Evaluating convergence between two data visualization literacy assessments
Abstract Data visualizations play a crucial role in communicating patterns in quantitative data, making data visualization literacy a key target of STEM education. However, it is currently unclear to what degree different assessments of data visualization literacy measure the same underlying constru...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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SpringerOpen
2025-04-01
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| Series: | Cognitive Research |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s41235-025-00622-9 |
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| author | Erik Brockbank Arnav Verma Hannah Lloyd Holly Huey Lace Padilla Judith E. Fan |
| author_facet | Erik Brockbank Arnav Verma Hannah Lloyd Holly Huey Lace Padilla Judith E. Fan |
| author_sort | Erik Brockbank |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Data visualizations play a crucial role in communicating patterns in quantitative data, making data visualization literacy a key target of STEM education. However, it is currently unclear to what degree different assessments of data visualization literacy measure the same underlying constructs. Here, we administered two widely used graph comprehension assessments (Galesic and Garcia-Retamero in Med Dec Mak 31:444–457, 2011; Lee et al. in IEEE Trans Vis Comput Graph 235:51–560, 2016) to both a university-based convenience sample and a demographically representative sample of adult participants in the USA (N=1,113). Our analysis of individual variability in test performance suggests that overall scores are correlated between assessments and associated with the amount of prior coursework in mathematics. However, further exploration of individual error patterns suggests that these assessments probe somewhat distinct components of data visualization literacy, and we do not find evidence that these components correspond to the categories that guided the design of either test (e.g., questions that require retrieving values rather than making comparisons). Together, these findings suggest opportunities for development of more comprehensive assessments of data visualization literacy that are organized by components that better account for detailed behavioral patterns. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-d6c5fabda8b3432ead3e1e412855697b |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 2365-7464 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-04-01 |
| publisher | SpringerOpen |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Cognitive Research |
| spelling | doaj-art-d6c5fabda8b3432ead3e1e412855697b2025-08-20T01:52:59ZengSpringerOpenCognitive Research2365-74642025-04-0110111410.1186/s41235-025-00622-9Evaluating convergence between two data visualization literacy assessmentsErik Brockbank0Arnav Verma1Hannah Lloyd2Holly Huey3Lace Padilla4Judith E. Fan5Department of Psychology, Stanford UniversityDepartment of Psychology, Stanford UniversityDepartment of Psychology, University of California San DiegoDepartment of Psychology, University of California San DiegoDepartment of Computer Science, Northeastern UniversityDepartment of Psychology, Stanford UniversityAbstract Data visualizations play a crucial role in communicating patterns in quantitative data, making data visualization literacy a key target of STEM education. However, it is currently unclear to what degree different assessments of data visualization literacy measure the same underlying constructs. Here, we administered two widely used graph comprehension assessments (Galesic and Garcia-Retamero in Med Dec Mak 31:444–457, 2011; Lee et al. in IEEE Trans Vis Comput Graph 235:51–560, 2016) to both a university-based convenience sample and a demographically representative sample of adult participants in the USA (N=1,113). Our analysis of individual variability in test performance suggests that overall scores are correlated between assessments and associated with the amount of prior coursework in mathematics. However, further exploration of individual error patterns suggests that these assessments probe somewhat distinct components of data visualization literacy, and we do not find evidence that these components correspond to the categories that guided the design of either test (e.g., questions that require retrieving values rather than making comparisons). Together, these findings suggest opportunities for development of more comprehensive assessments of data visualization literacy that are organized by components that better account for detailed behavioral patterns.https://doi.org/10.1186/s41235-025-00622-9Graph comprehensionGraphical literacyData literacyPsychometric evaluationSTEM education |
| spellingShingle | Erik Brockbank Arnav Verma Hannah Lloyd Holly Huey Lace Padilla Judith E. Fan Evaluating convergence between two data visualization literacy assessments Cognitive Research Graph comprehension Graphical literacy Data literacy Psychometric evaluation STEM education |
| title | Evaluating convergence between two data visualization literacy assessments |
| title_full | Evaluating convergence between two data visualization literacy assessments |
| title_fullStr | Evaluating convergence between two data visualization literacy assessments |
| title_full_unstemmed | Evaluating convergence between two data visualization literacy assessments |
| title_short | Evaluating convergence between two data visualization literacy assessments |
| title_sort | evaluating convergence between two data visualization literacy assessments |
| topic | Graph comprehension Graphical literacy Data literacy Psychometric evaluation STEM education |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s41235-025-00622-9 |
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