Visual Representations in Scientific Evidence-Based Reasoning Processes

• In Event: Equitable Change in Science Education

Abstract

In this paper, we explore how infrared (IR) images are used to support students to understand the heat radiation process. Image processing algorithms were implemented to extract and quantify the visual features in IR images used to describe reasoning processes. Then we statistically analyze the extent to which these image features correlate with students’ reasoning quality and the magnitude of knowledge increase. The analytical results indicated that the detailed procedural information IR images revealed about the abstract phenomena allowed students to think in greater depth and stimulate higher-level reasoning processes. And these processes were further demonstrated to have a significant positive correlation with the magnitude of students’ knowledge increase about heat radiation phenomena.

Authors

• bo pei, University of Florida

• Wanli Xing, University of Florida