MSBA 604 — Media Production Plan#
Course: MSBA 604 — Fundamental Technologies for Business Analytics Program: Master of Science in Business Analytics (MSBA) Institution: Gonzaga University | School of Business Administration Instructor: Dr. John Correia
Overview#
This document outlines the video production plan for MSBA 604, an online graduate course in foundational Python and business analytics.
Learning Platforms:
- Canvas — Course schedule, announcements, grades
- Course Website — All learning content and code examples (https://gu-msba604.netlify.app)
- Zybooks — Homework and practice exercises
Video Summary#
| Category | Count | Estimated Length | Total Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Course-Level Videos | 3 | 5–8 min each | ~20 min |
| Module Videos | 22 | 4–6 min each | ~110 min |
| Final Project Videos | 2 | 5–7 min each | ~12 min |
| Total | 27 videos | ~142 min |
Course-Level Videos#
These videos orient students to the course structure and key platforms. Produced once and used throughout the semester.
1. Course Welcome & Introduction#
Length: 6–8 minutes
Content:
- Welcome to MSBA 604
- Course goals: building foundational analytics skills through Python
- The four core principles: Iteration, Inference, Abstraction, Polymorphism
- Course structure: 4 units, 2 exams, and a final project across 16 weeks
- Pedagogical approach: code literacy over syntax memorization
- What to expect: workload, pacing, support resources
Tone: Warm, inviting, sets expectations clearly
2. Navigating the Course Website#
Length: 5–7 minutes
Content:
- Overview of the course website structure
- How to find module content and code examples
- Navigating between modules
- How the website connects to Canvas schedule
- Tips for using the site effectively
Visuals: Screen recording of website with instructor voiceover/picture-in-picture
3. Getting Started with Zybooks#
Length: 5–6 minutes
Content:
- What is Zybooks and its role in the course
- Accessing your Zybooks subscription
- Navigating chapters and activities
- Participation vs. challenge activities
- How grades sync to Canvas
- Tips for effective practice
Visuals: Screen recording of Zybooks interface with examples
Weekly Videos#
Each content week includes 2 videos. Exam weeks (4 and 9) have no videos.
| Video Type | Purpose | Length |
|---|---|---|
| Weekly Overview | What to do this week, learning goals, connection to course themes | 3–5 min |
| Notebook Walkthrough | Explanation of the week’s code examples on the website | 5–7 min |
Unit 1: Foundation (Weeks 1–3)#
Week 1: Variables, Expressions, and Data Types#
| Video | Title | Content Focus |
|---|---|---|
| 1.1 | Weekly Overview | What variables, expressions, and data types are; why they matter in analytics; week’s goals |
| 1.2 | Notebook Walkthrough | Customer spending example; assigning values, calculations, boolean logic |
Week 2: Containers#
| Video | Title | Content Focus |
|---|---|---|
| 2.1 | Weekly Overview | Lists, dictionaries, tuples, sets; organizing collections of business data |
| 2.2 | Notebook Walkthrough | Product inventory or customer database example |
Week 3: Branching and Control Flow#
| Video | Title | Content Focus |
|---|---|---|
| 3.1 | Weekly Overview | Decision-making in code; if/elif/else logic; preparing for Exam 1 |
| 3.2 | Notebook Walkthrough | Customer segmentation or pricing tier example |
Week 4: Exam 1#
No videos — exam covers Unit 1 material (Weeks 1–3)
Unit 2: Core Programming (Weeks 5–8)#
Week 5: Loops#
| Video | Title | Content Focus |
|---|---|---|
| 5.1 | Weekly Overview | Iteration; processing data systematically; for and while loops |
| 5.2 | Notebook Walkthrough | Transaction processing or batch calculation example |
Week 6: Functions#
| Video | Title | Content Focus |
|---|---|---|
| 6.1 | Weekly Overview | Abstraction; reusable code; parameters and return values |
| 6.2 | Notebook Walkthrough | Analytics utility functions example |
Week 7: Error Handling and Debugging#
| Video | Title | Content Focus |
|---|---|---|
| 7.1 | Weekly Overview | Writing robust code; anticipating and handling errors gracefully |
| 7.2 | Notebook Walkthrough | Data validation or file processing with try/except |
Week 8: Classes and Object-Oriented Programming#
| Video | Title | Content Focus |
|---|---|---|
| 8.1 | Weekly Overview | Modeling real-world entities; objects, attributes, methods; preparing for Exam 2 |
| 8.2 | Notebook Walkthrough | Customer or Product class example |
Week 9: Exam 2#
No videos — exam covers Unit 2 material (Weeks 5–8)
Unit 3: Data Work (Weeks 10–13)#
Week 10: Files, APIs, and Data Ingestion#
| Video | Title | Content Focus |
|---|---|---|
| 10.1 | Weekly Overview | Bringing external data into Python; files, CSV, APIs |
| 10.2 | Notebook Walkthrough | Loading and processing external dataset example |
Week 11: Pandas and Data Structures#
| Video | Title | Content Focus |
|---|---|---|
| 11.1 | Weekly Overview | Professional data manipulation; DataFrames and Series |
| 11.2 | Notebook Walkthrough | Sales data analysis with Pandas example |
Week 12: Data Visualization#
| Video | Title | Content Focus |
|---|---|---|
| 12.1 | Weekly Overview | Communicating insights visually; charts, graphs, storytelling |
| 12.2 | Notebook Walkthrough | Matplotlib/visualization example with business data |
Week 13: Applied Integration and Reproducibility#
| Video | Title | Content Focus |
|---|---|---|
| 13.1 | Weekly Overview | Combining all skills; professional workflows; documentation |
| 13.2 | Notebook Walkthrough | End-to-end analytics pipeline example |
Unit 4: Final Project (Weeks 14–16)#
Week 14: Project Kickoff#
| Video | Title | Content Focus |
|---|---|---|
| 14.1 | Project Overview | Final project expectations, deliverables, and timeline |
| 14.2 | Project Guidance | Tips for success; common pitfalls; presentation standards |
Weeks 15–16: Students work independently. No new videos.
Production Specifications#
Technical Requirements#
| Element | Specification |
|---|---|
| Resolution | 1920 × 1080 (1080p) minimum |
| Aspect Ratio | 16:9 |
| Frame Rate | 30 fps |
| Audio | Clear voiceover, minimal background noise, normalized levels |
| Format | MP4 (H.264) for Canvas/website upload |
| Captions | Closed captions required for accessibility |
Visual Style#
- Screen recordings: Clean desktop, large readable font in code editors
- Picture-in-picture: Instructor video overlay when appropriate
- Branding: Gonzaga University / School of Business branding elements
- Transitions: Simple, professional; avoid distracting effects
Instructor Presence#
| Video Type | Instructor Visibility |
|---|---|
| Course Welcome | On-camera intro/outro |
| Website/Zybooks Navigation | Voiceover with screen recording; picture-in-picture optional |
| Weekly Overviews | On-camera or picture-in-picture preferred |
| Notebook Walkthroughs | Voiceover with screen recording of website |
Production Timeline#
| Phase | Activities | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Pre-Production | Script review, website staging, studio scheduling | 1 week |
| Course-Level Recording | Record 3 course-level videos | 1 session |
| Unit 1 Recording | Weeks 1–3 (6 videos) | 1 session |
| Unit 2 Recording | Weeks 5–8 (8 videos) | 1–2 sessions |
| Unit 3 Recording | Weeks 10–13 (8 videos) | 1–2 sessions |
| Unit 4 Recording | Week 14 final project videos (2 videos) | 1 session |
| Post-Production | Editing, captioning, quality review | 1–2 weeks |
| Delivery | Final files delivered for Canvas/website upload | — |
Script Preparation Notes#
- Scripts or detailed outlines will be provided for each video
- Course website will be fully staged before recording
- Code examples will be finalized and tested
- Instructor will review all materials before studio sessions
Deliverables Checklist#
- 3 course-level videos (MP4 with captions)
- 22 module videos — 2 per content week (MP4 with captions)
- 2 final project videos (MP4 with captions)
- Source files (if requested for future editing)
- Caption files (SRT or VTT format)
Contact#
Instructor: Dr. John Correia Program: MIS/ISBA, School of Business Administration Institution: Gonzaga University
This media plan is subject to revision as course development progresses.