Visualization in Science and Education: Workshop

Tufts University, Medford MA

Investigators

Abstract

There is an increasing emphasis on cross-disciplinary projects to address complex issues, which is particularly important in the field of developing visualizations for communication of science to the larger community as well as for the teaching of science. The relevant disciplinary communities are scientists to insure accuracy of visualization, the cognitive psychologists to peer into the mind to develop parameters for effective visualization and the educators to determine if the visualization has aided the learning process. Supporting all three communities are the evaluators who develop the instruments to measure effectiveness. NSF recognized the need for bringing these communities together by providing support for a minigrant program attached to the 2001 and 2003 Visualization in Science and Education Gordon Conferences. The primary purpose of the minigrant program is to forge the needed cross-disciplinary ties. Valuable lessons were learned by the 2001 set of participants with respect to the unique issues involved in bridging communities that normally do not cross paths. The purpose of the proposed workshop is to enable the 2003 project participants to benefit from the lessons learned by the 2001 participants. These practical lessons seldom make it into print, yet are critical for optimum success of a project. Lessons learned include issues like how to deal with multiple time zones, languages, or cultures. To capture this wisdom, participants from the 2001 projects will be brought together with those from the 2003 projects for a day-and-a-half of intensive discussion. This discussion will be captured into a practical handbook for individuals attempting to forge these new collaborations. The topics to be discussed include: How to bridge time zones, how to enrich a project with diverse cultures without swamping it, and how to deal with time zones and personalities. The broader impacts of the workshop are clear. One of the products will be a handbook on dealing with the cross cultural, scientific as well as social, of bridging disparate communities. As the emphasis on cross-disciplinary research expands, more and more researchers will be grappling with these issues.