OPIM 5894

Technical Communication and Visual Analytics

Spring 2023

Instructor Information
Instructors Contact Information Office Location & Hours
Mia Hawlk, Ed.D. Mia.Hawlk@uconn.edu GBLC Office 503 by appointment

Prasanthi Lingamallu Prasanthi.lingamallu@uconn.edu By Appointment

Course Description

This class will review the foundational knowledge necessary for MS students to be well-equipped analytics

professionals. Communication skills are essential to convey technical analytical content. Topics such as Public

Speaking, Emotional Intelligence, Non-verbal Communication, Requirements Gathering, and Etiquette via

multiple modes of Communications (email, phone, in person, one-to-one, and one to group) and more will be

discussed and practiced. Such skills are critical to professional success as the industry is changing to require

technical depth and the ability to connect it to the business.

This course will also explore data visualization best practices and storytelling techniques to communicate actionable

insights from an analysis. In this context, we will explore a range of techniques from cross-tab analysis on simple datasets

to multi-dimensional analysis on complex datasets to reveal patterns, correlations and how best to visualize them. The

course will also touch upon advanced techniques like dashboarding, and the use of filters & parameters to communicate

data stories.

Course Learning Objectives

 Understand the importance of communication in the workplace

 Identify your communication style
 Ability to write and edit professional emails according to AMA guidelines
 Ability to communicate professionally in a US based global environment
 Ability to adapt to and function in a workplace with multiple modes of communication
 Build confidence in your presentation skills
 Ability to build a data story and communicate actionable insights
Course Materials
Required Materials
 Textbook: Harry E. Chambers, “Effective Communication Skills: For Scientific and Technical Professionals,” Persues
Publishing (2000).
 Textbook: Bill Franks, “Winning the Room: Creating and Delivering and Effective Data-Driven Presentations,” Wiley
Publishing (2022).
 Harvard Business Review:
o How to Give a Killer Presentation, by Chris Anderson
 Additional Required Reading:
o How to Write the Perfect Email
http://www.amanet.org/training/articles/how-to-write-the-perfect-
email.aspx
 Audio Assignment:
o The Right and Wrong Way to Give and Receive Feedback
https://www.forbes.com/sites/ianaltman/2015/10/01/the-right-and-
wrong-way-to-give-and-receive-feedback/#542fd98c3066
 Tableau Tutorials

Hybrid Course Schedule

1/23 – 5:30-7:10pm in person
1/30 – 1:50- 3:30 in person
2/6 – 5:30 – 7:10 online
2/13 – 1:50- 3:30 in person
2/20 – 5:30 – 7:10 online
2/27 – 5:30 – 7:10 online
3/6 – 5:30 – 7:10 online
3/13 –  Spring Break – No Class
3/20 - 1:50- 3:30 in person
3/27 – 5:30 – 7:10 online
4/3 -1:50- 3:30 in person
4/10 - 1:50- 3:30 in person
4/17 -1:50- 3:30 in person
4/24 - 5:30 – 7:10 in person
Sessions Topics Covered Pre-Readings Assignment Due

1/23 Overview & Expectations None None

1/30 Listening as the basis for Chambers chapters 7 & 8 None

communication

2/6
Visualization as a means of analytical
storytelling
How to Give a Killer Presentation Bill Franks assignment
2/13
Winning the Room
Successful presentations

2/20 Project ideas due &

Tableau basics
Tableau Tutorials due
2/27
Tableau

3/6
Tableau

3/13 Spring Break

3/20 Email Communication

3/27 Project review/checkpoint

4/3 Giving and receiving feedback

Meetings and influencing

4/10 communication

4/17 Presentations and data analytics

___________
4/24 Final Presentations
Final Presentations
Evaluations / Grading
Due Date Assignment Grade % Description

2/13 Bill Franks Book 20% Complete Bill Franks recommendation assignment
Assignment

2/20 Tableau Tutorials 20% Complete tutorials

4/24 Presentation 40% Final presentation on analytics

All dates Participation 20% Attend and participate in class

DELIVERABLES:
(1) Attendance and Class participation

In any professional setting you are expected to arrive to business meetings on time and to be fully engaged. For
this course you will have in person and online meetings. We will expect full participation in the online portions as
well as in class. Please plan ahead. Technology can and will fail you. If you wait until the last minute to submit a
post or assignment you are accepting the risk that your technology will fail and you will be unable to submit.
Faulty technology will not be an excuse for late or non-submission.

(2) Bill Franks recommendation assignment

Winning the Room: Creating and Delivering and Effective Data-Driven Presentations is an easy-to-read compilation
of 120 specific tips for creating and delivering a presentation. Please read the book (it’s available digitally on
amazon) and design a two-page (12 font, double spaced, 1” margins) plan of how you recommend your final
presentation team integrate the tips Franks as provided into your final presentation. This plan should incorporate
at least 2 tips from each of the 7 sections in Franks’ book. This is an individual assignment. Once complete, it can
serve as a guideline for how your team can create the most effective final presentation. You MUST include
citations (more information on how to properly cite your work and create a reference list can be found here):
https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/research_and_citation/apa_style/apa_formatting_and_style_guide/
general_format.html. This will ensure that you properly give credit to Franks for his ideas that are incorporated
into your recommendation for creating and delivering an effective presentation. This must be submitted through
your husky CT portal.

(3) Final Presentation

You will be assigned to a team and together you will choose a topic related to data visualization. You must submit
by email your topic for professor approval by 2/20. This assignment is extremely flexible as long as it falls into the
field of data visualization and provides something useful for your classmates to learn from you. The purpose of this
assignment is to practice your presentation skills to a large audience of mixed technical proficiency. You must use
data visualization techniques that you learned throughout the presentation.
You will be graded as a group, so please practice as a group.

Your presentation will be 10-12 minutes, with an additional 5-10 minutes for questions. You will be graded on your
integration of data visualization techniques as well as, eye contact, appropriate gestures/body language,
organization of presentation, tone, pace & volume, memorization, and level of engagement.
GRADES- PERCENTAGES OF POINTS:
A 95-100
A- 90-94.9
B+ 87-89.9
B 83-86.9
B- 80-82.9
C+ 77-79.9
C 73-76.9
C- 70–72.9
F 69.9 – 0

ACADEMIC INTEGRITY
Each student is individually responsible for the integrity of his/her own work. Unless explicitly stated otherwise, each
homework assignment is an individual assignment and does not permit cooperation between students. For all assignments,
you must properly cite sources of information as well as the ideas and words of others. Not giving proper credit to others’
work constitutes plagiarism and is a serious violation of the University’s honor system. Similarly, turning in the same work
for credit in two different courses constitutes fraud and is also a serious violation of the University’s honor system.
Cheating of any sort will not be tolerated and will result in a failure of the exam or assignment, deduction in the class
participation grading component, and the potential failure of the course. A student who knowingly assists another student
in committing an act of academic misconduct shall be equally accountable for the violation, and shall be subject to the
sanctions and other remedies described in The Student Code. For details, refer to
http://www.dos.uconn.edu/student_code.html - Appendix B.
Please note: vacations, previously purchased tickets or reservations, weddings, and other large or small scale social
events, are NOT viable excuses for missing a final exam. Please contact the Dean of Students office with any questions.

Course Guidelines
Classroom Etiquette:
Students must engage in active listening and must be respectful of one another. Differences of opinions may arise, but
must be communicated with civility. This extends to behavior during virtual meetings, group meetings and the
classroom discussion board.

Communication:
We will communicate to the class by using course announcements in the Husky CT system and/or your UConn email.
We ask that all students use their UConn emails to communicate with us. For the most expeditious responses please
title your emails OPIM 5894. We will typically get back to a student within 24 business hours during the business week.
If we have not responded within 48 business hours, please feel free to resend your email.

Office Hours:
By Appointment