• cloudswyft logo

Introduction to Data Analysis using Excel for Absolute Beginners

Learning from scratch? This course provides an accessible entry-point into the fascinating world of data analysis.

Start your free 7-day trial

1,274 enrolled on this course

Men and women looking at a screen and debating
  • Duration

    3 weeks
  • Weekly study

    5 hours
  • Included in an ExpertTrack

    Course 1 of 4
  • Get full ExpertTrack access

    $39/monthFind out more
  • Accreditation

    AvailableMore info

Data analysis skills are in high demand, but can be hard to grow if you don’t have a solid basis in maths or data literacy. This course has been designed for people of all ages to provide a solid introduction to data concepts and structures.

Start building your data literacy

You’ll start to build foundational knowledge of data, from simple data literacy through to analysing data and understanding the environments where data exists at work and in our lives in general. You’ll then move on to understanding what ‘telling stories with data’ actually means and how you can do it.

Begin a journey to a career in data or just understand the data landscape

You can use this course to get started on the path to becoming a data analyst, or you can use it to become more data literate so that you can understand how businesses use your data, why that may be a problem, and which aspects of your own data are important.

Gain an introduction to data analysis and foundation for further learning

Throughout the course, we’ll reference additional courses and learning paths you can take to continue on your data knowledge journey. Once you’ve completed this course, you will have the skills and confidence to continue learning and building on the core concepts explained within.

Syllabus

  • Week 1

    Course Introduction

    • About this Course

      This activity introduces you to the course outline, learning outcomes, as well as information on navigating the course on the FutureLearn platform and your CloudSwyft Hands-On Labs.

    • Our Data-Driven World

      This activity will explore the increasingly important role of data analysis in modern life, society, and technology. You'll be taken through hands-on examples so that you can develop some experience and intuition on the topic.

    • Data Fluency

      This activity will help you develop literacy and fluency in data analytics. There are a few review questions for you to complete so that you can consolidate this information.

    • Your First Data Walkthrough

      In this activity, you'll dive into your first Hands-On data analytics task. You'll analyse a data set involving cars and identify factors linked with better gas mileage.

    • Unpacking the Walkthrough

      This activity will unpack the data walkthrough you have just gone over. It will give in-depth explanations of an average, factors, scatterplots, and the correlation coefficient.

    • Wrapping up the Week

      You've made it through your first week! Well Done! Let's recap what we've just covered and look at the content for Week 2.

  • Week 2

    Data Structure, Analysis and Visualisation

    • Data Structures

      In this activity, you'll familiarise yourself with where data comes from and where it goes to.

    • Data Anatomy

      In this activity, we will review data anatomy and storage of a data set. You'll look at how data is categorised into different types, and how nearly anything can be thought of as data.

    • Data Joins

      In this activity, we will learn how to combine multiple related data sets into a single table and look at four different methodologies for doing this, depending on the specific needs of a project.

    • Data Analysis Methods

      In this activity, you'll gain some basic maths and statistical skills that will prove extremely useful in the field of data analysis.

    • Data Visualisation

      In this activity, you'll explore various ways of visualising data with graphs, charts, dashboards, and more.

    • Wrapping up the Week

      You've made it through your second week! Well Done! Let's recap what we've just covered and look at the content for Week 3.

  • Week 3

    Data Analysis in Context

    • Data Analysis in Context

      In this activity, you will examine the complex real-world ecosystems in which data shows up. Data doesn't exist in a vacuum!

    • Data Ethics

      In this activity, you will examine the ethical and moral concerns of data analytics, this new frontier of the 21st century. How should you govern yourself responsibly in this growing field?

    • Career Paths

      In this short activity, you will take a look at some of the jobs and career paths available to you as you grow your data analysis skillsets.

    • Wrapping Up the Course

      This activity will wrap up the course. You will have the opportunity to complete your final assessment, as well as give feedback on the course.

Prove you're job ready

Highlight the new, job-relevant skills you’ve gained and supplement existing qualifications with a hard-earned, industry-specific digital certificate – plus one for every course within your ExpertTrack.

  • Learn the latest in your chosen industry or subject.
  • Complete each course and pass assessments.
  • Receive certificates validated by the educating organisation.
  • Impress employers with learning outcomes you can add to your CV.
  • Make your career dreams a reality.

Download a PDF

Who is this accredited by?

Microsoft
Microsoft:

This course is accredited by Microsoft

Learning on this course

On every step of the course you can meet other learners, share your ideas and join in with active discussions in the comments.

What will you achieve?

By the end of the course, you‘ll be able to...

  • Apply the understanding of data’s many contexts, origins and applications in life, work, and society
  • Discuss the different types of data
  • Demonstrate a summary statistics to analyze and understand data sets
  • Engage with introductory level data and mathematical concepts

Who is the course for?

This course has been developed for anybody who would like to grow their understanding of data analysis. This may include aspiring analysts in any industry, managers who need to learn data analytics, and aspiring data scientists, engineers, software developers, or AI engineers.

It’s also for anybody who wants a better understanding of today’s data landscape and how it applies to them.

What software or tools do you need?

The upgrade version of this course will include all the required CloudSwyft Hands-On Lab practice environments to be used by students and learners on this course, powered by CloudSwyft.

You will need a computer running Windows, Mac OSX or Linux, and a web browser.

Who developed the course?

CloudSwyft Global Systems, Inc.

CloudSwyft has partnered with the top global technology companies to deliver cutting edge digital skills learning across the modern workplace.

About this ExpertTrack

Learn data analysis from scratch, including an introduction to essential maths and Microsoft Excel.

Start learning today - free 7-day trial

After your free trial you can:

  • Pay $39 per month to keep learning online
  • Have complete control over your subscription; you can cancel any time
  • Work at your own pace and set your own deadlines at every stage
  • Only pay while you’re learning; the subscription will cancel automatically when you finish
  • Complete online assessments to test your knowledge and prove your skills
  • Earn digital course certificates and a final award that you can share online, with potential employers, and your professional network
  • Keep access to the content of courses you complete even after your subscription ends

Learning on FutureLearn

Your learning, your rules

  • Courses are split into weeks, activities, and steps to help you keep track of your learning
  • Learn through a mix of bite-sized videos, long- and short-form articles, audio, and practical activities
  • Stay motivated by using the Progress page to keep track of your step completion and assessment scores

Join a global classroom

  • Experience the power of social learning, and get inspired by an international network of learners
  • Share ideas with your peers and course educators on every step of the course
  • Join the conversation by reading, @ing, liking, bookmarking, and replying to comments from others

Map your progress

  • As you work through the course, use notifications and the Progress page to guide your learning
  • Whenever you’re ready, mark each step as complete, you’re in control
  • Complete 90% of course steps and all of the assessments to earn your certificate

Want to know more about learning on FutureLearn? Using FutureLearn

Learner reviews

Learner reviews cannot be loaded due to your cookie settings. Please and refresh the page to view this content.

Do you know someone who'd love this course? Tell them about it...