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Learner Reviews & Feedback for Introduction to Accounting Data Analytics and Visualization by University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

4.8
stars
420 ratings

About the Course

Accounting has always been about analytical thinking. From the earliest days of the profession, Luca Pacioli emphasized the importance of math and order for analyzing business transactions. The skillset that accountants have needed to perform math and to keep order has evolved from pencil and paper, to typewriters and calculators, then to spreadsheets and accounting software. A new skillset that is becoming more important for nearly every aspect of business is that of big data analytics: analyzing large amounts of data to find actionable insights. This course is designed to help accounting students develop an analytical mindset and prepare them to use data analytic programming languages like Python and R. We’ve divided the course into three main sections. In the first section, we bridge accountancy to analytics. We identify how tasks in the five major subdomains of accounting (i.e., financial, managerial, audit, tax, and systems) have historically required an analytical mindset, and we then explore how those tasks can be completed more effectively and efficiently by using big data analytics. We then present a FACT framework for guiding big data analytics: Frame a question, Assemble data, Calculate the data, and Tell others about the results. In the second section of the course, we emphasize the importance of assembling data. Using financial statement data, we explain desirable characteristics of both data and datasets that will lead to effective calculations and visualizations. In the third, and largest section of the course, we demonstrate and explore how Excel and Tableau can be used to analyze big data. We describe visual perception principles and then apply those principles to create effective visualizations. We then examine fundamental data analytic tools, such as regression, linear programming (using Excel Solver), and clustering in the context of point of sale data and loan data. We conclude by demonstrating the power of data analytic programming languages to assemble, visualize, and analyze data. We introduce Visual Basic for Applications as an example of a programming language, and the Visual Basic Editor as an example of an integrated development environment (IDE)....

Top reviews

YH

May 30, 2020

It teaches us the basics of data analytics and it is very progressive. There are assignments to help us understand and practice the methods being taught. This allows us to have first-hand experiences.

KK

Jan 25, 2023

The level of detail was remarkable! If the right amount of focus and time is put into understanding the why and how... you can use the skills instantly to increase your value in the workplace.

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76 - 85 of 85 Reviews for Introduction to Accounting Data Analytics and Visualization

By Aw Z Y

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Jun 1, 2020

The course teaches a lot of useful data analytics and visualization techniques which will prove to be useful in the future. The only complaint I have is that for the peer review 2, the data provided to us is in csv format. As such, please beware and save your work in xlsx format otherwise, all your progress will be loss if you are currently working on their csv file provided and forgotten to save as xlsx file.

By shuen

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Jul 20, 2020

Big thanks to Ron and the production team, they did a good job making clear videos, that are easy to follow and break up the topics into well-paced chunks. Covers a nice foundation for data analytics principles, terms, and excel and tableau software. Only thing is it is a bit lengthy, don't try to rush this course.

By Deleted A

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Jun 3, 2020

useful as an intro course to analytics and data visualization. The nature of the content itself is a bit dry but i think the lecturer did not bad and was clear and concise in delivery.

By Kudakwashe C

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Mar 26, 2021

The course is good but difficult in the sense that computer knowledge must be acquired first.

By John W

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Mar 1, 2021

Good Course

By Sree M

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Dec 6, 2021

Advanced topics are covered in a quick pace in a basic way

By Sue C

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Sep 7, 2022

Content is fine.

Peer review is horrendous with no quality review.

Instructor seems to have lost interest in this specialization long ago, based on the engaegment of anyone from U of I in the message boards.

By Rohit G

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Mar 26, 2023

Probably a good course for people who want to do accounting full time just not whats right for me.

By Stephanie T

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Aug 6, 2022

i cannot hear a word the professor is saying.

By Deleted A

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Nov 7, 2021

I just want to unenroll