This lesson enhances critical digital literacy by teaching students to analyze geographic data, with an emphasis on ethical data visualization, understanding scale and bias, and developing practical skills to navigate today's digital landscape.
by Madonna VasRodrigues
Published onOct 10, 2024
Integrating ArcGIS Online with Microsoft Excel
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Summary
Enhance critical digital literacy by integrating geographic analysis into Microsoft Office's data capabilities. The lesson includes a guide and an Excel spreadsheet, allowing learners to analyze and critically interpret geographic data. Through practical activities, it offers a hands-on approach to developing digital literacy, enabling students to navigate and evaluate information in today's technology-driven world. Additionally, the lesson emphasizes the ethical use of data visualizations, understanding scale and context impacts, and recognizing structural biases inherent in digital tools.
Author
Madonna Vas Rodrigues, University of Toronto
Learning Outcomes
Comprehensive GIS Proficiency:
Develop a foundational understanding of GIS concepts and navigate ArcGIS Online
Showcase skills in data uploading, mapping, and analysis.
Advanced Data Analysis and Visualization:
Use ArcGIS Online to import, analyze, and visualize geographic data.
Create thematic maps and perform spatial analysis for insightful interpretation.
Effective Communication and Evaluation:
Enhance critical thinking and communication skills by evaluating the benefits and limitations of GIS tools using Microsoft Excel.
Present maps and analysis results via ArcGIS Online
Explore the ethical implications of data visualizations, particularly how they can mislead or harm marginalized groups.
Demonstrate the ethical responsibilities of interpreting and communicating geographic data.
Contextual and Ethical Understanding:
Examine how the scale and context of data visualizations influence interpretation.
Identify and discuss present structural biases in digital technologies and data collection methods.
Suggest alternative, equitable approaches to data collection and visualization.
Audience
This lesson is intended for undergraduates, graduates, faculty, and researchers who are new GIS users. It is also suitable for those with existing GIS skills who are unfamiliar with Microsoft Excel's ArcGIS add-in and wish to broaden their skill set. Primarily aimed at students enrolled in courses that incorporate data visualization into assignments or presentations, this lesson is open to anyone interested in learning about GIS tools and their applications.
Curricular Context
The integration of ArcGIS Online with Microsoft Excel provides a flexible curricular approach suitable for a variety of disciplines within a university setting. This framework, originally designed as a 90-minute session for a digital scholarship course, is adaptable to subjects such as geography, environmental science, business analytics, social sciences, humanities, and beyond.
The lesson is structured to accommodate both synchronous and asynchronous learning environments, making it adaptable. It can be used as a stand-alone synchronous session, allowing students to explore spatial data processing and visualization techniques in real time. Alternatively, it can be divided into an asynchronous workshop, with modules for each section of the lesson. This modular approach promotes self-paced learning, allowing learners to explore GIS tools and Excel integration at their convenience.
Emphasizing accessibility, the curriculum equips learners with practical skills in spatial data analysis and visualization, regardless of their prior experience with GIS software. By combining ArcGIS Online with Microsoft Excel, the lesson not only builds technical proficiency but also encourages critical thinking and the application of data-driven insights across diverse academic contexts.
Prior Skills and Knowledge: Participants are expected to be familiar with Microsoft Excel, particularly for projects involving geographic information systems (GIS) and data visualization.
This includes proficiency in:
Entering and organizing data in spreadsheet format.
Formatting cells and data to improve clarity and presentation.
Using simple formulas and functions for data processing and analysis.
Create basic charts and graphs to represent the data.
Using common features such as sorting, filtering, and conditional formatting.
These skills will enable learners to engage effectively in the lesson’s GIS and data visualization activities.
Instructional Partners: Besides the primary instructor(s), collaboration with GIS or data visualization experts could enhance the learning experience. Collaborative input from librarians and faculty members specializing in GIS or related fields could provide valuable insights and diverse perspectives.
Ideal Modalities and Spaces: The lesson is ideally conducted in a computer-equipped classroom, allowing learners hands-on experience with ArcGIS Online and Microsoft Excel. A flexible and interactive learning environment is crucial for facilitating engagement, discussions, and collaborative activities. Given the technical nature of the content, a synchronous format is recommended, whether in-person or virtual, to allow real-time interaction and support. Additionally, access to online resources and support forums may be beneficial for individuals to continue learning beyond the lesson.
Preparation
Technological Equipment:
Instructors will require:
Access to a desktop or laptop capable of running a web browser, such as Safari, Edge, Firefox, or Chrome.
Reliable internet connection
A projector or screen
A microphone and speakers
Participants will require:
Access to a desktop or laptop capable of running a web browser, such as Safari, Edge, Firefox, or Chrome.
ArcGIS for Excel is a Microsoft Excel add-in; hence, it can only be installed by a Microsoft Excel administrator or a user with a Microsoft 365 subscription license, as long as their system administrator has granted them the necessary permissions. Ensure that learners have the necessary permissions to add the ArcGIS for Excel add-in to their Microsoft Excel worksheet.
Instructors may choose to provide a list of student names and/or accounts to institutional administrators if they need to grant access to specific accounts before the lesson.
Institutions may not always provide access to all subscription platforms. In such cases, learners can take advantage of the free 21-day trial for students and professionals or pay for a personal ArcGIS Online account.
Physical Materials:
No paper handouts are required; however, instructors may consider providing a step-by-step guide for reference.
Space Considerations:
Physical Space: A computer-equipped classroom for hands-on activities, allowing learners to engage with Microsoft Excel and ArcGIS Online. Adequate power outlets for laptops may be necessary.
Virtual Space: A stable internet connection to ensure seamless access to ArcGIS Online and Microsoft Excel throughout the lesson. Additionally, a virtual meeting space or platform should be available for interactive sessions and collaborative discussions among learners and instructors.
Accessibility Considerations (for Instructors):
Color Contrast and Vision Impairment: Ensure that all visual assets, including charts and graphs, meet accessibility guidelines such as strong color contrast and colorblind-friendly palettes.
Navigation: Digital information should be compatible with screen readers and keyboard navigation.
Resources and Guidelines: Offer learners resources with documents and data visualizations formatted for accessibility.
Materials
A Google Drive folder has been created to hold all components of the submission. The following is the structure of the folder:
The importance and benefits of data visualization.
Data visualization is critical for understanding complex data, identifying trends and patterns, and making data-driven decisions. It converts raw data into visual formats, making it easier to understand and assess.
Key Benefits
Description
Improved Communication
Visualizations make complex data easier to understand and share information, allowing for improved communication.
Enhanced Data Comprehension
Visual tools help viewers quickly and effectively grasp information, which improves overall data understanding.
Discovery
Data visualizations offer insights and linkages that are not easily noticeable in raw data, allowing for more in-depth research.
An explanation of key concepts and principles.
Understanding key concepts and principles is essential for effective data visualization. This section outlines the fundamental concepts and principles, providing students with a solid foundation to create effective and impactful visualizations. By covering these key concepts and principles, instructors can ensure students understand both the theoretical and practical aspects of data visualization.
Key Concepts
Details
Data Types
Quantitative Data
Numerical data that can be measured.
Qualitative Data
Descriptive data that can be observed but not measured.
Visualization Types
Charts
Bar charts, line charts, pie charts, etc.
Graphs
Scatter plots, histograms, etc.
Maps
Geographic data visualization.
Infographics
Combined visuals to convey information.
Principle
Description
Clarity
Ensure the visualization is easy to understand.
Accuracy
Represent data truthfully and precisely.
Efficiency
Convey the message quickly and clearly.
Aesthetics
Make the visualization visually appealing without sacrificing clarity.
Tools for Data Visualization
Highlight the significance of ArcGIS Online and MS Excel.
Explain the capabilities of ArcGIS Online for creating interactive maps and spatial data visualizations.
Describe how MS Excel can be used for various data visualization techniques, including charts and pivot tables.
Demonstration of how these tools facilitate effective data visualization.
Show an example of a simple visualization in ArcGIS Online (create or find before the lesson).
Demonstrate creating a basic chart in MS Excel.
3. Access Presentation Materials
Access documents
Provide learners with details on how to access and download the attached documents for the lesson.
Review notes
Emphasize the importance of reviewing the speaker notes, which include thorough instructions and explanations to help with the understanding and utilization of data visualization techniques.
Hands-on Data Visualization:
Duration: 60 minutes
Guided Activity
Step-by-step instructions are provided in the guide.
Guide learners through a sample data visualization project using ArcGIS Online and Microsoft Excel. Ensure the directions are clear, and offer images or visuals whenever suitable.
Utilization of ArcGIS Online and MS Excel.
Assign useful activities like data importation, visualization creation, and visual element customization.
Emphasis on practical application and active engagement.
Encourage learners to use the information they learned from the datasets supplied to create visualizations.
Discuss critical analysis of how data visualizations can be utilized ethically and manipulated.
Use interactive components to keep learners interested, such as polls or quizzes.
Offer collaborative exercises that allow learners to work in small groups or pairs.
Evaluation and Free Exploration Time:
Duration: 15 minutes
Evaluation of Visualizations
Participants assess their visualizations.
Provide one of the evaluation documents provided (a guide, checklist, or rubric) for learners to use while assessing their visualizations.
Allow time for learners to reflect on their work and identify areas where they did well and could improve. They can share their thoughts in pairs, groups, or with the whole class.
Free Exploration
Participants are encouraged to experiment independently.
Provide extra datasets or suggest interesting tasks with specific objectives for learners to try.
Encourage experimenting with varied visualizations and customization.
Urge the use of online resources and communities for further learning.
Discussion and Q&A
Facilitate a brief discussion to address queries and challenges.
Allow for inquiries and clarify any points of uncertainty.
Address common challenges and provide solutions or best practices.
Encourage the sharing of insights and lessons learned.
Assessment
Learning is assessed through a structured feedback system utilizing Google Forms. The provided questions within the Assessment Google Forms offer a comprehensive evaluation of the lesson's effectiveness. By collecting responses through this tool, it becomes a dynamic process for easy analysis. The continuous feedback loop ensures ongoing improvements to the lesson, allowing instructors to adapt and enhance the learning experience based on valuable insights provided by learners.
Adaptability
Adaptation for Other Subjects:
Incorporate Subject-Specific Data: Personalize the course by including datasets and examples from certain disciplines. For example, in biology, consider adding geographical data about ecosystems or species distribution.
Showcase Disciplinary Applications: Highlight how data visualization may be used in a variety of fields. Make the lesson more subject-specific by presenting examples from sociology, economics, or environmental science.
Adaptation for Various Audiences:
Simplify for Beginners: For audiences inexperienced with GIS or data visualization, focus the instruction on fundamental principles and tools. Introduce basic concepts such as different data types, basic chart types, and introductory tools like Microsoft Excel and basic GIS functionalities.
Advanced Users: For audiences with prior GIS experience, incorporate advanced themes, additional tools, or more complex datasets to challenge and deepen their knowledge. Instructors can cover complex data manipulation, established visualization types, and additional GIS tools or extensions.
Adaptation for Different Curricular Contexts:
Integrate into Existing Courses: Collaborate with educators from various disciplines to embed instructional content in existing courses. Incorporate relevant exercises involving data visualization to boost the material.
Extend for Project-Based Learning: Expand the lesson into a project-based format, enabling learners to apply data visualization skills to real-world issues, such as climate change analysis or public health data interpretation, fostering deeper subject knowledge.
Consideration of Technical Resources:
Explore Open-Source Alternatives: If commercial software poses challenges, look into open-source GIS and data visualization tools. This adaptation ensures that a greater number of users have access to a variety of software resources.
Cloud-Based Options: Consider utilizing cloud-based platforms for data visualization, allowing learners to access tools without the need for extensive software installation. Instructors can suggest platforms such as Google Sheets and Google Data Studio for online data visualization projects.
Reflection
The implementation of my lesson design demonstrated both successes and challenges, providing useful insights for future iterations. One significant achievement was the high level of participation noticed during the hands-on data visualization session, which made excellent use of ArcGIS Online and MS Excel. Participants actively engaged in the practical implementation of these tools, which improved their grasp of geographic data visualization methodologies.
In addition, the use of Google Forms for assessment enabled a structured feedback system, providing substantial insight into the lesson's effectiveness. This feedback approach was quite useful in determining participant satisfaction and finding areas for improvement. Furthermore, discussing evaluations and including a guide, checklist, and rubric proved invaluable. This approach enabled learners to critically analyze data visualizations through a different lens. Completing assessments in a group setting offered a clear framework for evaluating performance and facilitated targeted enhancements to the lesson.
However, the session was not without obstacles. Technical access issues hampered some learners, particularly those with restricted institutional accounts, emphasizing the significance of open communication about alternate possibilities and future IT collaboration. Adapting to the learners' varying skill levels was also difficult, with some finding the pace too fast and others preferring more advanced topics.
Furthermore, effectively splitting time between presentations, hands-on activities, and evaluations proved to be a balancing act while teaching in a physical space. Striking the proper balance between presenting enough information and allowing for practical application required significant consideration and adjustment. Structuring the lesson as a hybrid or fully virtual session may help achieve this balance more effectively, allowing greater flexibility throughout the lesson.
Future iterations of the lesson may benefit from improved technical accessibility through tighter engagement with IT departments to ensure that all learners have access to the appropriate tools. Furthermore, adapting content to different ability levels by providing differentiated pathways in the lesson plan, such as optional advanced activities and additional support for beginners, could improve the overall learning experience for all individuals. Incorporating these aspects in a hybrid or virtual format can further ensure that all learners receive equal access to resources and support.
Acknowledgment
Many thanks to Chris Young, my Digital Scholarship instructor during my Master of Information Studies. His lessons enhanced my learning experience and motivated me to create this submission. Thank you!
Per the exercise instructions, I’m not seeing “TorontoPublicArt.xlsx” in the exercise data links. I do see three CSVs: 1) Rodrigues-Toronto Public Art.xlsx - TPA.csv, 2) Rodrigues-Toronto Public Art.xlsx - Installations, and 3) Rodrigues-Toronto Public Art.xlsx - Sculptures.csv. But no Excel files with worksheets as illustrated in Step 4. Am I missing something? Thanks.
Mackenzie Salisbury:
Hi Neil!
We weren’t able to save the xlsx workbook in the stable csv format ( which would be TorontoPublicArt.xlsx), so the documents listed above (…installations, Sculptures, and TPA,) are the individual sheets from that workbook. Let us know if you still have questions!
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