Visualization Empowerment: How to Teach and Learn Data Visualization (Dagstuhl Seminar 22261)

Abstract

Data visualization is becoming an important asset for a data-literate, informed, and critical society. Despite the variety of existing resources to teach theories and practical skills in this domain, little is known about 1) how learning processes in the context of visualization unfold and 2) best practices for engaging and teaching data visualization to diverse audiences and in different contexts. This Dagstuhl Seminar invited practitioners, researchers, and teachers from the areas of visualization, design, education and cognitive psychology to explore these questions from multiple perspectives. Through a range of practical activities, talks, and discussions, we have begun characterizing and classifying teaching methodologies. We have redacted a pedagogical manifesto, and started formalizing the concept of improvisation with visualization in the context of teaching and learning. We have also interrogated creativity as an important aspect of visualization teaching and learning and explored links between data physicalization and visualization teaching activities. Across these different themes, we have begun to map out the challenges of visualization teaching and learning and the opportunities for research and practice in this area. Seminar