What Went Wrong for Bad Solvers during Thematic Map Analysis? Lessons Learned from an Eye-Tracking Study

Lenka Havelková,Izabela Małgorzata Gołębiowska

doi:10.3390/ijgi9010009

Lenka Havelková, Izabela Małgorzata Gołębiowska

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3390/ijgi9010009

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Abstract

Thematic map analysis is a complex and challenging task that might result in map user failure for many reasons. In the study reported here, we wanted to search for differences between successful and unsuccessful map users, focusing—unlike many similar studies—on strategies applied by users who give incorrect answers. In the eye-tracking study, followed by a questionnaire survey, we collected data from 39 participants. The eye-tracking data were analyzed both qualitatively and quantitatively to compare participants’ strategies from various perspectives. Unlike the results of some other studies, it turned out that unsuccessful participants show some similarities that are consistent across most analyzed tasks. The main issues that characterize bad solvers relate to improper use of the thematic legend, the inability to focus on relevant map layout elements, as well as on adequate map content. Moreover, they differed in the general problem-solving approach used as they, for example, tended to choose fast, less cautious, strategies. Based on the collected results, we developed tips that could help prevent unsuccessful participants ending with an incorrect answer and therefore be beneficial in map use education.

Highlights

Maps are an important and powerful tool for data visualization
Based on the outcomes of the data analyses conducted, we wanted to answer if less successful and more successful map users behaved differently when solving map analysis tasks (RQ1) and if the strategies applied by less successful users showed any similarities (RQ2)
We found that map users solving a task incorrectly differed in some aspects of their strategies from participants providing a correct answer and most of these differences were consistent across the majority of unsuccessful participants for a given task

Summary

Introduction

Maps are an important and powerful tool for data visualization. This power depends largely on the user [1,2,3]. Map users apply various ways of map-reading and analysis. Their strategy may be different depending on various factors, e.g. level of experience [5,6,7,8] or educational background [9,10,11,12], resulting in a better or worse result in acquiring information from maps. It is important to learn what ‘wrong’ strategies look like in order to improve them and emphasize the omission of ‘wrong steps’ taken when working with a map

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