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## Course Summary

This course is an introduction to Data Analysis concepts and tools, such as Google Sheets, Python, SQL, and Tableau. Data Analysis is a multi-faceted field that includes working with business leaders, writing code, and digging through data to find solutions to issues a business is facing. As more and more companies turn to data to assist in making decisions, Data Analysis has grown exponentially. Not only is this a field that many companies need, but the analytical and learning skills you pick up in this course will serve you as you navigate today's technical landscape.

We use Google Sheets to master spreadsheets as it is a tool that is available to all our students and it is robust enough for us to dive into complex datasets and start to seek out answers to important questions. To further dive into the data, we will be using Python. Python is a programming language that is used by many data analysts worldwide to perform complex functions and navigate very large datasets. Python also has other uses beyond data analystics so after learning the basics of programming and Python, you will find that you can adapt that skillset to many other stages of your learning journey. SQL is a different type of programming language that helps us navigate databases. We will learn more about what a database is later, but for now, you should know that a database holds large quantities of data. Companies store their data different ways, but by diving into the basics with SQL, we hope to give you the foundation you need to confidently explore a company's data storage and get the numbers you require. Finally, we will be using Tableau to put together visuals and graphics to help us communicate our findings to our colleagues. Tableau is one of the industry's most powerful visualization tools and we will use this tool to foster conversation about what makes a visual effective and how we can communicate our findings to the appropriate team.

As you work through this course, we encourage you to remember that learning data analytics is not only valuable and challenging, it can also be fun! Every moment inspires us to keep going forward and to learn new things. You may find some concepts difficult to understand at first, but these will also be the skills you may take the most pride in mastering making the journey long and winding and rewarding.

From the moment you started reading this book, you became a data analyst. We hope you enjoy your journey with us!

## Where this Course Leads

## Why Python?
Upon completion of this course, you will be capable of using different methods and techniques to collect, analyze, and summarize data. You will also be ready to start reviewing the Liftoff materials, which focus on career-readiness.

While you are entering a new career in technology, we hope you use the tools you learned in this program to learn new skills. You may find yourself wanting to learn more about machine learning, complex calculations, or building bigger and better visualizations. Whatever it is, now that you have conquered the foundations of data analysis, we know you are ready for the challenge!

## Chapters

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Before we dive into learning Data Analysis, we want to share with you more about our educational philosophy here at LaunchCode and how we structure our courses. We appreciate that many adults thrive in learning environments that are based on transparency and trust.

You will hear us say many times that our ultimate goal is to empower you to learn how to learn. The first step in this process is for us to be clear with you on how we teach. If something is not effective for you, we encourage you to investigate why it is not effective and seek the assistance of your course staff. Perhaps the alternate phrasing about a key term in an article online will help you understand what that concept is about. Maybe a video will help drive home the importance of a certain concept. Everyone learns differently and this book serves as a starting point.

Ultimately, we aim to teach the fundamental concepts and technologies we have found you will need to launch a career in data analytics. As you progress in your career, you will have to learn new concepts and technologies to succeed. We want to set you up for success, by not only teaching you the core fundamentals, but also by inspiring you to continue learning and exploring this field after you have left our classroom.

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We have created the course activities to make the most of your time. It is important to actively engage with each activity to maximize your learning potential. Skipping the textbook reading or falling behind on assignments can quickly lead to struggling to complete the course.

{{% notice blue "Note" "rocket" %}}

As you read through a chapter, you may realize you already know a lot about that topic. You still need to participate fully in the course activities. Each assignment builds on the course activities and doing the course activities will help you better understand the graded assignment requirements which is vital to passing the graded assignment.

{{% /notice %}}

### Textbook Reading

Think of this textbook as your first destination in your learning journey. In addition to reading, this text includes small questions that can help you reinforce your understanding of the new material. At the beginning of the chapter, you will find your goals for the chapter and the list of key terms to guide your note-taking process. Reviewing your notes from a given chapter before moving on to the next is another great way to make the most of your learning potential. At the end of many chapters, we have recommendations of additional resources on the given topic. If you are unsure about what you just read, try reviewing those resources and making note of questions you want to ask during classtime.

### Exercises

Towards the end of most of the textbook chapters, you will find a a page of exercises. These are small coding problems and are a chance for you to implement what you have just learned. While exercises do not count towards your final grade in the class, it is essential to practice in order to reinforce your understanding of the new concepts. We recognize that working on something that is graded can be stressful and stress can actually inhibit your ability to learn! Make the most of every opportunity to practice coding without being graded on the end result!
Towards the end of most of the textbook chapters, you will find a page of exercises. These are smaller problems and are a chance for you to implement what you have just learned. While exercises do not count towards your final grade in the class, it is essential to practice in order to reinforce your understanding of the new concepts. We recognize that working on something that is graded can be stressful and stress can actually inhibit your ability to learn! Make the most of every opportunity to practice without being graded on the end result!

### Studios

Many chapters also include a studio. These studios are going to be more difficult than exercises, but these activities are designed to be done in class and with a smaller group, so you can pair with other students and ask questions of course staff as you navigate these challenges. Some of the studios are not about coding, but are about goal setting, building confidence, and other equally important topics when pursuing a new career. We encourage you to participate in these activities to your best abilities!
Many chapters also include a studio. These studios are going to be more difficult than exercises, but these activities are designed to be done in class and with a smaller group, so you can pair with other students and ask questions of course staff as you navigate these challenges. We encourage you to participate in these activities to your best abilities!

### Graded Assignments

Graded assignments are larger projects where you demonstrate what you have learned and challenge yourself. Assignments oftentimes cover multiple lessons, but we encourage you to get started as soon as you can instead of waiting until the end. The assignments are broken down into different tasks, so when you first start, read through every task and determine what you can start working on right away and what you may need to wait on.

### Final Project

The final project of this course is a full data analysis project on a topic which interests you. We have set up several checkpoints for you to complete throughout the course so that you can stay on top of each stage. At the end of the course, you will be sharing your project work with your course staff and classmates!
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This page covers what to expect during in-class time for students enrolled in a LaunchCode blended learning course. Students taking an independent learning course may skip this page.

We only have a short amount of time in class to learn a lot, so using a **blended learning model** helps us make the most of our time in this course. A blended learning model incorporates in-class learning with online materials like this textbook.

## In-Class Time

In class, you join fellow students on the same learning journey as you. We encourage students to engage, interact, and encourage each other throughout the class.

In-class time is run by an instructor and teaching assistants. This dedicated staff facilitates the activities and provides support to the students.
In-class time is run by an instructor and instructional assistants. This dedicated staff facilitates the activities and provides support to the students.

## Large Group Time

During the large group time, the whole class participates in the lesson, led by the instructor. The lesson is not a substitute for doing the prep work before class. It’s a time for us to review examples as a group and shore up concepts from the reading.

## Small Group Time

After the large group time, we break up into small groups, each led by a teaching assistant. During small group time, we do our studios. This is a time to ask for individual support if you need it. It is meant to be a place where you can feel comfortable talking openly about concepts you are struggling with.
After the large group time, we break up into small groups, each led by a instructional assistant. During small group time, we do our studios. This is a time to ask for individual support if you need it. It is meant to be a place where you can feel comfortable talking openly about concepts you are struggling with.
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Throughout this book, you will find a variety of different sections and practice exercises. We are writing this guide to help you make the most of the book.

## Learning Objectives and Key Terms

The cover page for each chapter outlines the learning objectives for that chapter as well as the key terms you need to make note of as you read the chapter. You can use this section to guide your reading and guide the questions you may want to ask of your instructor or instructional assistants. For example, if one of the objectives for the chapter is "Set up a formula in a spreadsheet to sum multiple values in a column" and after completing the reading and exercises, you are still not sure how to do so, you should ask your instructional assistant before class or ask during the in-class time. You never know who may have the same question!

## Concept Checks

Many pages end with a “Check Your Understanding” header. This section is full of questions for you to double check that you understand the concepts in the reading. Although your score does not count towards your final grade in the class, you should use it to help evaluate your understanding of the main concepts. After you read the chapter, you will take a quiz in Canvas that includes all of these questions.
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## Supplemental Content

Occasionally, you will find a link to another resource. While not required reading, these additional resources can boost your learning with videos, other examples, and more information about the code.

## Python in Context

Our approach is different from other ways you can learn Python. The book focuses on programming fundamentals. These fundamentals are problem-solving and transferable concepts. While we will cover the exact way to perform certain tasks in Python, we want to remind you that these tasks are relatively common and many programming languages have ways to carry them out.
Occasionally, you will find a link to another resource. While not required reading, these additional resources can boost your learning with videos, other examples, and more information about the code. The home to most of the supplemental content is each chapter's "Next Steps" page. This page has articles that either serve as an additional resource in case you feel that you are not confident about any of the learning objectives or serve as a stepping off point if you want to explore a topic more.
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## Learning Objectives

- Introduce what datasets and spreadsheets are and what Google Sheets is.
- Talk about why we are using Google Sheets for this class.
- Be able to add new columns and rows to an existing spreadsheet.
- Be able to add a new sheet to an existing spreadsheet.
- Be able to use quick actions to do calculations.
- Be able to set up a formula for a cell

## Key Terminology

Here is a list of the key terms for this chapter broken down based on the page the term first appears on.

### Getting Started with Google Sheets

1. dataset
1. cell
1. header row


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Now that you have started to learn more about spreadsheets, you may want to continue to practice making and editing spreadsheets. Another benefit of using Google is that the team there has added free resources on Google Sheets and practice opportunities to the [Google Workspace Learning Center](https://support.google.com/a/users/answer/9282959).
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## Reading Content

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## Adding Rows and Columns to a Spreadsheet

As you work more on spreadsheets, you may find that you want to add a row or column in the middle of the spreadsheet. Maybe you realized that another column was necessary or you were importing data and a row was lost in the process.

Let's revisit our Car Info workbook. While we already have some great data stored about the two cars, we need some more information.

1. We want to insert a column between "Model" and "Car Mileage". Right-click on the D for the "Model" column and select *Insert 1 column right*. Alternatively, you can right-click on the E for the "Car Mileage" column and select *Insert 1 column left*.
1. You now have an empty column that is the column E and "Car Mileage" is now column F. Type "Current Value" in E1.
1. Add the current value for both the cars you created on the previous page.

You can do the same for rows by right-clicking on the row number and inserting a new row above or below the one you selected.

## Adding Another Spreadsheet to an Existing Workbook

Now we want to add some additional information about the two cars. We want to add a maintenance log for each car so we can track how much we spent on the car in one year. This information would not make sense on the current spreadsheet so we are going to add a second one to our Car Info workbook.

At the bottom of the page, you will see a tab that says "Sheet1" next to a plus sign and a hamburger menu (three horizontal lines stacked on top of each other). Let's rename "Sheet1" by right-clicking and selecting *Rename*. Give it the new name, "Overview" and hit *enter* or *return*.

We are now ready to add a maintenance log for one of our cars. For example, we are going to add one for a car nicknamed Bob.

1. Hit the plus sign in the bottom left-hand corner. We have a new sheet called "Sheet2"
1. Rename the new sheet by right-clicking. For this exercise, we will rename ours to "Bob Maintenance".
1. Add the following to the first row in this order: "Task", "Date", "Cost".
1. Add one maintenance item to the spreadsheet. For example, we might add "Brake repair", 12/23/23, and 1000.

From here, we can continually add more data and spreadsheets to our workbook as the need arises.
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