Visual Analytics Education

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Visual Analytics Education

• VAST 06 Panel Discussion
• Bill Ribarsky
• University of North Carolina at Charlotte

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General Observations on Visualization Education
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Visualization Is Inherently Integrative
It is interdisciplinary
Our curriculum should reflect this, too
Educate em all
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Teach Visual Literacy
The public doesnt understand what visualization
is about what its effective for.

• Companies dont understand.
• Students dont understand

(People in the GIS community have been talking
about a similar thing, Teaching spatial
literacy. We can learn from each other.)
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Act Like a Discipline

• Where are our curricula?
• Where are our textbooks!

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An Example GIS Curriculum

• Questions Asked
• Annual demand by professionals for GIS course
  work ?
• Annual demand for GIS students enrolled in
  universities?
• How many US certificate-granting programs?
• Shortfall in producing individuals with an
  advanced level of GIS education?
• Classification of GIS professionals and
  educational market segments?

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The Visual Analytics Curriculum And Our Curriculum
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Visual Analytics Curriculum
Introduction to Visual Analytics
Core
Core Sub-Discipline Thrusts
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Introduction to Visual Analytics

• Topics (short list)
• What is visual analytics?
• Critical thinking
• Visual representations
• The analytic process
• Perception and Cognition
• Interaction and exploration
• Structured data, text data, etc.
• Statistical and analytical representations
• VA examples and applications
• Readings
• Projects
• Presentations

Visit www.viscenter.uncc.edu for more information
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Our Top-Level Strategy

• All courses open to CS and non-CS majors
• Versions for undergraduates
• Visualization graduate-level track (with VA
  embedded)
• VA certificate in the works
• Possible M.S. in VA

Visit www.viscenter.uncc.edu for more information
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Contribute to the VA Digital Library!
vadl.cc.gatech.edu