Sonification and science pedagogy: preliminary experiences and assessments of earth science data presented in an undergraduate general education course

Abstract

This paper describes preliminary investigations into how sonifications of scientific graphs are perceived by undergraduate students in an introductory course in oceanography at the University of Rhode Island. The goal is to gather data that can assist in gauging students’ levels of engagement with sonification as a component of science education. The results, while preliminary, show promise that sonified graphs improve understanding, especially when they are presented in combination with visual graphs.