GEOM90007 Information Visualisation
The Complete Study & Assessment Guide · S2 2026GEOM90007 Overview
- University of Melbourne Faculty of Engineering and Information Technology
- Semester 2, 2026
- a graduate coursework subject
- 12.5 points
- an information visualisation subject offered online in Semester 2
- Individual static visualisation assignment 20%, individual dynamic visualisation assignment 20%, 60-minute mid-semester exam 25%, group project video presentation 10%, and group implementation/report 25%
GEOM90007 Information Visualisation teaches how visual thinking, perception, data graphics, cartography and interaction design can turn complex and spatial data into defensible visual evidence. It is taught within University of Melbourne Faculty of Engineering and Information Technology. It is a graduate coursework subject.
- GEOM90007 grading Static information-visualisation assignment 20% · Dynamic information-visualisation assignment 20% · Mid-semester exam 25% · 2 more published item(s)
- GEOM90007 task mode Plan around this operating format: No end-of-semester examination is published in the 2026 assessment table.
- GEOM90007 pressure point The main transfer challenge is this: Matching the representation to both the data and the perceptual task.
- GEOM90007 pass rule Before relying on the total mark, apply this control: The current material describes required practical participation in Weeks 1-8 but does not publish a captured numeric grade consequence or a component-level hurdle. Confirm the current rule in the Subject Guide.
How GEOM90007 is assessed
| Component | Weight | Format |
|---|---|---|
| Static information-visualisation assignment | 20% | Individual; Week 5; 27 hours of work, equivalent to 1,500 words |
| Dynamic information-visualisation assignment | 20% | Individual; Week 9; 27 hours of work, equivalent to 1,500 words |
| Mid-semester exam | 25% | 60 minutes in Week 9; current Subject Guide controls permitted materials |
| Group project video presentation | 10% | Ten-minute video presentation in Week 12 |
| Group implementation and report | 25% | Week 12; implementation plus report contribution equivalent to 1,000 words per student |
The 2026 Handbook publishes five items totalling 100%: static individual assignment 20%, dynamic individual assignment 20%, 60-minute mid-semester exam 25%, group video presentation 10%, and group implementation/report 25%. The two group deliverables total 35%.
Current GEOM90007 dates
| Date | Item | Control |
|---|---|---|
| Week 5 | Static information-visualisation assignment | Individual 20% assignment |
| Week 9 | Dynamic assignment and mid-semester exam | 20% individual assignment and 25% 60-minute exam |
| Week 12 | Group video and implementation/report | The two group deliverables total 35% |
Current-offering dates captured in the course materials. Confirm changes and exact submission settings in the live LMS.
What GEOM90007 covers
Read Visual Questions, Data Evidence and Assessment Products as the foundation, Chart Selection, Comparison and Uncertainty as the main change in method, and Evaluation, Storytelling and Project Synthesis as the final application of the course.
Visual Questions, Data Evidence and Assessment Products
four-item assessment set · visualisation decision chain · source-silence control · build a task ledger without assigning unverified percentages and map each item to the visualisation decisions it assesses02Visual Thinking, Hierarchy and Design Purpose
visual thinking · visual hierarchy · design purpose · state the audience and decision before arranging visual emphasis and reading order03Data Types, Descriptive Statistics and Distribution
data type · distribution · descriptive statistic · match the summary and display to the variable type and analytical comparison04Sensing, Perception and Attention
visual perception · preattentive feature · attentional limit · use one preattentive feature to support the central comparison and remove competing salience05Colour, Light and Accessible Scales
colour channel · sequential colour scale · colour accessibility · select a categorical, sequential or diverging scale from the data semantics and test it without colour alone06Graphical Encoding and Perceptual Accuracy
graphical encoding · visual mark · perceptual accuracy · rank candidate encodings by the task and preserve the most accurate channel for the main comparison07Chart Selection, Comparison and Uncertainty
analytical task · chart grammar · uncertainty representation · choose a chart from the task and data structure, then make uncertainty commensurate with the claim08Cartography, Projection and Spatial Pattern
map projection · spatial scale · choropleth map · select projection, spatial unit and symbolisation from the question and explain the distortion introduced09Interaction, HCI and Coordinated Views
interaction technique · overview first principle · coordinated multiple views · add only the interaction needed for a named analytical task and keep the current state visible10Tableau Mapping, Filters and Calculations
Tableau data model · filter context · calculated field · build a map or dashboard whose data grain, filters and calculation order match the question11R, ggplot2 and Reproducible Graphics
tidy data · grammar of graphics · reproducible graphic · write a ggplot2 specification whose mappings, transformations and labels expose the analytical choices12Shiny and Reactive Visualisation
reactive programming · Shiny application · interaction state · design a minimal reactive path and make defaults, loading states and selected data visible13Evaluation, Storytelling and Project Synthesis
visualisation evaluation · data story · design rationale · test the view with representative tasks, revise from observed failures and present the final claim with limitationsIt carries 12.5 points. It is positioned as an information visualisation subject offered online in Semester 2.
The subject couples visual reasoning with practical work in Tableau, R, ggplot2 and Shiny.
It asks students to justify encodings and interactions from the data type, perceptual task and audience rather than treating a polished dashboard as self-validating.
Assessment in GEOM90007 is distributed as follows: Individual static visualisation assignment 20%, individual dynamic visualisation assignment 20%, 60-minute mid-semester exam 25%, group project video presentation 10%, and group implementation/report 25%
The operational assessment conditions matter here.
No end-of-semester examination is published in the 2026 assessment table. The timed component is a 60-minute mid-semester exam worth 25%; its permitted materials remain a live Subject Guide control.
What makes GEOM90007 demanding is concrete: Matching the representation to both the data and the perceptual task.
Students must distinguish exploratory from explanatory goals, choose encodings that preserve comparisons, handle spatial and statistical uncertainty, and evaluate whether interaction clarifies the evidence or merely adds interface complexity.
The current material describes required practical participation in Weeks 1-8 but does not publish a captured numeric grade consequence or a component-level hurdle.
Confirm the current rule in the Subject Guide.
Read Visual Questions, Data Evidence and Assessment Products as the foundation, Chart Selection, Comparison and Uncertainty as the main change in method, and Evaluation, Storytelling and Project Synthesis as the final application of the course.
Choose an encoding from the viewer's task
- 1Name the comparison task and the temporal and regional data structure.
- 1Choose an aligned-position encoding for the primary value comparison.
- 1Represent uncertainty in the same scale as the estimate.
- 1Define one user test that can falsify the design rationale.
Key terms
- Data visualization
- The representation of data through visual marks, spatial position and graphical attributes to support analysis, communication and decision-making.
- Visual hierarchy
- The ordering of visual elements through position, size, contrast and grouping so viewers perceive intended levels of importance.
- Graphical encoding
- A rule mapping data values to visual properties such as position, length, angle, area, colour or shape.
- Preattentive processing
- Rapid visual processing that makes certain features stand out before deliberate, focused attention is applied.
- Colour scale
- A systematic mapping from data values or categories to colours selected for ordering, separation, accessibility and interpretive purpose.
- Spatial visualisation
- The representation of geographic location, distance, topology and spatial pattern through maps or other position-based visual displays.
- Cartography
- The theory and practice of designing maps that represent spatial relationships through projection, symbolisation, scale and generalisation.
- Interactive visualisation
- A visual representation whose view or parameters respond to user actions such as filtering, selection, zooming or linked highlighting.
- Shiny
- An R framework for building reactive web applications that connect user inputs to analysis, data and visual outputs.
GEOM90007 FAQ
How is GEOM90007 assessed?
Individual static visualisation assignment 20%, individual dynamic visualisation assignment 20%, 60-minute mid-semester exam 25%, group project video presentation 10%, and group implementation/report 25%
What is the GEOM90007 final assessed-task format?
No end-of-semester examination is published in the 2026 assessment table. The timed component is a 60-minute mid-semester exam worth 25%; its permitted materials remain a live Subject Guide control.
Where do students usually lose marks in GEOM90007?
Matching the representation to both the data and the perceptual task. Students must distinguish exploratory from explanatory goals, choose encodings that preserve comparisons, handle spatial and statistical uncertainty, and evaluate whether interaction clarifies the evidence or merely adds interface complexity.
How does ggplot2 and Shiny appear in GEOM90007?
ggplot2 builds graphics by mapping data variables to visual aesthetics and composing layers; Shiny turns R analyses and graphics into reactive interfaces. GEOM90007 uses them to connect visual encoding with reproducible, interactive exploration.
Does GEOM90007 have a hurdle or component-level pass rule?
The current material describes required practical participation in Weeks 1-8 but does not publish a captured numeric grade consequence or a component-level hurdle. Confirm the current rule in the Subject Guide.
Which offering does this GEOM90007 guide cover?
It is aligned to Semester 2, 2026; confirm your enrolled class and timetable in the current institutional system.
Is this GEOM90007 resource an official university guide?
No. It is an independent GEOM90007 study resource; current institutional instructions remain authoritative for assessment operation.
How to prepare for the assessments
Retrieve the course map, practise the recurring method—define the analytical task and data type, select perceptually defensible encodings and interaction, implement the view reproducibly and evaluate comprehension, uncertainty and accessibility—on changed scenarios, and verify every operational assessment detail in the live institutional system.
Your AI Data Science tutor for GEOM90007
Stuck on a hard GEOM90007 question? Sia is AskSia’s AI Data Science tutor — ask any GEOM90007 Information Visualisation question and get a clear, step-by-step explanation grounded in how the course is actually taught and assessed. Read this whole study guide free, then take your hardest questions to Sia.
