Seeing the Data ... and Beyond: Gordon Research Conference, Workshops, and Mini-Grants to Foster Visualization Research in Science and Education

Middlebury College, Middlebury VT

Investigators

Abstract

Increasingly, scientists create visualizations of what they cannot easily see or adequately comprehend: from nano-molecules and nano-structures to cosmic reality; of phenomena real and abstract, simple and complex. With the aid of graphics specialists, scientists also make visual maps of complex data sets in order to comprehend better those data. Science educators often use images created by scientists to facilitate student learning. The connections, however, between and among scientists and science educators are often weak. Visualizations may be developed with little reference to the cognitive demands placed on learners. Educators may use the visualizations in ways that are not scientifically accurate. The purpose of this grant is to nourish a community of scientists and educators to advance the development and educational usefulness of scientific visualizations. This project consists of three phases. The first phase is a series of pre-conference workshops organized by a cognitive scientist and a chemistry educator, focusing on "Assessing the Effectiveness of Visualizations" and "Conceptual Aspects of Visualization Design." The second is the Gordon Research Conference itself on July 1-6, 2007, in Rhode Island. The third phase will be a series of mini-grants to stimulate the design of cross-disciplinary research in visualization and learning.