When does higher degree of interaction lead to higher learning in visualizations? Exploring the role of ‘Interactivity Enriching Features’

•We examine if higher degree of interaction in visualization leads to higher learning.•We find that different types of knowledge demand different degrees of interaction.•Higher degree of interaction augmented with appropriate affordance improves learning.•Affordance of ‘Permutative Variables’ in visualization boosts procedural knowledge.•Constrained exploration of variables shows higher learning than open exploration.

Interactive visualizations are being used extensively for effective teaching and learning. Higher degree of interaction in visualizations improves comprehension and leads to deeper learning. However, some research studies have reported ambiguous, inconclusive results in terms of learning benefits of interactive visualizations. The conditional results in such studies suggest some additional features to be instrumental in assisting learners in deriving benefits of interactivity in visualizations. We refer to these features as ‘Interactivity Enriching Features’. This study examines how degree of interaction of the user with the visualization affects learning outcome. The study proposes how interactivity in visualizations can be enriched by offering apt affordances and evaluates what additional features could make learning from interactive visualizations more effective at the same degree of interaction. The study has been carried out in the context of a course on Signals and Systems in Electrical Engineering on second year engineering students (N = 134). The subjects were assigned to one of the four conditions: a Non-Interactive Visualization, an Animation, a Simulation, and an Interactivity Enriched Visualization. The dependent variable was test-score for ‘Understand conceptual knowledge’, ‘Understand procedural knowledge’ and ‘Apply procedural knowledge’ categories. The research findings indicate that, i) different degrees of interaction are required for learning different types of knowledge and ii) interactive visualization could not deliver its learning benefits unless it was augmented by ‘Interactivity Enriching Features’ in the form of appropriate affordance for variable manipulation, especially for higher learning outcomes. This research study contributes towards the design of educationally effective interactive visualizations.