Cultivating Visualization Literacy for Children Through Curiosity and Play.

Area of Science:

• Education
• Human-Computer Interaction
• Data Science

Background:

• Data visualization literacy (DVL) is crucial for a data-literate society.
• Current DVL approaches for children often rely on formal, teacher-led instruction, limiting personal exploration.
• A child-led, curiosity-driven approach can enhance engagement and agency in data visualization.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore how informal learning through crafting physicalizations can foster children's DVL.
• To investigate a curiosity-driven, child-led approach to data visualization authoring.
• To assess the effectiveness of a DIY toolkit in promoting children's engagement with data visualizations.

Main Methods:

• A constructionist approach was used to design a DIY toolkit for creating physical data visualizations.
• The toolkit was implemented in workshops with 5 children (6-11 years old).
• Interviews were conducted with 5 educators to gather insights on the toolkit's utility.

Main Results:

• The DIY toolkit facilitated creative engagement and interaction with data visualizations.
• Children with prior DVL experience viewed the toolkit as a personal authoring tool.
• Children new to DVL found the toolkit an engaging introduction to data visualization concepts.

Conclusions:

• Informal learning, play, and curiosity can effectively cultivate children's DVL.
• A constructionist, child-led approach empowers children to author and explore data visualizations.
• The DIY toolkit shows potential for fostering DVL in diverse learning contexts.