This class will focus on solving a set of challenges issued by the visual analytics community (see http://hcil.cs.umd.edu/localphp/hcil/vast11/ for an example). We will review basic data mining and information visualization techniques and then spend the remaining time working together in groups on particular challenges. The course will require building tools for data analysis as well as building interactive visualizations. Although not required, previous experience at either data mining or information visualization would be helpful.