Interesting new NSF Career award in interactive data visualization

Here’s an interesting project that could really get at generalizable “computational thinking” skills:

Wilkerson-Jerde’s research project will explore how young people think and learn about data visualization from the perspective of a conceptual toolkit. Her goals for “DataSketch: Exploring Computational Data Visualization in the Middle Grades” are to understand the knowledge and skills students bring together to make sense of novel data visualizations, and to design tools and activities that support students’ development of critical, flexible data visualization competence.

“Usually when we think of data visualization in school, we think of histograms or line graphs. But in contemporary science and media, people rely on novel, interactive visualizations that tell unique stories using data,” she explains.

via Michelle Wilkerson-Jerde (PhD12) Wins National Science Foundation CAREER Award :: School of Education & Social Policy :: Northwestern University.