Exploring the role of visualization and engagement in computer science education

Visualization technology can be used to graphically illustrate various concepts in computer science. We argue that such technology, no matter how well it is designed, is of little educational value unless it engages learners in an active learning activity. Drawing on a review of experimental studies of visualization effectiveness, we motivate this position against the backdrop of current attitudes and best practices with respect to visualization use. We suggest a new taxonomy of learner engagement with visualization technology. Grounded in Bloom's well-recognized taxonomy of understanding, we suggest metrics for assessing the learning outcomes to which such engagement may lead. Based on these taxonomies of…