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    • Time: 10 hours
    • Free Certificate
    This course focuses on collaborating and presenting data using charts, plots, graphics, and tables. We will learn how to create and format appropriate charts for a given data set. We also study how to create scatterplots for correlated data and fit those plots into an equation. We will add appropriate graphics to worksheets to help us communicate better with users. We will use the database functions of tables to organize information better. Finally, we use collaboration features to present data in various contexts.

    PRDV007: Spreadsheets III: Presenting Data is intended for students who understand spreadsheets from PRDV004: Spreadsheets and PRDV006: Spreadsheets II: Formatting and Functions. Each unit builds on the previous unit, so try to master each unit before moving on.

  • Unit 1: Presenting Data with Charts

    We often use charts to organize our data and help our audience visualize information and grasp concepts more quickly. Choosing the right chart type depends on the message you wish to convey for the data you present. For example, use a pie chart to compare sales totals from a company's five or six branch offices. However, a pie chart will not convey sales trends over five years; a line or scatter plot is more appropriate for visualizing trends over time.

    Completing this unit should take you approximately 3 hours.

    • Upon successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:

      • construct a line, column/bar, pie, and stacked column/bar chart;
      • choose the appropriate type of chart for the given data;
      • apply formatting changes to all areas of a chart, including the title, plot, and data series;
      • create separate chart sheets for an embedded chart in a worksheet; and
      • explain how to use linked charts in Word and PowerPoint.

    • 1.1: Types of Charts in Spreadsheet Programs

      Spreadsheet programs like Microsoft Excel and Google Sheets have various chart options. In this section, we explore a few commonly used charts available in these spreadsheet programs and how to create them.

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        Charts, Columns, Lines, and Pie Diagrams in Excel Page
        Students must
        Mark as done

        Watch this Microsoft Excel tutorial on creating column, line, and pie charts. When the author changes the data in the original worksheet, the data automatically changes in the chart. This is one of the great features of making charts in a spreadsheet program: any changes you make to your data will automatically update your chart.

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        Stacked Bar Charts in Excel Page
        Students must
        Mark as done

        Watch this tutorial on how to make a stacked bar (or stacked column) chart. These charts help present comparisons among groups. The author makes a regular bar chart and then a stacked bar chart to compare data from different groups.

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        Line, Pie, Bar, and Grouped Bar Charts in Google Sheets Page
        Students must
        Mark as done

        Making charts using Google Sheets is similar to Excel. Watch these four videos to explore how to create each chart type in Google Sheets.

    • 1.2: Choosing a Chart Type

      The best chart to use depends on the nature of your data and what you want to communicate to your audience. For example, line charts are best for showing trends over time: the x-axis represents time, and the y-axis is the quantity of what is being measured. Line charts are suitable for presenting interest rate trends over time or reviewing yearly income. A pie graph is good for comparing small groups (emphasizing small), such as sales in different branches of the same company. A stacked column or bar graph is good for comparing categories of items, such as various types of survey data.

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        Present Data in a Chart in Excel Page
        Students must
        Mark as done

        Watch this Microsoft Excel tutorial on presenting data in a chart using ALT FI, Quick Analysis, and Recommended Charts. If you are unsure about the best chart, these methods can help you get started.

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        Choosing a Chart Type Page
        Students must
        Mark as done

        Read this text to review each primary chart type and the steps for creating them. Be sure to study when it is more appropriate to use specific charts than others.

    • 1.3: Formatting Charts

      The format you use for your Microsoft Excel charts should clarify your data to your audience. For example, you can use different fonts and type styles to make the title, axes titles, axes units, legend, and colors stand out so they are easily decipherable. You can embed your chart in your current worksheet, place it on a separate worksheet, or link it in a presentation or Word document.

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        Formatting Charts in Excel Page
        Students must
        Mark as done

        Watch this video to see how the author formatted the title, axes, and colors for a series of column charts.

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        Excel Charts Page
        Students must
        Mark as done

        Read this Microsoft Excel tutorial to learn tips for formatting various elements of your chart, such as the axes, title and legend, data series labels, plot area, and annotations. Each section provides step-by-step guidance with screenshots on how to perform the formatting.

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        More on Excel Charts Page
        Students must
        Mark as done

        Watch this video to learn how to use charts in Excel and other Microsoft Office products.

  • Unit 2: More Work with Charts

    This unit examines some more advanced styles of charts you can create in Excel and other spreadsheet programs. We discuss the scatterplot, which shows a correlation between two variables plotted on the x- and y-axis. We learn about linear fit, which creates a best-fit line and equation for your data. Next, we explore combination charts, which combine two different chart types into one to compare two different data sets.

    Finally, we examine sparklines, which are tiny charts that fit into one cell, usually adjacent to the cell from which the data are derived. A sparkline graphically represents the number. When used in consecutive cells, sparklines create a visual way to differentiate numerical data so your audience can easily understand your message – they do not need a large chart embedded on the page, separate from the data.

    Completing this unit should take you approximately 1 hour.

  • Unit 3: Incorporating Graphics

    Presenters use graphics to clarify and convey information to their audience. Just as charts help explain complex data visually, graphics can highlight data you want your reader to understand. However, being cautious about using too many visuals is critical since they can overwhelm and distract from the vital information you want to share.

    The Excel Insert Tab, shown below, is used to insert objects to enhance and highlight your data.

    Figure 2: Excel Insert Tab

    Figure 2: Excel Insert Tab

    Completing this unit should take you approximately 2 hours.

  • Unit 4: Tables

    Tables allow us to organize large amounts of information meaningfully and usefully when we do not necessarily want to produce a chart of the information. Excel tables have database properties that allow us to sort and filter data to answer specific questions and perform calculations. In this unit, we examine how to design and use tables and create pivot tables, which give statistical information.

    Completing this unit should take you approximately 2 hours.

  • Unit 5: Data Collaboration

    In this unit, we explore Google Drive and Microsoft OneDrive. Google and Microsoft have made it easy for coworkers and friends to work together "in the cloud" to collaborate on online group projects by allowing them to share access to the same documents (Google Docs or Microsoft Word) and spreadsheets (Google Sheets or Microsoft Excel) and even work on the files simultaneously, such as during a conference call.

    The software automatically updates the document or spreadsheet with each contribution, meaning only one document exists. Collaborators do not have to keep track of different versions, which can become confusing and unwieldy. Users can view previous versions of the file in the document "history" and replace the final document with an earlier version if necessary. The software indicates when changes to the document were made and the user who made them. These features make it easier for coworkers to track changes and identify and correct mistakes.

    Google Drive and Microsoft OneDrive are password-protected platforms that allow coworkers and approved individuals outside the group to access and store shared documents and spreadsheets. Users can create a robust system of folders and subfolders to organize files for individual and group access. The Google platform allows users to easily convert files between Microsoft and Google products and store them all on Google Drive.

    Completing this unit should take you approximately 2 hours.

  • Course Feedback Survey

    Please take a few minutes to give us feedback about this course. We appreciate your feedback, whether you completed the whole course or even just a few resources. Your feedback will help us make our courses better, and we use your feedback each time we make updates to our courses.

    If you come across any urgent problems, email contact@saylor.org.

  • Certificate Final Exam

    Take this exam if you want to earn a free Course Completion Certificate.

    To receive a free Course Completion Certificate, you will need to earn a grade of 70% or higher on this final exam. Your grade for the exam will be calculated as soon as you complete it. If you do not pass the exam on your first try, you can take it again as many times as you want, with a 7-day waiting period between each attempt.

    Once you pass this final exam, you will be awarded a free Course Completion Certificate.

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