Course Analysis
D210 was my introduction to data visualization with Tableau, a tool I hadn't used before. In preparation for this course, I took Udemy's Tableau 2022 A-Z: Hands-On Tableau Training for Data Science course . I completed the entire series and found the learning curve enjoyable. As a WGU student, I took advantage of the complimentary one-year Tableau Desktop license we receive. While I haven't explored Tableau Prep Builder or pursued the Tableau Desktop Specialist certification yet, I plan to do so post-program, especially since we have free access to Tableau's preparation materials and a discount on the certification exam.
The challenging part of D210 was finding a dataset to complement WGU's offering. The difficulty was in finding a dataset to meaningfully join with it. I overthought this initially, but realized that any dataset with zip codes or states could work, even if the connection seemed superficial.
I chose the Telco sample customer churn data from Kaggle. My goal wasn't to join but to compare similar columns from WGU's and the Telco's datasets, with a UNION operation. I tagged each dataset with a 'Source' identifier to distinguish between them in my analyses, allowing for comparative visualizations in Tableau without the need for a JOIN.
Creating the dashboard in Tableau was straightforward. I downloaded Tableau Public using my student license and worked from my PC. My approach was to experiment with a worksheet, then recreate it methodically once I understood the process through trial and error.
Final Thoughts
I managed to complete all the coursework for D210 within a week, wrapping up just in time for a long planned trip for me. My data preparation was conducted in Python, and I submitted my entire report, addressing all rubric criteria, through a Jupyter Notebook without any complications. This course was particularly enjoyable for me, as the DataCamp modules were well-constructed, and I had the opportunity to learn Tableau, a highly valuable tool. It's regrettable that WGU doesn't facilitate a Tableau certification, but given its affordability, I'm inclined to obtain it independently.