect Data
  • Let’s Do Mapping!
  • What Does the Graph Say?
  • Which Chart Type Fits Best?
  • Redesign This Chart

Link/cite this page

If you reference any of the content on this page on your own website, please use the code below to cite this page as the original source.

Link will appear as Intro to Data Visualization Facts & Worksheets: https://kidskonnect.com - KidsKonnect, July 1, 2021

Use With Any Curriculum

These worksheets have been specifically designed for use with any international curriculum. You can use these worksheets as-is, or edit them using Google Slides to make them more specific to your own student ability levels and curriculum standards.

Related Resources