November 2003 - September 2007
Budget resources of KMRC, German Research Foundation (Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft)
Students studying self-regulated in e-learning scenarios are often overwhelmed
by complex and ill-structured subject matters. In order to study effectively
they often need to organize and represent information and knowledge in a manner
that may help them to get quick and flexible access to relevant information
and knowledge. Researchers in the field of information visualization and knowledge
visualization are trying to develop and use tools for fostering access to information
and externalized knowledge. Although there is a mutual interest in facilitating
accessibility, there are hardly any attempts to search for synergies in a mutual
effort.
In the research field of information visualization one central approach is to
develop efficient models to structure large and complex information sets. To
accomplish that, there is a current trend to employ information visualizations,
especially spatial information visualizations (so-called information spaces).
Information visualizations are illustrations of huge amounts of abstract data,
which do not have a natural visual representation (e.g. data files of digital
libraries). Until today, the research field of information visualization mainly
deals with technical questions. In the future, it is reasonable to generalize
them to the context of teaching and learning. It is suggested that more emphasis
should be placed on using information visualization technologies for enhancing
self-regulated learning.
Knowledge visualizations are externalizations and visualizations of knowledge
by means of maps, e.g. concept maps, knowledge maps. In the context of teaching
and learning, the goals are both to support memory functions during exposure
to knowledge and to expand them with functions of knowledge management. Methods
and tools for knowledge organization and external knowledge representation are
helpful if they reasonably supplement cognitive processes and memory functions
(e.g., bear-in-mind, recall). Subject to the amount of functions, modern electronic
mapping tools are qualified for visual representation of thoughts, conceptual
knowledge, annotations to knowledge units, multimedia documents, e-mails, and
links, for instance, to knowledge resources in the world wide web (URLs).
In the context of teaching and learning as well as in empirical research, existing
tools are mainly studied and employed to teach conceptual knowledge, knowledge
acquisition, and knowledge diagnosis. Computer-based mapping tools open new
possibilities to support knowledge-based work. For example, traditional concept
mapping tools, which mainly represent concept structures, are now enlarged with
functions of both a dynamic-interactive representation and administration of
content knowledge (knowledge of content and resources). But such possibilities
are still unused in the context of teaching and learning. An investigation of
their potentials for both supporting self-controlled learning and facilitating
individual organisation, representation and localisation as well as the use
of knowledge and knowledge resources in the framework of knowledge-based work,
shave still not taken place.
Research on information visualization and knowledge visualization has shown
that visualization techniques may contribute to unburdening working memory,
reducing cognitive load and fostering effective studying. Up to now, both research
approaches investigate the question of visualization from different perspectives.
However, there are some common interests, so that synergistic effects can be
expected when researchers of both research fields come together and discuss
their ideas.
In the context of the present project it has been searched for both synergies
between knowledge and information visualizations and techniques for the realization
of synergetic approaches.
For this purpose, in May 2004 the international workshop "Visual Artifacts
for the Organization of Information and Knowledge. Searching for Synergies for
Enhancing Learning" at the Knowledge Media Research Center (http://www.iwm-kmrc.de/workshops/visual_artifacts/)
and in September 2006 a panel discussion at the Second International Conference
on Concept Mapping in San José (Costa Rica) were conducted. The results
of this research project were presented both at numerous international congresses
and in numerous publications.
