Teaching and Learning Data Visualization: Ideas and Assignments

This article discusses how to make statistical graphics a more prominent element of the undergraduate statistics curricula. The focus is on several different types of assignments that exemplify how to incorporate graphics into a course in a pedagogically meaningful way. These assignments include having students deconstruct and reconstruct plots, copy masterful graphs, create one-minute visual revelations, convert tables into “pictures,” and develop interactive visualizations, for example, with the virtual earth as a plotting canvas. In addition to describing the goals and details of each assignment, we also discuss the broader topic of graphics and key concepts that we think warrant inclusion in the statistics curricula. We advocate that more attention needs to be paid to this fundamental field of statistics at all levels, from introductory undergraduate through graduate level courses. With the rapid rise of tools to visualize data, for example, Google trends, GapMinder, ManyEyes, and Tableau, and the increased use of graphics in the media, understanding the principles of good statistical graphics, and having the ability to create informative visualizations is an ever more important aspect of statistics education. Supplementary materials containing code and data for the assignments are available online.

本文探讨了如何将统计图形（statistical graphics）打造为本科统计学课程体系中更为核心的组成部分。研究重点聚焦于若干类典型教学任务，旨在阐明如何以符合教育教学规律的方式将图形可视化融入课程教学。此类教学任务涵盖：引导学生拆解并重构统计图、复刻精良统计图、创作‘一分钟视觉启示’作品、将表格转化为可视化‘图像’，以及开发以虚拟地球为绘图画布的交互式可视化内容等。除详细阐述每项教学任务的目标与实施细节外，本文还探讨了统计图形相关的核心议题，以及我们认为应当纳入统计学课程体系的关键概念。我们主张，从本科入门课程到研究生阶段的全教学层级，都应更加重视统计学这一基础分支领域。随着数据可视化工具（如Google趋势、GapMinder、ManyEyes及Tableau）的快速普及，加之媒体对图形可视化的应用愈发广泛，掌握优质统计图形的设计原则并具备创建信息丰富的可视化作品的能力，已成为统计学教育中愈发关键的组成部分。本文配套的教学任务代码与数据集等补充材料可在线获取。