2022 MABT Conference

ODI will be presenting at the March 26, 2022 MABT Conference. We are looking forward to engaging with teachers, exploring how to use arts-based approaches for observing, analyzing, and critiquing features of data visualizations!

Session Title: Building Insights Through Observation - Using Arts-Based Teaching Methods to Support Data Literacy.
Presenters: Randy Kochevar (EDC), Amy Busey (EDC), Kathryn Semmens (NNC), Jessica Sickler (J Sickler Consulting).
Abstract: For novice users, complex scientific data visualizations may seem fascinating or overwhelmingly complex - or sometimes both! Art museums have faced a similar challenge in helping novice visitors to interpret and appreciate works of art. Over the past few decades, this has led to the development of learner-centered facilitation techniques, driven by the learners’ innate skills at observing and making meaning from images and artifacts. Building Insights Through Observation is a four-year, NSF-funded research project exploring how these arts-based approaches might be incorporated into teaching methods for observing, analyzing, and critiquing features of data visualizations from NOAA’s Science On A Sphere catalog. In this workshop we will describe the project plan, and will engage participants in some hands-on demonstrations of how we will use these arts-based approaches with the instructors in our program.