Prof. Halpin's & Prof. Schwartz-Bloom's Lectures

Though I don't think you can exclusively say that it is always the case that you need more than one way of looking at data, I believe that providing multiple images can be more beneficial in the understanding of an idea. The more visual representations of data that are provided, the greater information you can relay to the audience. As we saw from both Halpin's and Schwartz-Bloom's lectures, illustrating data through multiple representations may bring out different information from the same data. This can help the audience and even the researcher see the data in a different way and help discover something more than they already know. For example, Halpin illustrated that, in his case, multiple representations of the data helped reveal new information. Specifically, Halpin showed how different representations of the movements of a whale (the 2D and 3D) representation bring about new information. Specifically, the 3D model may help show the depth at which whales feed and where plankton live. In many other cases, a single representation may in fact be more effective in demonstrating an idea. For example, if someone is demonstrating a simple idea then perhaps you wouldn't want multiple representations of data for it may be overwhelming and confusing. Another example is that if you are showing something or demonstrating an idea to an informed audience that already understands the concept, showing multiple representations may be unnecessary for such an audience. For example, Schwartz-Bloom illustrated that when trying to explain concepts to high school students, often times it is important for the educator to show multiple representations of the same thing, so that it becomes easier for the student to understand. However, imagine if instead she was explaining a complex idea, something that has to do with neurons for example, it would not be necessary to provide multiple representations of neurons, considering that the audience is already familiar with them.

One technique that was prevalent in high school was the use of mnemonic devices. For example, my Latin teacher taught the class the following mnemonic devices: TAAPPPIIICCV and SIDECAPPS. Though the first device may seem strange, it was relatively easy to memorize (it's pronounced tap-ick-v). These two devices help students remember the various prepositions that go along with accusative and ablative cases, respectively.