Setup and practice

What you need before you start, how to run the lessons in Google Colab, how to stay safe with data, and how to keep a simple evidence log.

What you need

  • A laptop with a modern web browser (Chrome, Edge, Firefox or Safari), brought to every class: all sessions are in person
  • A Google account, to use Google Colab
  • Your login for the course Moodle page, where you submit your work

Before teaching starts

Nothing needs to be installed for the Python lessons. Tell your facilitator before the first session if you need any accessibility support or cannot bring a laptop.

Open a lesson in Google Colab

Every Python lesson page has an Open in Colab button near the top.

  1. Click Open in Colab. The lesson notebook opens in Google Colab; sign in with your Google account if asked.
  2. Run the cells from top to bottom: click a cell and press Shift + Enter.
  3. Save your own copy with File → Save a copy in Drive, so your changes are kept.

The notebook opens with the facilitator's outputs already visible. Running it yourself replaces them with your own results.

The first code cell in each lesson downloads the course data from Tableau's sample-data page and checks that it is exactly the version the lesson was written for. If it prints a warning, tell your facilitator.

If something goes wrong

Choose Runtime → Restart session and run all. This runs everything again from the top and fixes most problems.

New to Python? Start with the Session 1 lab: Python, Colab and always plotting your data.

Submit your work on Moodle

Each session has a Moodle assignment for its lab, and there is one for the capstone.

  1. In Colab, finish the lab and run all cells so your outputs are visible.
  2. Choose File → Download → Download .ipynb.
  3. Open the matching assignment on the course Moodle page and upload the .ipynb file.
  4. If the lab asks for a written answer or an image (for example a dashboard), upload it to the same assignment.

Name your files clearly

Use SessionNN_lab_YourName.ipynb, for example Session05_lab_AnitaShrestha.ipynb.

Keep your data safe

Only use course data

Use only the datasets supplied for this course. Never upload private employer, customer or employee files to Colab or any other online tool.

Notebooks you save in Google Drive are private to you unless you choose to share them. Check the sharing setting before sending a link to anyone.

If something does not work

No internet or no Google account

Follow the demonstration or pair with a classmate, and keep writing your metric and checking notes. Run the notebook yourself later, once access is back.

Tableau (later)

You do not need Tableau for the Python lessons. The Tableau sessions come after the Python sessions. When you reach them, you will install Tableau Desktop Public Edition from the official Tableau Public page; the sessions explain what to set up. The labs need the Desktop edition because it saves .twbx files on your own computer, and Moodle needs those files. In the Tableau Public web editor, saving publishes the workbook and its data, so never use the web editor with Superstore.

Anything you publish to Tableau Public is public

Published workbooks and their data can be seen by anyone. Hiding an item on your profile does not make it private. Tableau Public also lets you save workbooks on your own computer, so publishing online is optional.

Keep an evidence log

For every task, write down a few short notes. They make your portfolio much easier to build.

Record Example prompt
Data release Which file and version did I use?
Question What decision is this for?
Grain What does one row represent?
Date window and filters Which records are included?
Metric definition What is the numerator and denominator?
Checks How did I confirm the number is right?
Chart and recommendation What should the stakeholder do next?

Save your notebook and your notes together.

When two numbers disagree

Compare their populations and denominators before changing the chart.