Overview

The unit introduces students to the understanding and application of data and visualization. Graduates will be able to find and utilise different sources and forms of data to provide evidence in different forms of media content creation, including creating data visualisations as a source of information.

Requisites

Teaching periods
Location
Start and end dates
Last self-enrolment date
Census date
Last withdraw without fail date
Results released date
Semester 1
Location
Hawthorn
Start and end dates
03-March-2025
01-June-2025
Last self-enrolment date
16-March-2025
Census date
31-March-2025
Last withdraw without fail date
24-April-2025
Results released date
08-July-2025

Learning outcomes

Students who successfully complete this unit will be able to:

  • Critically analyse, evaluate and utilise key sources of primary data for evidence in media content creation;
  • Utilise basic statistical knowledge to analyse primary source data sets and its significance;
  • Create visualisations of primary data using technical tools to illustrate evidence in data storytelling and visualisation;
  • Apply data centered analysis to varied media content creation projects.

Teaching methods

Hawthorn

Type Hours per week Number of weeks Total (number of hours)
On-campus
Practical		 3.00  12 weeks  36
Online
Learning activities		 4.17 12 weeks  50
Unspecified Activities
Various		 5.33 12 weeks  64
TOTAL     144

Assessment

Type Task Weighting ULO's
Information VisualisationGroup 45% 1,2,3,4 
Pitch PresentationsGroup 15% 1,2 
QuizzesIndividual 40% 1,2 

Content

  • Introduction to Data and Visualisation – context for learning
  • What is data – use of primary sources media content creation
  • Understanding numbers – use and significance of statistics, numbers and other data
  • Introduction to best practice data storytelling in an online age – some case studies
  • Visualising data – tools to make meaningful stories with data
  • Algorithms and data sets – how numbers can be manipulated
  • Storytelling, curation and news reporting with data – how to integrate numbers into stories.
  • Graduate Attribute – Communication Skills: Verbal communication
  • Graduate Attribute – Communication Skills: Communicating using different media
  • Graduate Attribute – Teamwork Skills: Collaboration and negotiation
  • Graduate Attribute – Teamwork Skills: Teamwork roles and processes
  • Graduate Attribute – Digital Literacies: Information literacy
  • Graduate Attribute – Digital Literacies: Technical literacy

Study resources

Reading materials

A list of reading materials and/or required textbooks will be available in the Unit Outline on Canvas.