[论文解读] Cultivating Visualization Literacy for Children Through Curiosity and Play

S. Sandra Bae, Rishi Vanukuru+5 more|arXiv (Cornell University)|Aug 9, 2022

Innovative Human-Technology Interaction被引用 4

一句话总结

本文介绍了 Data is Yours，一种建构主义的、以游戏为基础的工具包，利用日常材料帮助6至11岁儿童通过动手制作和好奇心驱动的探索，创作出实体可视化图表（条形图、折线图、饼图）。研究显示，该工具包通过让儿童以富有创造力和个性化的方式参与数据，促进了可视化素养的发展；有经验者因此提升了创作动机，而新手则获得了基础的熟悉感和兴趣。

ABSTRACT

Fostering data visualization literacy (DVL) as part of childhood education could lead to a more data literate society. However, most work in DVL for children relies on a more formal educational context (i.e., a teacher-led approach) that limits children's engagement with data to classroom-based environments and, consequently, children's ability to ask questions about and explore data on topics they find personally meaningful. We explore how a curiosity-driven, child-led approach can provide more agency to children when they are authoring data visualizations. This paper explores how informal learning with crafting physicalizations through play and curiosity may foster increased literacy and engagement with data. Employing a constructionist approach, we designed a do-it-yourself toolkit made out of everyday materials (e.g., paper, cardboard, mirrors) that enables children to create, customize, and personalize three different interactive visualizations (bar, line, pie). We used the toolkit as a design probe in a series of in-person workshops with 5 children (6 to 11-year-olds) and interviews with 5 educators. Our observations reveal that the toolkit helped children creatively engage and interact with visualizations. Children with prior knowledge of data visualization reported the toolkit serving as more of an authoring tool that they envision using in their daily lives, while children with little to no experience found the toolkit as an engaging introduction to data visualization. Our study demonstrates the potential of using the constructionist approach to cultivate children's DVL through curiosity and play.

研究动机与目标

• 探究好奇心驱动、以儿童为主导的方法是否能超越正式课堂环境，在儿童中提升数据可视化素养（DVL）。
• 探讨实体制作与具身学习在帮助儿童理解可视化组件（如编码、比例尺和结构）方面的作用。
• 评估由日常材料制成的DIY工具包如何支持不同背景儿童创作个性化的可视化图表。
• 评估实体可视化作为低门槛、高参与度的切入点，对儿童长期发展数据可视化素养的潜力。

提出的方法

• 研究人员使用常见材料（纸张、硬纸板、镜子）设计了一套实体工具包，用于构建三种互动式图表类型：条形图、折线图和饼图。
• 儿童组装工具包，收集个人数据，制作纸模板，并构建实体图表面板，同时通过智能手机使用计算机视觉技术实现实时数字渲染。
• 该工具包在面对面工作坊中进行了部署，参与儿童共五名（6–11岁），并采访了五名教育工作者，以观察参与度与学习成效。
• 设计过程基于建构主义和具身认知理论，强调学习者的自主性、创造力以及与数据的触觉互动。
• 通过智能手机实现的数字渲染支持动态可视化更新和输出保存，实现了实体创作与数字持久性的结合。
• 该方法将工具包视为一种设计探针，用于探索儿童对数据的自然好奇心和个性化兴趣。

Figure 1: (a) Diagram of inner workings of Data is Yours . (b) Fiducial markers (FM) behind chart panels face the phone’s rear-facing camera. Detected FM (outlined in pink) require a high-contrast background. FM are detected based on their (c) orientation and (d) position.

实验结果

研究问题

• RQ1 儿童如何回应使用日常材料进行好奇心驱动、以儿童为主导的实体可视化创作方法？
• RQ2 通过可视化图表进行实体制作在多大程度上支持儿童对可视化组件和数据推理的理解？
• RQ3 儿童在数据可视化方面的先前经验如何影响其对工具包作为创作工具的参与度与认知？
• RQ4 个性化与游戏化在提升儿童对数据可视化舒适度和兴趣方面起到什么作用？
• RQ5 实体化、动手制作如何成为儿童长期发展数据可视化素养的基础？

主要发现

• 有数据可视化经验的儿童将该工具包视为可在日常生活中实际使用的创作工具，表明其在工作坊之外也具有实际应用价值。
• 几乎没有或完全没有先前经验的儿童则认为该工具包是进入数据可视化领域的有趣且易接近的切入点，激发了他们的好奇心与舒适感。
• 动手组装和自定义可视化图表的过程，使儿童能够以具体、非预设的方式思考视觉编码（如颜色、形状、比例尺）的运用。
• 儿童在未被提示的情况下自然地展开合作，并对同伴的可视化图表提供反馈，表明该工具包促进了社会互动与批判性参与。
• 该工具包成功实现了‘低门槛’的入门体验，使即使是年幼且缺乏经验的儿童也能在两小时内完成基本可视化图表的制作与解读。
• 教育工作者和儿童均建议未来可将该工具包拓展至家庭和非正式场景（如追踪身高、复刻新闻可视化图表），表明其具备长期、纵向使用的潜力。

Figure 2: (a) Formative prototype. (b) A child from formative study is moving cardboard sliders to author a bar chart. His paper template consists a mix of words and icons and is reflected on the smartphone display (indicated by dotted outlines). See subsubsection 3.2.2 for more details.