A Critical Statistical Literacy Framework for Reading Data Visualizations

• In Event: Data Literacy and Technology in Mathematics Education

Abstract

In this paper we consider new ways of considering how people read graphs. We build from prior foundational graph reading research in two ways. One, by expanding from considering graph reading to more broadly reading data visualizations. Two, by taking a critical literacy lens to the work to expand and refine the graph reading categories to differentiate between reading the word and reading the world, drawing from Freire’s literacy work, to acknowledge our subjectivity and subject positions involved in any reading of data visualizations drawing upon our readings of the world. We present data to show examples of the framework and discuss interesting patterns we found in relation to a data reading activity.

Authors

• Travis Weiland, University of North Carolina - Charlotte

• Laura Shelton, University of Houston