How Does Animation Work? Eye-Movement Analysis of Dynamic Geovisualization Displays

University Of California-Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara CA

Investigators

Abstract

How does animation work? Eye-movement analyses of dynamic geovisualization displays. As real-time three-dimensional landscape fly-throughs and interactive map animations of various spatial diffusion processes become ubiquitous with dissemination through the Internet, the key question that remains is how effective the potential increase of information density in these highly interactive visual forms really is for learning, knowledge construction, and knowledge dissemination and education. The main goal of this proposed project is to empirically evaluate the effectiveness of interactive and dynamic geographic visualization displays for knowledge discovery and knowledge construction. Based on a research framework from cognitive science, and utilizing the eye-movement data collection approach, a series of controlled animation experiments are proposed. These empirical studies adhere to experimental design standards in cognitive science, but are additionally grounded on a dynamic design framework borrowed from cartography, computer graphics and cinematography, to investigate how dynamic visual variables, and various levels of interactivity affect people's knowledge construction processes from dynamic displays as compared to static displays. The outcome of this investigation will be a increased understanding of how people use dynamic displays to explore dynamic geographic phenomena, and how people make inferences from dynamic visualizations for knowledge construction in a geographical context. A dynamic design framework will be developed informed by the outcomes from the eye-movement studies. This framework will include design guidelines for academics and practitioners alike, both of whom employ dynamic graphic displays to educate, to do research, and/or to communicate research results on dynamic spatial phenomena.