Tool for Teaching Visualization Techniques: Learning and Homework Assignments for Multivariate Data Visualization

This paper presents a prototype tool for teaching information visualization techniques in a university class. It addresses a need for learning students how to create and compare various visualization techniques for a particular data type. Moreover, it deals with the challenge of creating interactive homework assignments. The tool consists of two parts: a learning tool and a tool for assigning interactive homeworks to students. In the learning tool, the students get familiar with several visualization techniques for the same data type (e.g., parallel coordinates, scatterplot matrix and RadViz for multivariate data). They learn the mechanics and advantages and disadvantages of the techniques. The homework tool allows the teachers to create interactive homeworks for students (e.g., “change axis ordering in parallel coordinates”). It automatically grades the submissions and, thus, reduces the time cost of correcting assignments. The tool was used for teaching multivariate data visualization in a visual computing class with approximately 400 students.