Simon Fraser University
Engaging the World

Course Outlines

Spring 2025 - IAT 814 G100

Visualization and Visual Analytics (3)

Class Number: 5676

Delivery Method: In Person

Overview

  • Course Times + Location:

    Jan 6 – Apr 9, 2025: Fri, 2:30–5:20 p.m.
    Surrey

Description

CALENDAR DESCRIPTION:

Provides a cognitive and computational framework for understanding and designing graphical and visual representations. Investigates several psychological and computational models of diagram processing, and explores diverse interactive graphical systems.

COURSE DETAILS:

This course will provide an introduction to visual analytics "the science of analytical reasoning supported by interactive visual interfaces" and  information visualization design. We will learn and apply design methods that are grounded in behavioural science, visual perception, and organizational cognition to enable the creation of highly effective interactive visualization applications. The analytical work that people do includes such information seeking tasks as browsing, search, comparison, selection, and the formulation and evaluation of hypotheses through interaction with visualized data. The goal of this class is to provide students with a basic grounding in techniques that can be used to design and use complex information workspaces, as well as an introduction to theories that help inform the design of such systems. Students will use modern visualization and programming environments to design, apply and critique visual analytics solutions to real-world cases.

Note: The class will be in-person only. 

COURSE-LEVEL EDUCATIONAL GOALS:

Courses Objectives:

The purpose of this class is to provide students with an introduction to scientifically-grounded techniques for design of complex graphical information systems. By the end of this course, students will be able to:

Develop specific design requirements for visualization systems in their context of use, together with tests of their effectiveness.

Develop interactive visualization use cases based on visual analytics science for an organization or community

Describe major sub-disciplines within the fields of visualization and visual analytics and how they interrelate

Delivery Method: Lecture (LEC) and Open Lab (OPL)

Learning Activities:

The course is roughly structured into lecture, seminar and design components. Students will participate in seminar discussions as well as engage in both research-oriented and practical reviews of visual analytics approaches.  The following major topics will be covered:

  1. Basics of perception and cognition
  2. Visually-enabled reasoning
  3. Visualization and interaction design
  4. Tools and environments for visual analysis

 

Grading

  • Assignments 50%
  • Project 50%

NOTES:

The course project is the backbone of this course: students will work together on real-world problems to develop a visual analytics approach to the data.

Materials

MATERIALS + SUPPLIES:

Course resources, required readings and materials are continually updated on Canvas and on the course website.

REQUIRED READING:

Visualization Analysis and Design
Tamara Munzner.
http://proquest.safaribooksonline.com.proxy.lib.sfu.ca/9781466508910)  in the library

RECOMMENDED READING:

Interactive Data Visualization fo the Web, 2nd edition
Scott Murray
https://learning.oreilly.com/library/view/interactive-data-visualization/9781491921296/?ar=

The Art of Insight
Alberto Cairo
https://learning.oreilly.com/library/view/the-art-of/9781119797395/c08.xhtml

Psychology of Intelligence Analysis
Richard Heuer
https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/GOVPUB-PREX3-PURL-LPS20028

REQUIRED READING NOTES:

Your personalized Course Material list, including digital and physical textbooks, are available through the SFU Bookstore website by simply entering your Computing ID at: shop.sfu.ca/course-materials/my-personalized-course-materials.

Graduate Studies Notes:

Important dates and deadlines for graduate students are found here: http://www.sfu.ca/dean-gradstudies/current/important_dates/guidelines.html. The deadline to drop a course with a 100% refund is the end of week 2. The deadline to drop with no notation on your transcript is the end of week 3.

Registrar Notes:

ACADEMIC INTEGRITY: YOUR WORK, YOUR SUCCESS

SFU’s Academic Integrity website http://www.sfu.ca/students/academicintegrity.html is filled with information on what is meant by academic dishonesty, where you can find resources to help with your studies and the consequences of cheating. Check out the site for more information and videos that help explain the issues in plain English.

Each student is responsible for his or her conduct as it affects the university community. Academic dishonesty, in whatever form, is ultimately destructive of the values of the university. Furthermore, it is unfair and discouraging to the majority of students who pursue their studies honestly. Scholarly integrity is required of all members of the university. http://www.sfu.ca/policies/gazette/student/s10-01.html

RELIGIOUS ACCOMMODATION

Students with a faith background who may need accommodations during the term are encouraged to assess their needs as soon as possible and review the Multifaith religious accommodations website. The page outlines ways they begin working toward an accommodation and ensure solutions can be reached in a timely fashion.