Creating Real-time Displays of OOS Data for Classroom and Informal Use Sage Lichtenwalner Rutgers University Institute of Marine & Coastal Sciences Ocean Sciences, February 25, 2010

COSEE-Networked Ocean World (NOW) Linking ocean scientists and educators in the virtual world 265 Members 100 Scientists COSEE NOW is facilitating Ocean Observing partnerships to: assess the knowledge & needs of Ocean Observing audiences improve collaboration & coordination between scientists and educators increase public awareness to improve society’s ocean literacy

Where are we going? The need for Ocean Data Visualization in Education Visualization Design Strategies Strategies to improve data visualizations Design frameworks for using data in education The power of Narrative Potential Future Projects

What is “Visualization”? Data Visualization Info Aesthetics Visual Analysis Information Design Explorative Visualization Visual Analytics Infographics Visualization Information Visualization (InfoVis) Information Art Data Art Charting Infoporn Bioinformatics Mapping Cartography Chart Junk Pragmatic Visualization Artistic Visualization Graphing Scientific Illustration “Visual analysis is not primarily about the pictures, but about finding ways to use our powerful visual systems to analyze data. It's analysis done in a visual way. It's visual exploration, visual data analysis, and visual presentation of results.” Robert Kosara, eagereyes.org

Why is data visualization needed in educational environments?

We face numerous global challenges… But understanding those datasets requires visualization. Health, Economic, Climate Also, Genomics, Security / Terrorism, Energy, and many other environmental issues Other notes: - Google represents the power of sifting through huge datasets to find relevant answers - There has been a paradigm shift in researching Social interactions (via Twitter, Facebook) …that can only be solved by digging into huge datasets for solutions.

U.S. Science Majors 2007 % of Bachelor's % of Population All Bachelors 1,541,704 35.4 S&E Bachelors 485,772 31.5 11.2 "Hard" Sciences 244,549 15.9 5.6 Earth/Atm/Ocean 4,077 0.3 0.1 NSF Science and Engineering Indicators: 2010

Understanding Data is in the Standards Abilities necessary to do scientific inquiry: Grades K-4 Employ simple equipment and tools to gather data and extend the senses Use data to construct a reasonable explanation Communicate investigations and explanations Grades 5-8 Use appropriate tools and techniques to gather, analyze and interpret data National Science Education Standards (1996)

2009 NJ Core Curriculum Standards Science Education in the 21st Century Students’ K-12 lab-science experiences should include the following: Physical manipulation of authentic substances or systems: Interaction with simulations Interaction with authentic data Access to large databases Remote access to scientific instruments and observations 21st-Century Life and Careers Use data accessed on the Web to inform solutions to problems and the decision-making process. 9.1.4.A.4 Present resources and data in a format that effectively communicates the meaning of the data and its implications for solving problems, using multiple perspectives. 9.1.12.B.1 21st-Century Life and Careers Assess data gathered to solve a problem for which there are varying perspectives (e.g., cross-cultural, gender-specific, generational), and determine how the data can best be used to design multiple solutions. 9.1.8.B.2 Effectively use information technology to gather, store, and communicate data in appropriate formats. 9.4.12.O.32 Evaluate and demonstrate skill with a range of technological tools designed to manipulate, report, or operate with data acquisition. 9.4.12.O.33 Science Education in the 21st Century Use data representations and new models to revise predictions and explanations. 5.1.12.C.2 Identify patterns in data collected from basic weather instruments. 5.4.4.F.1 Assess (using scientific, economic, and other data) the potential environmental impact of large-scale adoption of emerging technologies (e.g., wind farming, harnessing geothermal energy). 5.4.12.G.6

The Need for Ocean Data Visualization The Interagency Working Group on Ocean Education has developed an implementation plan to guide future planning efforts. The four primary tasks are: Increase Coordination and Promote Collaboration; Develop a Coordinated Ocean Education and Outreach Message; Ensure data from Ocean and Earth Observing Systems are translated to useable forms for teachers, students and the public; and Ensure a Well-Prepared Ocean Workforce. Ocean Blueprint - Informal education facilities and the academic community will need to work closely together to facilitate the rapid transfer and translation of the latest scientific discoveries into publicly accessible displays, materials, and programs. OOI Science Plan - Establish a data management and content translation facility. A task force of educators, researchers, and technical specialists will investigate the efficacy of various methods for bringing observatory data to the public, students, and educators. The focus will be on facilitating the creation of learning resources for exhibits, multimedia, community programs, and curricula development that use real-time and near real-time data streams, imagery and visualizations.The task will require close coordination among science educators, science visualization experts, technical experts, and science content experts, among others. ORPP - Establish dedicated mechanisms to translate research results into readily used products. To enhance communication among sectors (e.g., researchers and resource managers) and enable translation of results into readily used information products, communication strategies must be investigated, developed, and enacted. Part of these communication efforts may include the development of professional communicators to assist researchers and end users in developing more accessible, derivative products. These professional communicators would be cognizant of both scientific objectives and management goals. Communicators can also help groups exchange information, including research needs and research results, and enhance communication among disparate sectors. Federal Report - Effective collaboration is essential when designing and conducting research efforts and effectively translating research results to useful products. ORPP - Common among the societal themes is the need to develop the tools necessary to pursue research and to effectively translate the results of that research in ways that are useful to resource managers, policy-makers, and the general public. A healthy relationship between society and the ocean depends on having the scientific foundation to develop and implement new strategies to educate and instill a sense of stewardship in the public and translate research results into effective decision-making tools. There is a… “need to develop the tools necessary… to effectively translate the results of that research in ways that are useful to resource managers, policy-makers, and the general public.”

What Do Educators Want? Top requested features: Data visualization tools (ability to graph, map, chart data) Inquiry-based lessons/activities Lesson plans for teaching science concepts with RTD Locally relevant data sets Map interfaces Stories or case studies that show how scientists use real-time data. Middle-school teachers were more likely to have students use: Computers at school as part of their lessons The Internet/websites at school as part of their lessons Real-time data (mostly student-collected data) as part of their lessons Educator Survey: Q3: What characteristics are important when you teach using RTD? Data presented visually 4.3 (#3/11) Q8: What RTD related activities are you likely to engage in? Finding data in visual formats 73% This study’s results show a gap between stakeholders’ views that high-school should be the primary target and teachers’ and other data that indicate that middle-school would be the better primary target, especially for NERRS. Although more high-school teachers attended the focus groups than middle-school teachers (56% vs. 43% respectively), in comparing the two groups’ responses to the online survey we found that middle-school teachers were more likely to: have student use computers at school as part of their lessons have students use the Internet/websites at school as part of their lessons have students use real-time data (mostly student-collected data) as part of their lessons (see the full report). Main point: middle school students are more likely to collect their own data, while high school students will spend more time on data analysis. NERRS Real-Time Data Needs Assessment 2006 COSEE NOW Educator Survey 2008

1) Increase the effectiveness of data visualizations effective visualization and intuitive user interfaces

Follow Visualization Design Theory Ben Fry’s seven stages of visualizing data: Acquire Parse Filter Mine Represent Refine Interact

How to Approach a Problem Iterative Development Cycle

Usability Testing Why this Approach? Verify appeal of current design An digital media evaluation method that measures the effectiveness of your digital [Web] product with members of your target audience. Test Subjects: Fishermen/woman: n = 7 Ages: all 45+ Professions: varied Fish at least weekly, mostly offshore for tuna and shark Use of Internet: 5 of 7 daily Why this Approach? Verify appeal of current design Verify effectiveness of current design Modernize existing design Determine usefulness of content Determine how best to display data so that it’s useful to the data users

Real-time Surface Currents 5/7 users recognized the arrows as the flow of water, but many were not sure. [3] did not realize this until the animation. 3/7 users identified the colors as temperatures, even after noting the colorbar axis showing velocity Some users wanted to click on the image to zoom in to see smaller regions Users did not like the units (cm/s). Because of the range of values (0-50), one user mistook them as wind speeds (i.e. mi/hr). Note: This image was chosen to demonstrate how sometimes real-time data is not always consistent. The small region of data allowed users to try to determine the representation before seeing the full field in the animation example.

2) Consider How People Learn Putting data into the proper context

Incorporate Learning Sciences Theory Learning-for-Use Motivation Experience demand Experience curiosity Knowledge Construction Observe Receive communication Knowledge Refinement Apply Reflect (Edelson 2001) Visualization for Learners Inquiry-based learning units must include: Motivating context Learner-appropriate activities Appropriate datasets Scaffolding interfaces Support for learning (Edelson & Gordin 1998)

COOL Classroom Pilot Evaluation design proper visualizations to meet learning objectives Pilot Results - data was not front and center, only 2 teachers used it The Hudson River Plume Adventure 2008 Pilot - 18 teachers For more, see C. Ferraro’s poster this evening

3) Use Data Visualization to tell a story

Pilot Program: RU27 Site & Education For more, see D. Goldinger’s poster this evening

The Future Formal: Real-Time Worksheets of IOOS Data Using the Learning-for-Use framework Example: Heat Capacity Curiosity - RT Buoy Data Observe - Air/Sea temps over a week Apply - Air/Sea temps over a year Reflect - Compare with land station Other possibilities: The Seasons, Climate & Weather, Ocean Currents, Wind Energy transfer Informal: New Stories for GAIA & The Global Microscope / Science on a Sphere These efforts will require collaborative “design teams” of educators and scientists

Summary Data from Ocean Observing Systems provides a great opportunity to connect learners with real-world ocean science Design frameworks do exist for developing data displays, often for “public” consumption, though most do not (yet) consider the specific needs of learners in formal and informal environments Understanding how people learn can aid in the development of effective data displays Like a good storyteller, good visualizations engage viewers and motivate them to explore further

Elements of Data Translation Usability Science Art Storytelling (Interface Design) Science (Cool Content) Art (Information Aesthetics) WISE Design Team Classroom teachers Technologists Discipline experts Pedagogy researchers Curriculum designers Pedagogical specialists Scientists Science teachers Technology designers Wise Design for Knowledge Integration (Linn et al., 2002) Natural Scientist Instructional Science Educator Classroom Teacher Storytelling (Persuasive Visualization) Programming (Technical Feasibility)

Pilot Program: GAIA Rutgers COOLroom Liberty Science Center Informal Science Education Center with ~1,000,000 visitors per year, serving the NY/NJ school systems including urban largely minority schools facing challenges. Cutting-edge OOS Research & Real-time Data

Telling RTD Stories with LSC’s “GAIA” “Students appreciate the fact they’re getting straight-out data. They can come up with their own conclusions. It becomes more personal and they take a greater interest.” - Katie Gardner, LSC Educator