Data Visualization and Exploration
(STAT 4413, Spring 2025)
Dr. Sean Laverty, STEM 244, slaverty@uco.edu
Class Time: 6:00 – 8:45pm
Class Location: STEM 102 (subject to change)
Office hours: by appointment; T 2:00 - 3:00 pm; W 10:00 - 11:00 am; Th 11:00 am - 12:00 pm
Course Description
This course focuses on key design principles and techniques for interactively visualizing data. The major goals of this course are to understand how visual representations can help in the analysis and understanding of complex data, how to design effective visualizations, and how to create interactive visualizations using modern computing tools.
Prerequisites
STAT 2113 with a grade of C or better or permission of the instructor
Course Outline
A detailed, regularly updated, course outline is available on the course webpage.
Student Learning Objectives
Upon completion of the course, the student will be able to
- understand key techniques and theory used in visualization
- apply a structured design process to create effective visualizations
- conceptualize ideas and interaction techniques using modern computing tools
- interpret and communicate the results of a data analysis problem
All learning objectives connect to T1 and T3 of the Transformative Learning section.
Transformative Learning
At the University of Central Oklahoma, we are guided by the mission of helping students learn by providing transformative experiences so that they may become productive, creative, ethical, and engaged citizens and leaders contributing to the intellectual, cultural, economic, and social advancement of the communities they serve. Transformative learning is a holistic process that places students at the center of their own active and reflective learning experiences. A student’s major field is central to the learning experience and is a vital part of the “Central Six” tenets of transformative learning. All students will be transformed with (T1) Discipline Knowledge, (T2) Leadership, (T3) Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activities, (T4) Service Learning and Civic Engagement, (T5) Global and Cultural Competencies, and (T6) Health and Wellness.
Grading
You should expect weekly assignments, completed in or out of class, and a structured semester project with multiple checkpoints. Most work will be individual and some will be in small groups or pairs. Homework assignments may vary greatly in length.
The obligations of the final include submission of the materials for the semester project and a presentation.
| Category | Weight |
|---|---|
| Individual homework and classwork | 50% |
| Group work | 10% |
| Project checkpoints | 20% |
| Final (Project and Presentation) | 20% |
Final grades will be assigned according to the following scale.
| A | B | C | D | F |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| above 90 | 80 - 89 | 70 - 79 | 60 - 69 | below 60 |
A.D.A. Statement
The University of Central Oklahoma complies with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. Students with disabilities who need special accommodations must make their requests by contacting Disability Support Services at (405) 974-2516. The DSS Office is in the Nigh University Center, Room 305. Students should also notify the instructor of special accommodation needs as soon as possible as accommodations are proactive, not retroactive.
UCO Student Information Sheet
University policies relevant to the semester can be found here https://www.uco.edu/academics/academic-affairs/files/student-info-sheet.pdf.