COMP 4923A2 Special Topics: Visualizing Data

COURSE OUTLINE January, 2009

Instructor:

Required text: "Visualizing Data", by Ben Fry, O'Reilly (2007), ISBN: 0596514557

On Reserve in the Library:

• "Learning Processing : a beginner's guide to programming images,animation, and interaction", by Daniel Shiffman. QA76.73 .P75 S54 2008
• "Show me the numbers : designing tables and graphs to enlighten", by Stephen Few. (currently on order)

Course Management System: ACORN. Use your Acadia network username and password to access ACORN.

Topics: (subject to change)

• Data and Image Models
• Visual Perception & Cognitive Principles
• Color Encoding
• Visualization Software Design
• Designing 2D Graphs
• Maps & Google Earth
• Higher-dimensional Data
• Unstructured Text and Document Collections
• Trees and Networks
• Acquiring Data
• Parsing Data

Grading scheme:

If the final exam grade is less than 60%, then the course grade is the final exam grade. Otherwise, the course grade is computed as:

• Assignments: 30%
• Project: 30%
• Final Exam: 40%

Assignments:

Assignments will be announced on ACORN.

Assignments will be submitted electronically by the due time specified on the assignment. No late assignments will be accepted.

You may discuss assignments with fellow students. But, remember not to share solutions. The work you submit must be your own.

Project: Project details will be given later.

Cheating: Cheating and plagiarism as defined in the "Academic Integrity" section of the University Calendar is strictly prohibited. Some forms of cheating are:

1. copying someone else's answer
2. stealing, borrowing, or lending a source code
3. fabricating program output

Under no circumstances may you share assignment files with other students. It is inappropriate to copy solutions or portions of solutions from other sources including the Internet, other textbooks, and other students.

Cheating in any form will not be tolerated and will be penalized. The minimum penalty for cheating on an assignment or other work is to receive -100% for the work. A student found to be cheating on any work will receive a course grade that is at most 70% (B-). This penalty will be applied to all students involved in a cheating incident, including a student who gives their work to another student. Additionally, all instances of cheating will be reported to the Director of the School and to the University Registrar.

Newsgroup Etiquette:

• Include an informative subject header, such as "Question on Assignment 2, Problem 1".
• Use your Acadia University email address in the sender line. Do not use a fictitious sender name; such a posting will be ignored by your instructors.
• Be clear and concise; don't ramble.
• Be polite and respectful.
• Before you ask a question, scan the newsgroup to see whether the question has already been asked, or there is a posting that answers your question.
• Ask focused questions. Do not ask questions such as "How do you solve Problem 3?" Explain what you have done and ask a specific question in that context.
• Do not post solutions to assignment problems. You may post questions and answers to clarify a problem, and about syntax, algorithms, style, and technique pertaining to an assignment problem.
• Post only plain text messages. Do not post HTML documents because some news readers cannot display HTML documents properly.
• Use a spelling checker.
• Think and proof read before you send.
• Read "Emily Postnews", a classic, tongue-in-cheek look at newsgroup and Internet etiquette.

Email Etiquette:

• Include an informative subject header, such as "COMP 4923 question on Assignment 2, Problem 1". Be sure to include the course number.
• Use your Acadia University email address in the sender line.
• Avoid attachments unless there is a compelling reason to include them; in particular, put short ascii text in the body of the message and not in an attachment.
• Be clear and concise.
• Ask focused questions. Do not ask questions such as "How do you solve Problem 3?" Explain what you have done and ask a specific question in that context.
• Send only plain text messages.
• Use a spelling checker.
• Think and proof read before you send.

Prepared by R. Giles - Last updated 2008-12-14