A Didactic Methodology for Crafting Information Visualizations

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mandy Keck ◽  
Rainer Groh ◽  
Zana Vosough
Keyword(s):  
Information Visualizations

Information visualization and/as enunciation

2017 ◽  
Vol 73 (5) ◽  
pp. 903-916 ◽  
Author(s):  
Johanna Drucker
Keyword(s):  
Recent Work ◽  
Film Theory ◽  
Theoretical Argument ◽  
Textual Studies ◽  
Information Graphics ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Subject Positions ◽  
Information Studies ◽  
Concept Of Information ◽  
Information Visualizations

Purpose A Recent work in information studies re-engages with theories of subject enunciation first developed in the work of twentieth century structuralist and post-structuralist critics. To date this work has not been extended to the analysis of data visualizations. The purpose of this paper is to assert that information visualizations embody specific dynamics of positionality for which linguist Emile Benveniste’s formulation of a speaking and spoken subject provides a critical analytic framework. In particular, enunciative theory can be used to explicitly address the mechanisms of power formation in information graphics “spreadsheets, charts and interfaces” that are frequently seen as mere presentations of quantitative or statistical information. This approach is based on attention to the performative aspects of graphic expression and the ways familiar features such as frontality framing and scale can be read critically. Design/methodology/approach A theoretical argument that applies literature in enunciation as developed in linguistics, film theory, and psychoanalysis to information visualizations. The paper makes specific analyses of the graphical features of spreadsheets, common charts and graphs, and interfaces to show how they create speaking and spoken subject positions. Findings The theory of enunciation is useful in understanding the ways information representations, particularly visualizations of data, work to produce power relations. Research limitations/implications The topic may seem to draw on theoretical positions that are associated with structural and post-structural theory popular three decades ago, but since the study of enunciation was never applied to information visualizations, the work feels timely. Recent work in information studies has re-engaged with these theoretical issues, but not applied them to charts, graphs, and other visual forms. Information visualizations are so prevalent that any critical insight into their operations feels timely, even urgent. Originality/value The concept of information as enunciation in recent work in information studies has not been applied to visualizations. Analysis of the production of subject positions as commonly understood in other fields (linguistics, textual studies, film studies, visual studies, and psychoanalysis across a broad range of cultural studies fields) can be usefully applied to information graphics.

Investigating aspects of data visualization literacy using 20 information visualizations and 273 science museum visitors

2015 ◽  
Vol 15 (3) ◽  
pp. 198-213 ◽  
Author(s):  
Katy Börner ◽  
Adam Maltese ◽  
Russell Nelson Balliet ◽  
Joe Heimlich
Keyword(s):  
Data Visualization ◽  
Informal Education ◽  
Science Museum ◽  
Science Museums ◽  
Museum Visitors ◽  
Hard Time ◽  
Phase Study ◽  
The Media ◽  
Multi Phase ◽  
Information Visualizations

In the information age, a person’s ability to read and make data visualizations is nearly as important as being able to read and write text. This article reports the results of a multi-phase study conducted in informal learning environments in three US science museums. The goal of the study was to determine the familiarity of youth and adult museum visitors with different visualization types. To address this, a total of 273 visitors were shown 5 out of 20 different visualizations that included two charts, five maps, eight graphs, and five network layouts. They were asked to judge the familiarity of the visualization, provide information on how to read it, and provide a name and identify typical locations where they would encounter the data display and possible data sources that might be visualized in this way. The results show that while most participants have a strong interest in science, math, and art, many have a hard time naming and interpreting visualizations. Participants in this study commonly encounter visualizations in school, in books, at work, on the Internet, and in the news. Overall, they were more familiar with basic charts, maps, and graphs, but very few are familiar with network layouts and most have no ability in reading network visualizations. When asked how they would interpret the visualizations, most participants pointed to superficial features such as color, lines, or text as important to developing understanding. Overall, we found that participants were interested in the visualizations we presented to them, but had significant limitations in identifying and understanding them. The results substantiate intuitions shared by many regarding the rather low level of data visualization literacy of general audiences. We hope they will help catalyze novel research on the development of easy-to-use yet effective visualizations with standardized names and guaranteed properties that can be readily used by those interested to understand and solve real-world problems. The results also have implications for how information visualizations are taught and used in formal and informal education, the media, or in different professions.

scholarly journals Technologies for Multimodal Interaction in Extended Reality—A Scoping Review

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (12) ◽  
pp. 81
Author(s):  
Ismo Rakkolainen ◽  
Ahmed Farooq ◽  
Jari Kangas ◽  
Jaakko Hakulinen ◽  
Jussi Rantala ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Scoping Review ◽  
Multimodal Interaction ◽  
Interaction Techniques ◽  
Research Gaps ◽  
Process Information ◽  
Head Mounted Display ◽  
Recent Advances ◽  
Video And Audio ◽  
Information Visualizations

When designing extended reality (XR) applications, it is important to consider multimodal interaction techniques, which employ several human senses simultaneously. Multimodal interaction can transform how people communicate remotely, practice for tasks, entertain themselves, process information visualizations, and make decisions based on the provided information. This scoping review summarized recent advances in multimodal interaction technologies for head-mounted display-based (HMD) XR systems. Our purpose was to provide a succinct, yet clear, insightful, and structured overview of emerging, underused multimodal technologies beyond standard video and audio for XR interaction, and to find research gaps. The review aimed to help XR practitioners to apply multimodal interaction techniques and interaction researchers to direct future efforts towards relevant issues on multimodal XR. We conclude with our perspective on promising research avenues for multimodal interaction technologies.

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