The impact of multiple dynamic visualizations on family children\u27s learning in a science museum

Learning in science museums is an important facet of museum visits. While studies have found that museum visits increase visitors\u27 interest and motivation in science, there have been few studies that have found positive changes in their knowledge of science concepts, facts, and ideas. This quasi-experimental, mixed methods study investigates how this type of learning, understanding science knowledge, can be fostered through the use of visualization tools. Building on previous studies that have demonstrated slight increases in children\u27s science knowledge understanding after exposure to one dynamic visualization, augmented reality, I sought to examine how the addition of two more dynamic visualizations, an animation and a computer simulation, might foster even deeper learning. Through interviews, surveys, pre-/post-tests, and observations, I examined whether children learned more in the presence of multiple dynamic visualizations, how having multiple dynamic visualizations afforded learning, and how these visualizations impacted the social interactions between family members. The results revealed that both parents and children understood the science concept significantly better after engaging with multiple dynamic visualizations. The presence of multiple visualizations affords all visitors to have access to the content as it accommodates a greater range of learning styles and preferences, supports deeper understanding by containing partially nuanced information across the different visualizations, and enables visitors to use some visualizations to constrain their interpretation of other visualizations. Moreover, conversations about the science content increased and engagement became more inquiry-focused when additional visualizations were introduced. The findings from this study have important implications for museum exhibit designers