Designing with Data: Building Your First Looker Studio Dashboard Step-by-Step

Description

How can educators turn student data into meaningful insights they can actually use? What if you could create a custom data dashboard in less time than it takes to grade a stack of papers? Google Looker Studio makes it easy for teachers and school leaders to visualize and share data that drives learning. By using a simple dataset, you can build interactive dashboards that track student progress, highlight trends, and inform instruction—all without needing a background in data analytics. Join Lauren Boucher for a hands-on, beginner-friendly session where you'll build your very first Looker Studio dashboard from scratch. You'll learn how to connect data, add charts and filters, and design a dashboard that's both functional and visually appealing. Follow along using a sample dataset or your own classroom data, and leave ready to apply your new skills immediately.

Objectives

1. Identify key steps in creating a dashboard in Looker Studio.
2. Explain how visual elements represent different types of data.
3. Build a dashboard using a provided or classroom dataset.
4. Examine how dashboard design choices affect data interpretation.
5. Critique sample dashboards for clarity, accuracy, and visual appeal.
6. Design and customize an original Looker Studio dashboard aligned to instructional goals.

Key Take Aways

• Connect datasets to Google Looker Studio and prepare them for visualization.
• Build a functional dashboard using visual elements like charts, tables, and filters.
• Apply simple design principles to create clear, engaging dashboards.
• Access templates, a practice dataset, and a "Dashboard Design Checklist" for continued learning.