ERIC Number: EJ1224765
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2019-Sep
Pages: 12
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: EISSN-1931-7913
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: N/A
"Seeing" Data Like an Expert: An Eye-Tracking Study Using Graphical Data Representations
Harsh, Joseph A.; Campillo, Molly; Murray, Caylin; Myers, Christina; Nguyen, John; Maltese, Adam V.
CBE - Life Sciences Education, v18 n3 Article 32 Sep 2019
Given the centrality of data visualizations in communicating scientific information, increased emphasis has been placed on the development of students' graph literacy--the ability to generate and interpret data representations--to foster understanding of domain-specific knowledge and the successful navigation of everyday life. Despite prior literature that identifies student difficulties and methods to improve graphing competencies, there is little understanding as to how learners develop these skills. To gain a better resolution of the cognitive basis by which individuals "see" graphs, this study uses eye tracking (ET) to compare the strategies of non-science undergraduates (n = 9), early (n = 7) and advanced (n = 8) biology undergraduates, graduate students (n = 6), and science faculty (n = 6) in making sense of data displays. Results highlight variation in how individuals direct their attention (i.e., fixations and visual search patterns) when completing graph-based tasks as a function of science expertise. As research on the transition from novice to expert is crucially important in understanding how we might design curricula that help novices move toward more expert-like performance, this study has implications for the advancement of new strategies to aid the teaching and learning of data analysis skills.
Descriptors: Eye Movements, Data, Graphs, Undergraduate Students, Graduate Students, College Faculty, Biology, Attention, Comprehension, Nonmajors, Majors (Students), Expertise
American Society for Cell Biology. 8120 Woodmont Avenue Suite 750, Bethesda, MD 20814-2762. Tel: 301-347-9300; Fax: 301-347-9310; e-mail: ascbinfo@ascb.org; Website: http://www.ascb.org
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: National Science Foundation (NSF)
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Virginia
Grant or Contract Numbers: 1346567
Author Affiliations: N/A