Tableau and Data Studio Course

Lesson 1 • Google Data Studio Interface

Introduces the Data Studio canvas, toolbar, and report vs. explorer modes. Connects interface knowledge to efficient report creation later in the course.

Lesson 2 • What Is Business Intelligence

Defines BI, its role in decision-making, and how visualization tools fit the data pipeline. Sets context for all tool-specific learning ahead.

Lesson 3 • Comparing Tableau and Data Studio

Analyzes strengths, limitations, and ideal use cases for each platform. Enables students to choose the right tool for a given business scenario.

Lesson 1 • Basic Data Cleaning Techniques

Introduces null handling, renaming fields, splitting columns, and filtering rows at the source. Clean data reduces downstream calculation errors.

Lesson 2 • Joins and Relationships in Tableau

Explains inner, left, right, and full joins plus Tableau's relationship model. Students combine multiple tables without duplicating or losing records.

Lesson 3 • Data Types and Field Classification

Teaches dimensions vs. measures, discrete vs. continuous, and data type casting. Correct classification prevents chart errors in both platforms.

Lesson 4 • Connecting to Data Sources in Tableau

Covers live vs. extract connections, file-based sources, and database connectors. Establishes the data foundation required for every subsequent Tableau exercise.

Lesson 1 • Tables, Heat Maps, and Highlight Tables

Builds crosstab tables, heat maps, and highlight tables for dense data comparison. Complements chart-based views when exact values matter.

Lesson 2 • Scatter Plots and Bubble Charts

Maps two or three quantitative variables using position and size encoding. Reveals correlations and outliers that tabular data obscures.

Lesson 3 • Bar and Line Charts

Constructs horizontal and vertical bar charts and single or multi-line time-series charts. These are the most common chart types used in business dashboards.

Lesson 4 • Pie, Donut, and Part-to-Whole Charts

Covers pie charts, donut charts, and treemaps for proportional comparisons. Teaches when these chart types aid or mislead interpretation.

Lesson 1 • Table Calculations in Tableau

Covers running totals, percent of total, rank, and moving averages as table calculations. These post-aggregation computations enable period-over-period analysis.

Lesson 2 • Aggregation and Level of Detail

Explains SUM, AVG, COUNT, and Tableau's LOD expressions for controlling aggregation scope. LOD expressions solve complex analytical questions unavailable with basic aggregation.

Lesson 3 • Calculated Fields in Tableau

Introduces the calculation editor, basic arithmetic, and string functions. Calculated fields extend raw data into business-relevant metrics.

Lesson 4 • Calculated Fields in Data Studio

Builds custom metrics and dimensions using Data Studio's formula editor. Mirrors Tableau calculation concepts within the Data Studio environment.

Lesson 1 • Filters and Controls in Data Studio

Adds date range controls, filter controls, and data control widgets to reports. Interactive controls transform static reports into self-service analytics tools.

Lesson 2 • Filter Types in Tableau

Covers extract, data source, context, dimension, and measure filters in order of precedence. Understanding filter order prevents unexpected data exclusions.

Lesson 3 • Actions and Cross-Filter Interactions

Configures Tableau filter actions, highlight actions, and URL actions between sheets. Cross-filtering creates guided analytical narratives within dashboards.

Lesson 1 • Storytelling with Data Layouts

Structures dashboards and story points to guide viewers through an analytical narrative. Narrative flow increases stakeholder comprehension and action.

Lesson 2 • Data Studio Report Theming

Configures report-level themes, custom fonts, and background styles in Data Studio. Consistent theming aligns reports with organizational brand standards.

Lesson 3 • Performance Optimization for Dashboards

Reduces load time using extracts, hiding unused fields, and limiting marks. Fast dashboards improve adoption and user satisfaction.

Lesson 4 • Visual Design Principles

Applies color theory, typography, and Gestalt principles to dashboard composition. Design principles ensure dashboards guide attention to the most important insights.

Lesson 1 • Trend Lines and Reference Bands

Adds linear, polynomial, and exponential trend lines plus reference bands to charts. Statistical overlays provide context that raw data points alone cannot convey.

Lesson 2 • Forecasting in Tableau

Uses Tableau's built-in exponential smoothing forecast model on time-series data. Forecasting enables forward-looking business planning directly within dashboards.

Lesson 3 • Clustering and Segmentation

Applies Tableau's k-means clustering to segment data points into meaningful groups. Clustering surfaces natural patterns that manual grouping misses.

Lesson 4 • Analytics Pane and Statistical Tools

Explores the full Tableau analytics pane including totals, averages, and median lines. The analytics pane accelerates adding statistical context without custom calculations.

Lesson 1 • Permissions and Access Control

Configures user roles, group permissions, and content-level access in Tableau and Data Studio. Proper access control protects sensitive data while enabling broad self-service.

Lesson 2 • Scheduled Extracts and Alerts

Sets up extract refresh schedules and data-driven alerts in Tableau and Data Studio. Automated refreshes ensure stakeholders always view current data.

Lesson 3 • Data Governance and Documentation

Establishes naming conventions, certified data sources, and lineage tracking in Tableau Catalog. Governance practices maintain trust and consistency across the analytics organization.

Lesson 4 • Publishing to Tableau Server and Cloud

Covers publishing workbooks, data sources, and flows to Tableau Server and Tableau Cloud. Published assets become accessible to stakeholders without Tableau Desktop.