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Innovating Engineering Education Analysis through Creative Data Visualization

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Conference

2024 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Location

Portland, Oregon

Publication Date

June 23, 2024

Start Date

June 23, 2024

End Date

June 26, 2024

Conference Session

DSA Technical Session 3

Tagged Topics

Diversity and Data Science & Analytics Constituent Committee (DSA)

Page Count

15

DOI

10.18260/1-2--47627

Permanent URL

https://peer.asee.org/47627

Download Count

30

Paper Authors

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Aidan Kenny Northeastern University

biography

Andrew L Gillen Northeastern University Orcid 16x16 orcid.org/0000-0001-8021-6108

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Andrew L. Gillen is an Assistant Teaching Professor at Northeastern University in the First Year Engineering Program and an affiliate faculty member to Civil and Environmental Engineering. He earned his Ph.D. in Engineering Education from Virginia Tech and B.S. in Civil Engineering from Northeastern University.

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Abstract

Data is the foundation of informed decision making and drives progress and innovation in virtually every aspect of modern society. It empowers us to uncover insights, patterns, and trends that inform strategy, policy, and advancement across diverse fields. However, without visualizations to make sense of the trends, data is often useless. Data sets of all sizes are often too much for us to understand without the proper visual tools to simplify them. This paper seeks to explore how creative data visualization can function as a form of data analysis, enhancing the viewers understanding and engagement with the data. For the purposes of this work, creative data visualization is defined as the process of utilizing design elements with data representations to improve understanding of trends and increase emotional response. Creative methods of visualization allow for more information to be conveyed in a simpler format resulting in a stronger response from the viewer. The goal of this work is to develop visualizations for three case studies that address relevant issues within the field of engineering education and demonstrate the effectiveness of creative data visualization strategies. The first case study addresses the sex imbalance within engineering institutions, highlighting a slowly changing future for the field. The second study delves into the devaluation of LGBTQ students in engineering education, emphasizing the importance of inclusivity. Lastly, the third case study creates a visual map of the holistic engineering education experience. Case studies 1 and 2 compare traditional and creative data visualization techniques, whereas case study 3 introduces new visualization for understanding the engineering education field. Bar plots, heatmaps, infographics, and systemograms are explored in this paper. This work not only enhances the understanding of the critical issues addressed in the case studies but also highlights the potential of creative data visualization in addressing multifaceted challenges.

Kenny, A., & Gillen, A. L. (2024, June), Innovating Engineering Education Analysis through Creative Data Visualization Paper presented at 2024 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition, Portland, Oregon. 10.18260/1-2--47627

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