Visualization Software: How to Select the Right Software for Teaching Visualization.

Abstract

The digitalisation of organisations has transformed the way organisations view data. All employees are expected to be data literate and managers are expected to make data-driven decisions [1]. The ability to analyse and visualize the data is a crucial skill set expected from every decision-maker. To help managers develop the skill of data visualization, business schools across the world offer courses in data visualization. From an educator’s perspective, one key decision that he/she must take while designing a visualization course for management students is the software tool to use in the course. Existing literature on data visualization in the scientific community is primarily focused on tools used by researchers or computer scientists ([3], [4]). In [5] the authors evaluate the landscape of commercially available visual analytics systems. In business-related publications like Harvard Business Review, the focus is more on selecting the right chart or on designing effective visualization ([6], [7]). There is a lack of literature to guide educators in teaching visualization to management students. This article attempts to guide educators teaching visualization to management students on how to select the appropriate software tool for their course.