Course syllabus autumn 2021
        
    
        Course syllabus autumn 2021
    
    Title
            Data Analysis and Visualization
        Swedish title
            Dataanalys och visualisering
        Course code
            ME659E
        Credits
            15 credits
        Grading scale
            UA / Excellent (A), Very Good (B), Good (C), Satisfactory (D), Pass (E) or Fail (U)
        Language of instruction
            English
        Decision-making body
            Faculty of Technology and Society
        Syllabus approval date
            2021-05-28
        Syllabus valid from
            2021-08-30
        Entry requirements
            - Bachelor degree in media technology or in a related field with a minimum 180 European Credit Transfer System credits. Examples of related fields include: computer science, informatics, information systems, human-computer interaction, interaction design, media/IT management, game development, media and communication science and digital cultural studies.
 - English proficiency equivalent to English 6 from a Swedish upper secondary school
 
Level
    Advanced level
            Main field
            Media Technology
        Progression level
            
                A1N 
            
        Progression level in relation to degree requirements
        The course is part of the main area of study media technology and can be included in the degree requirements for a Degree of Master of Science in Media Technology (120 credits).
        Course objectives
        In the course, students advance their knowledge and understanding of qualitative and quantitative methods and methodologies for data analysis. The course focuses on the use of data and visualization techniques to analyze complex phenomena and to build models to support research or decision making related to media technology.
Course contents
        - qualitative and quantitative methods for data-driven analysis, such as data mining, network analysis, content analysis and digital ethnography,
 - processing and analysis of various forms of data,
 - data visualization and modelling,
 - statistical concepts and principles,
 - tools for data-driven analysis and visualization.
 
Learning outcomes
        Knowledge and understanding
By the end of the course students should be able to:
- describe applications, challenges and opportunities with different forms of data collection and analysis in digital environments,
 - describe how the data source and choice of method affect the possibilities for, and the quality of analysis.
 
Competence and abilities 
By the end of the course students should be able to:
- relate theoretical concepts to applied problems,
 - plan and perform qualitative and quantitative analyses in digital environments based on scientific and strategic objectives,
 - identify and apply different principles and tools for collecting, analyzing and visualizing data,
 - present and critically discuss data analyses and the consequences of methodological choices and conditions.
 
Evaluation abilities and approach
By the end of the course students should be able to:
- argue for how different methods and methodologies can allow for a more complex understanding of phenomena in digital environments,
 - justify the choice of methodology, taking into account both concrete problems and broader scientific perspectives,
 - critically discuss applications of data-driven analysis with respect to ethical, integrity and social issues.
 
Learning activities
        The course consists of lectures, seminars, workshops, laboratory and project work.
Assessment
        Grading is based on oral and written examination, including active participation in seminars and project work.
The course is assessed based on the following:
- Seminars (2.5 credits, UG)
 - Lab (2.5 credits, UA)
 - Written assignments (5 credits, UA)
 - Project (5 credits, UA)
 
For a pass (A-E): At least grade E on lab (2.5 credits), written assignments (5 credits) and project (5 credits) and grade G on seminar participation is required. Course grade is calculated based on the weighted average of assessed parts.
Course literature and other study material
            
            - Cairo, A. (2016). The truthful art: Data, charts, and maps for communication. New Riders.
 - Drucker, J. (2020). Visualization and Interpretation: Humanistic Approaches to Display. MIT Press.
 - Kirk, A. (2019). Data Visualization. Los Angeles: SAGE Publications. (2nd edition)
 - Rogers, R. (2019). Doing Digital Methods. Los Angeles: SAGE Publications.
 - Salganik, M. J. (2017). Bit by Bit: Social Research in the Digital Age. Princeton: Princeton University Press. (alt 2019, soft cover)
 
Recommended literature:
- Jewitt, C. (Ed.). (2017). The Routledge handbook of multimodal analysis. New York: Routledge.
 - Rogers, R., Sánchez-Querubín, N., & Kil, A. (2015). Issue mapping for an ageing Europe. Amsterdam University Press
 - Tukey, J. W. (1977). Exploratory data analysis (Vol. 2, pp. 131-160).
 - Venturini, T., Munk, A., & Meunier, A. (2018). What's in a data-sprint?. Routledge Handbook of Interdisciplinary Research Methods.
 
Course evaluation
        The University provides students who are taking or have completed a course with the opportunity to share their experiences of and opinions about the course in the form of a course evaluation that is arranged by the University. The University compiles the course evaluations and notifies the results and any decisions regarding actions brought about by the course evaluations. The results shall be kept available for the students. (HF 1:14).
Interim rules
        When a course is no longer given, or the contents have been radically changed, the student has the right to re-take the examination, which will be given twice during a one year period, according to the syllabus which was valid at the time of registration.
Additional information
        The syllabus is a translation of a Swedish source text.