Postgraduate Course: Data Storytelling for Business Impact (CMSE11706)
Course Outline
| School | Business School |
College | College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 11 (Postgraduate) |
Availability | Not available to visiting students |
| SCQF Credits | 10 |
ECTS Credits | 5 |
| Summary | Storytelling with data is a critical skill for translating complex analyses into action. This course teaches you to craft compelling data narratives by mastering the full analytical workflow. Students will learn to identify business context, prepare data, and design effective, clutter-free visualisations. You will gain skills in building interactive dashboards, highlighting key information, and forming impactful narratives. Emphasising ethical data communication, this course prepares you to confidently present complex insights to diverse audiences and drive strategic decision-making. |
| Course description |
In the era of big data, the ability to transform complex datasets into actionable insights is crucial. This course is designed for future analysts and business leaders to master the art of data storytelling. It moves beyond simple chart creation, focusing on the synthesis of analytical thinking, design principles, and narrative structure. Participants will learn to use robust analytical and design principles to create persuasive, data-driven narratives that inform strategic decisions and drive business action.
Outline content:
- Identify and define the business context and key message (the 'so what?') for a data-driven narrative.
- Learn to select and apply appropriate visualisation techniques using modern business intelligence platforms to effectively present complex data.
- Master the end-to-end workflow of data storytelling: from data preparation and cleaning to data modelling, visualisation, and interactive dashboard design.
- Develop skills in reducing visual clutter and using pre-attentive attributes to direct audience attention to the most critical insights.
- Structure and present compelling, ethical data narratives that highlight actionable insights and inform strategic impact.
Student learning experience:
This course is delivered through an intensive, blended learning experience. Weekly lectures will introduce the core principles of data visualisation, narrative structure, and analytical techniques. These concepts will be directly applied in weekly hands-on labs/seminars, where students will work with data to build, critique, and refine their own visualisations.
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Course Delivery Information
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| Academic year 2026/27, Not available to visiting students (SS1)
|
Quota: None |
| Course Start |
Block 2 (Sem 1) |
Timetable |
Timetable |
| Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) |
Total Hours:
100
(
Lecture Hours 10,
Seminar/Tutorial Hours 5,
Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 2,
Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours
83 )
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| Assessment (Further Info) |
Written Exam
0 %,
Coursework
0 %,
Practical Exam
100 %
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| Additional Information (Assessment) |
100% Portfolio (Individual) - Assesses all course Learning Outcomes |
| Feedback |
Formative: Students will receive continuous verbal formative feedback from peers and the instructor during the weekly hands-on lab sessions.
Summative: Feedback will be provided on assessment within agreed deadlines. |
| No Exam Information |
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- Define the business context and key message (the 'so what?') for a data-driven narrative.
- Prepare and model complex datasets to build a robust foundation for analysis and visualisation.
- Create diverse and effective visual representations that accurately answer specific business questions.
- Apply core design principles to eliminate clutter and strategically direct audience attention to critical insights.
- Ethically construct and present compelling data stories that communicate actionable insights to diverse audiences.
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Reading List
Core Text:
Nussbaumer Knaflic, Cole. Storytelling with Data: A Data Visualization Guide for Business Professionals. 1st ed. Newark: Wiley, 2015. Web. |
Additional Information
| Graduate Attributes and Skills |
Communication, ICT, and Numeracy Skills
After completing this course, students should be able to:
Convey meaning and message through a wide range of communication tools, including digital technology and social media; to understand how to use these tools to communicate in ways that sustain positive and responsible relationships.
Critically evaluate and present digital and other sources, research methods, data and information; discern their limitations, accuracy, validity, reliability and suitability; and apply responsibly in a wide variety of organisational contexts. |
| Keywords | Not entered |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Dr Ruini Qu
Tel:
Email: rqu@ed.ac.uk |
Course secretary | |
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