PUBPOL-853
COMMUNICATING DATA FOR IMPACT
Offered Fall 2026
Term
Overview
Feedback is mostly positive. The strongest signal is that students say they actually learn something useful. Best for students who want substance, not a disposable elective.
DepartmentPPS
Terms offeredSpring, Fall
Typical enrollment18–20
Semesters of data3
3.4
Hrs / week
35
Responses
57
Enrollment
61%
Response Rate
Evaluation Scores
Overall quality
Teaching, content, and experience combined.
4.3
Intellectually stimulating
Challenges students to think deeply.
4.3
Instructor effectiveness
Explains concepts and facilitates learning.
4.4
Difficulty
Higher means harder.
2.8
Feedback Analysis
Feedback Analysishigh
Analysis based on student evaluations
Based on 101 comments across 3 sections
Feedback is mostly positive. The strongest signal is that students say they actually learn something useful. Best for students who want substance, not a disposable elective.
Student Reports
How hard is the A?
A is doable but not automatic
The signal here is more do-the-work-and-you-should-be-fine than easy-A chatter. Students do not describe the A as automatic, but the evidence also does not paint grading as punishing.
Homework Load
Moderate homework load
Homework load looks moderate. The recurring signal is steady weekly work, but not a course that turns every assignment into a grind.
Lecture Load
Lighter lecture burden
Student comments describe this as more discussion-, seminar-, or workshop-driven than lecture-dependent. The lecture burden itself does not sound like the main source of friction.
Strengths
• Students repeatedly say the course teaches something concrete, whether that is content mastery, research skill, or a strong foundation.
Tradeoffs
• There is no single dominant complaint theme, but the feedback is not uniformly glowing either.
Best fit for
Best for students who want substance, not a disposable elective.
Watch out for
• A large share of the evidence comes from one instructor's version of the course, so this may not generalize cleanly.
Student Responses
1) How to communicate important data to the audience in a clear way that they could understand. 2) Different types of graphs and in which contexts each of them are useful. 3) How to find and utilize ACS data.
Fall 2024 · Quinterno, John
Tableau How to choose appropriate visuals depending on what I was trying to convey or the type of data I have How to make my previous visuals look better
Fall 2024 · Quinterno, John
This course is truly amazing. Professor Quinterno invests a tremendous amount of effort into exposing students to data analytics and platforms such as Excel and Tableau. Additionally, he enriches the learning experience by bringing in a diverse range of guest speakers, providing students with a wealth of insights from professionals in various policy fields. This multi-faceted approach ensures a comprehensive understanding and practical application of data in policy analysis.
Fall 2024 · Quinterno, John
I learned way more about how to create effective data visualizations through weekly practice assignments and evaluations of data visualizations with groups.
Fall 2024 · Quinterno, John
Drawing, charting, efficient communication
Fall 2024 · Quinterno, John
Rating History
Rating history
Error bars show \u00B11 std dev
| Term | Instructor | Overall | Difficulty | Hrs/wk | Enrolled |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring 2025 | Quinterno, John | 4.6 | 2.7 | 4.1 | 20 |
| Fall 2024 | Quinterno, John | 4.6 | 3.0 | — | 19 |
| Fall 2023 | Quinterno, John | 3.6 | 2.6 | 2.8 | 18 |
Instructor
Also teaches
PUBPOL-804 POLICY ANALYSIS II3.4PUBPOL-807 MASTER'S PROJECT I2.9PUBPOL-890 SPECIAL TOPICS4.3