Understanding complex phenomena (for example, the behavior of animals, plants, or materials in their natural environments) is challenging, due to the many ideas that must be grasped and the abstract nature of these phenomena. Visualization (or means of illustration) refers to any representation whether computer-based (e.g., videos) or non-computer-based (e.g., drawings, images, models) of a scientific process that enables students to examine the phenomenon under investigation. Research shows that illustration through visual aids, whether dynamic (such as videos) or static (for example, drawings or models), makes it possible to describe and explain complex phenomena and ideas, or particular aspects of them. Such use enables abstraction of complex phenomena and ideas. Viewing these visual aids allows learners to see and “sense” aspects of the phenomenon, which may contribute to understanding the complex phenomenon and may also lead to the generation of explanations related to it. This type of illustration may lead to improvement in various skills, such as learners’ spatial abilities, critical thinking, and more. An example of illustrating a complex phenomenon is the use of dynamic representations that show a phenomenon from different spatial perspectives (for example, from above and from the side) in order to help learners grasp three-dimensional phenomena (such as the structure of the atom or an organ in the body). Such representations may encourage students to further investigate internal and external properties of phenomena (for example, examining what a cross-section of a three-dimensional geological structure might look like, enabling investigation of internal properties of that cross-section).
It is important to note that understanding the representation itself involves visual information literacy that enables comprehension of ideas expressed through visual aids. Therefore, in selecting how to illustrate a phenomenon, it is important to consider the complexity of the visual representation and to find an appropriate balance between excessive detail that may distract from the main idea, and excessive simplification that may undermine learning. This balance should be aligned with the specific learning goal, the target audience, and students’ ideas. In some cases, a simple illustration (for example, a visual representation of the Pythagorean theorem) is sufficient for understanding a complex idea.
An example of the use of this principle in citizen science is the use of a dynamic visual illustration in the “Radon Gas” Project of the TCSS Center. In this project, students visited the radon laboratory at the National Building Research Institute at the Technion, where they were shown how radon gas levels are measured in different environments (directly from the ground, in a room, and so forth) using appropriate measurement instruments, and how these measurements are illustrated through graphical representations (different graphs and tables). These illustrations raised various questions about the behavior of radon gas and the factors that may affect it, different measurement approaches, their effectiveness and reliability, and more.
Deepening and Expansion ▼
The importance of using illustrative means in science
The edited volume Science Teachers’ Use of Visual Representations by Eilam and John Gilbert (2014) first addresses the substantial importance of using visual representations in science teaching and their value in processes of scientific inquiry, and particularly in learning and teaching science. For example, using visualizations to present a concrete phenomenon alongside the abstract ideas underlying it may address many of the challenges involved in learning these scientific ideas. The use of visualizations, and especially computer-based visualizations, has thus become a central aspect of the scientific domain.
The authors refer to several factors that may contribute to the effectiveness of teachers’ use of visualizations: (1) Teachers’ knowledge of central scientific concepts should be as accurate as possible, so they can propose appropriate simulations. (2) Visualizations of different scientific ideas across the curriculum should address these ideas and the relationships among them in a similar and consistent manner, even if these ideas appear as separate topics in the curriculum. (3) Teachers who use different visualizations should be able to compare the visualizations, their purposes, and the content they represent. They should understand the learning goals and attend to them in adapting and presenting the visualization. (4) Teachers should focus their use or selection of a visualization in relation to the level of the phenomenon they aim to address: the macro, micro, or symbolic level. The book then describes various uses of visual representations in schools as well as in non-formal spaces such as museums. In addition, it reviews and evaluates distinctive pedagogies that integrate visual representations into science instruction.
Skills involved in interpreting and understanding illustrations
Gilbert (2005) presents the complexity of the term visualization by noting two dictionary definitions: (1) creating a mental image—to imagine, and (2) making visible. Different visualizations may present information in tables, graphs, and more, but it is important to understand how learners interpret and what they understand from these visualizations (i.e., what mental image they construct). To address this question, particularly in science learning and teaching, Gilbert proposes the following framing of visualization: visualization refers to or generates a set of modes or sub-modes: (1) the material mode—referring to the substance from which the visualization is made; (2) the verbal mode—referring to how components of the visualization and the relationships among them are explained, as well as to metaphors or analogies on which the visualization is based; (3) the symbolic mode—referring to symbols, expressions, or formulas involved in the visualization; (4) the visual mode—referring to graphs, diagrams, animations, and so forth presented in the visualization; (5) the virtual mode—referring to computer-based visualizations; and (6) the gestural mode—referring to bodily movements or gestures involved in the visualization.
These modes are often intertwined, such that learners—and especially those learning science—need to engage with different modes while also moving among them. Therefore, learners need to become metacognitive with respect to visualization, that is, to develop meta-visual capability. Metacognition refers to an individual’s knowledge about their own thinking processes and products, including knowledge about one’s thinking processes, knowledge about the task, and knowledge about the tools one will need in order to address the task. Metacognitive learners, then, understand the role of monitoring, integrating, and extending their own learning processes. In the context of visualization, visualizations, particularly computer-based ones, provide many representations and images that cannot be learned separately within the learning process. Learners must cope with this challenge and learn which image, representation, or set of images will be relevant and important moving forward. Meta-visual learners, therefore, reflect on their thinking processes in relation to visualizations.
Challenges in using static visual illustration tools
Eilam (2013) focuses on biology learning and teaching. Alongside emphasizing the importance of using effective visual representations in biology instruction, Eilam describes different challenges that may lead students to misinterpret visual representations and to develop misconceptions both about the discipline and about visual representations more generally. Eilam proposes attending, when designing or selecting a visual representation, to students’ visual capabilities, their prior content knowledge, students’ experience and age, and the characteristics of the activity and pedagogies enacted within it. In addition, when using visual representations, it is important to attend to the diverse characteristics of different representations and to encourage students to compare among representations.
Additional Resources:
Barak, M. (2012). Using computer-based simulations in science teaching: Is an animation worth a thousand words? MOTAV Now, Issue 9, 2012.
References ▼
Eilam, B., & Gilbert, J. K. (2014). Science teachers' use of visual representations. Springer International Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-06526-7
Eilam, B. (2013). Possible Constraints of Visualization in Biology: Challenges in Learning with Multiple Representations. In Treagust D., Tsui CY. (eds) Multiple Representations in Biological Education. Models and Modeling in Science Education, vol 7. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-4192-8_4
Gilbert, J. K. (2005). Visualization: A metacognitive skill in science and science education. In Visualization in science education (pp. 9-27). Springer, Dordrecht. (link)
Kali, Y., (2006). Collaborative knowledge-building using the Design Principles Database. International Journal of Computer-Supported Collaborative Learning, 1(2), 187-201.