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Data and databases - Intermediate

Data Visualisation and Reporting with Power BI

Turn raw tables into clear, interactive reports with Power BI: import and clean data, build a model, write basic DAX measures, design accessible pages and understand publishing and refresh.

About this course

Organisations collect more data than ever: sales sheets, attendance registers, survey results, health and school records, project budgets. A table of numbers does not help a manager, a donor or a head teacher make a decision until someone turns it into a clear picture. Power BI is a Microsoft tool built for this job. It connects to your data, cleans and combines it, lets you define your own calculations and presents the results as interactive reports.

This course teaches the full workflow in plain steps: getting data in, cleaning it with Power Query, building a simple data model, writing basic measures in DAX, choosing the right chart, designing report pages with filters and slicers, making reports accessible, and understanding how reports are published, shared and refreshed. The last module walks through one complete mini-project from a small sample table that you can recreate yourself.

The course assumes you can already work with data in Excel, including tables, formulas and PivotTables. Power BI Desktop is free to download and runs on Windows. The online service has features that depend on licensing, and licensing options change over time, so this course explains the ideas and does not quote prices.

What you will learn

  • Describe the parts of Power BI and what each one is used for
  • Connect to Excel and CSV data and load it into Power BI Desktop
  • Clean and reshape data with Power Query and keep every step repeatable
  • Build a star-schema data model with relationships between tables
  • Write basic DAX measures using SUM, SUMX, CALCULATE, DIVIDE and simple time intelligence
  • Choose a chart that matches the question and build clear report pages with slicers and filters
  • Apply design and accessibility practices so that more people can read and use a report
  • Explain how reports are published, shared and refreshed, and complete a small end-to-end report

Course content

5 modules · 18 lessons · 5 h 31 min · 6 quizzes

Module 1: Meet Power BI3 lessons

Understand what Power BI is, find your way around Power BI Desktop and bring data into it.

  1. What Power BI is and how the pieces fit 12 min
  2. Power BI Desktop: the window and your first visual 15 min
  3. Getting data: Excel, CSV, web and folders 15 min
  4. Quiz: 7 questions
Module 2: Cleaning and shaping data with Power Query3 lessons

Prepare messy data with repeatable steps so that every refresh gives the same clean result.

  1. The Power Query Editor and cleaning basics 18 min
  2. Reshaping: split, unpivot, group and fill down 18 min
  3. Combining data: append, merge and folders 18 min
  4. Quiz: 8 questions
Module 3: The data model and DAX measures4 lessons

Connect tables with relationships and write your first calculations with DAX.

  1. Data model: star schema and relationships 18 min
  2. Measures and calculated columns: your first DAX 20 min
  3. CALCULATE, filter context and DIVIDE 20 min
  4. The date table and simple time intelligence 20 min
  5. Quiz: 8 questions
Module 4: Charts, report pages and design4 lessons

Choose the right visual, build interactive pages with slicers and filters, and design reports that people can read and use.

  1. Choosing the right chart 15 min
  2. Building report pages: cards, tables and matrices 18 min
  3. Slicers, filters and interactions 18 min
  4. Design principles and accessibility for reports 18 min
  5. Quiz: 8 questions
Module 5: Publishing, refreshing and a complete mini-project4 lessons

Learn how reports are shared and kept current, then build a full small report from a sample table.

  1. Publishing, sharing, dashboards and refresh 18 min
  2. Mini-project, part 1: data, Power Query and model 25 min
  3. Mini-project, part 2: measures and report pages 25 min
  4. Mini-project, part 3: polish, check and hand over 20 min
  5. Quiz: 8 questions
Final exam

27 questions. Pass with 70% or more to earn your certificate.

What you need

  • Completion of Excel for Data Analysis: PivotTables, Charts and Dashboards (excel-data-analysis), or equal experience with Excel tables, formulas and PivotTables
  • A Windows computer to install Power BI Desktop (free), or access to a Windows machine at a school, cyber cafe or learning centre
  • Microsoft Excel or a spreadsheet tool to prepare the practice data

Further reading

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