ERIC Number: EJ826173
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2008-Nov
Pages: 18
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0013-5984
EISSN: N/A
Designing Effective Visualizations for Elementary School Science
Kali, Yael; Linn, Marcia C.
Elementary School Journal, v109 n2 p181-198 Nov 2008
Research has shown that technology-enhanced visualizations can improve inquiry learning in science when they are designed to support knowledge integration. Visualizations play an especially important role in supporting science learning at elementary and middle school levels because they can make unseen and complex processes visible. We identify 4 principles that can help designers and teachers incorporate visualizations into curriculum materials. These principles call for (a) reducing visual complexity to help learners recognize salient information, (b) scaffolding the process of generating explanations, (c) supporting student-initiated modeling of complex science, and (d) using multiple linked representations. We describe the principles, discuss patterns combining the principles, and give examples from several science disciplines. (Contains 9 figures.)
Descriptors: Elementary School Science, Science Instruction, Visualization, Computer Uses in Education, Technology Integration, Educational Technology, Visual Stimuli, Knowledge Level, Middle Schools, Secondary School Science, Scientific Principles, Design, Concept Formation, Animation, Thermodynamics, Biodiversity, Astronomy, Inquiry, Data Analysis, Elementary School Students, Science Process Skills, Models, Energy, Computer Software, Earth Science, Weather
University of Chicago Press. Journals Division, P.O. Box 37005, Chicago, IL 60637. Tel: 877-705-1878; Tel: 773-753-3347; Fax: 877-705-1879; Fax: 773-753-0811; e-mail: subscriptions@press.uchicago.edu; Web site: http://www.journal.uchicago.edu
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Descriptive
Education Level: Elementary Education; Middle Schools
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A