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1. Using network visualizations to engage elementary students in locally relevant data literacy

   https://doi.org/10.1108/ILS-06-2023-0069  

   Zhou, Mengxi; Steinberg, Selena; Stiso, Christina; Danish, Joshua A.; Craig, Kalani (December 2023, Information and Learning Sciences)

   PurposeThis study aims to explore how network visualization provides opportunities for learners to explore data literacy concepts using locally and personally relevant data. Design/methodology/approachThe researchers designed six locally relevant network visualization activities to support students’ data reasoning practices toward understanding aggregate patterns in data. Cultural historical activity theory (Engeström, 1999) guides the analysis to identify how network visualization activities mediate students’ emerging understanding of aggregate data sets. FindingsPre/posttest findings indicate that this implementation positively impacted students’ understanding of network visualization concepts, as they were able to identify and interpret key relationships from novel networks. Interaction analysis (Jordan and Henderson, 1995) of video data revealed nuances of how activities mediated students’ improved ability to interpret network data. Some challenges noted in other studies, such as students’ tendency to focus on familiar concepts, are also noted as teachers supported conversations to help students move beyond them. Originality/valueTo the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study the authors are aware of that supported elementary students in exploring data literacy through network visualization. The authors discuss how network visualizations and locally/personally meaningful data provide opportunities for learning data literacy concepts across the curriculum. 

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2. Scaffolding a Science Museum Exhibit through Signage

   Ramsey, R.; Mao, M.; Anderson, J.; Hamm, J.V. (April 2022, Society for Information Technology & Teacher Education International Conference)

   Langran, E. (Ed.)

   Scaffolding learning in science museum exhibits can be a challenging endeavor. Learning in these settings is self-directed, sporadic, and lacking in structure (Falk, Dierking & Semmel, 2013). Museum educators and exhibit designers struggle to provide the appropriate types and amounts of scaffolding, where too little scaffolding can result in suboptimal learning outcomes while too much scaffolding can result in an “over-formalization” of the exhibit (Yoon et al., 2013). This study examines the use of signage in scaffolding students’ engagement with a science exhibit about light. Twelve students were asked to engage in four activities within the exhibit. Videos of student behavior were recorded and thematically coded. Findings indicate that textual scaffolds, as they were implemented in this exhibit, may have missed opportunities to promote meaningful engagement with exhibit activities. Implications for exhibit design practice and research are discussed. 

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3. Scoping the Terrain of Data Stories in the Social Media Wild

   https://doi.org/10.22318/icls2024.877432  

   Vacca, Ralph; Matuk, Camillia; Woods, Peter J; DesPortes, Kayla; Amato, Anna; Silander, Megan (June 2024, International Conference of the Learning Sciences)

   Drawing on previous research into the value of developing and sharing data stories on social media, we use this paper to examine how practitioners address a spectrum of interests and concerns in relation to their own data literacies within this media form. To do so, we analyzed 107 data story videos from TikTok and Instagram to explore what practices and communication techniques are apparent in social media data stories that exhibit features of data literacy. Through our analysis, we uncovered a series of digital storytelling techniques (e.g., speaking to the camera, using a green screen) that supported the creators’ data science practices and communicative goals. This study contributes to the discourse on social media's role in data storytelling and literacy, providing guidance for future research and implications for the design of new data literacy learning experiences. 

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4. Seeing Eye to Eye? Comparing Faculty and Student Perceptions of Biomolecular Visualization Assessments

   https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci14010094  

   Beckham, Josh T.; Dries, Daniel R.; Hall, Bonnie L.; Mitton-Fry, Rachel M.; Engelman, Shelly; Burch, Charmita; Acevedo, Roderico; Mertz, Pamela S.; Vardar-Ulu, Didem; Agrawal, Swati; et al (January 2024, Education Sciences)

   Jodie Jenkinson, Susan Keen (Ed.)

   While visual literacy has been identified as a foundational skill in life science education, there are many challenges in teaching and assessing biomolecular visualization skills. Among these are the lack of consensus about what constitutes competence and limited understanding of student and instructor perceptions of visual literacy tasks. In this study, we administered a set of biomolecular visualization assessments, developed as part of the BioMolViz project, to both students and instructors at multiple institutions and compared their perceptions of task difficulty. We then analyzed our findings using a mixed-methods approach. Quantitative analysis was used to answer the following research questions: (1) Which assessment items exhibit statistically significant disparities or agreements in perceptions of difficulty between instructors and students? (2) Do these perceptions persist when controlling for race/ethnicity and gender? and (3) How does student perception of difficulty relate to performance? Qualitative analysis of open-ended comments was used to identify predominant themes related to visual problem solving. The results show that perceptions of difficulty significantly differ between students and instructors and that students’ performance is a significant predictor of their perception of difficulty. Overall, this study underscores the need to incorporate deliberate instruction in visualization into undergraduate life science curricula to improve student ability in this area. Accordingly, we offer recommendations to promote visual literacy skills in the classroom. 

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5. Fostering AI Literacy with Embodiment & Creativity: From Activity Boxes to Museum Exhibits

   https://doi.org/10.1145/3585088.3594495  

   Long, Duri; Rollins, Sophie; Ali-Diaz, Jasmin; Hancock, Katherine; Nuonsinoeun, Samnang; Roberts, Jessica; Magerko, Brian (June 2023, IDC '23: Proceedings of the 22nd Annual ACM Interaction Design and Children Conference)

   Fostering young learners’ literacy surrounding AI technologies is becoming increasingly important as AI is becoming integrated in many aspects of our lives and is having far-reaching impacts on society. We have developed Knowledge Net and Creature Features, two activity boxes for family groups to engage with in their homes that communicate AI literacy competencies such as understanding knowledge representations, the steps of machine learning, and AI ethics. Our current work is exploring how to transform these activity boxes into museum exhibits for middle-school age learners, focusing on three key considerations: centering learner interests, generating personally meaningful outputs, and incorporating embodiment and collaboration on a larger scale. Our demonstration will feature the existing Knowledge Net and Creature Features activity boxes alongside early-stage prototypes adapting these activities into larger-scale museum exhibits. This paper contributes an exploration into how to design AI literacy learning interventions for varied informal learning contexts. 

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