The increasing ubiquity and proliferation of location based data comes with a need to make sense of it. Geovisualisation provides a tool with which, through the exploitation of our powerful perceptual abilities, we can uncover patterns and links between previously disparate data sources. However, in the context of sense and decision making, presenting information through the frame of location is not enough – a holistic system, that incorporates geovisualisation, needs to be aware of the broader context in which it exists. A point represented by GPS coordinates can have different meanings to different people, and even an individuals’ interpretation of a location can change over time. This presentation was given at OZCHI24 in Brisbane, Australia on the 27/11/10. To find out more about my research visit www.prosimian.com.au

1. Geovisualisation
Sense-making and knowledge
discovery with location
based data
Chris Marmo, Bill Cartwright & Jeremy Yuille
OZCHI 2010

2. Today...
2. Geo-Visualisation as a sense-making tool
3. The importance of context
1. Project overview

3. Geo-knowledge project

4. How can Parks Victoria better
utilise the knowledge it's staff
have?
Geo-knowledge project

5. Geo-knowledge project
Currently, valuable park specific knowledge, obtained
by rangers through years of experience, is inaccessible
to other rangers and vanishes completely when
rangers move on.

6. Geo-knowledge project
Currently, valuable park specific knowledge, obtained
by rangers through years of experience, is inaccessible
to other rangers and vanishes completely when
rangers move on.
How can we retain and disseminate this knowledge?

7. Geo-knowledge project

8. Knowledge
Geo-knowledge project

9. Knowledge
Geo-knowledge project
People

10. Knowledge
Geo-knowledge project
People

12. Data Information

14. Knowledge is subjective
'Knowledge' implies a 'knower', and
does not exist outside social contexts
and human interaction
Knorr Cetina (2000), Seely Brown & Duguid (2000) and Ackoff (1989)

16. (Geo)Visualisation

17. Geovisualisations = geovisual analytics

18. Geovisual analysis, through the employment of highly
interactive interfaces, focuses on the human elements of
interface interaction and data exploration
Fabrikant & Lobben, 2009

19. The importance of context

20. Social objects are the core of social interaction
Knorr-Cetina (2000)
Visualisations as Social Objects

21. Visualisations, through interaction and interface design,
become social objects.
Visualisations as Social Objects

22. ...and enable a shared understanding to be reached.
Visualisations as Social Objects

23. Locations have different meanings for different people

24. Rangers

26. Space vs Place
Harrison & Dourish (1996)

27. Space is the raw location, minus context

28. Place arises through interactions with space

29. Can we use "place" as context to
knowledge?

30. Studying interactions with space

31. Studying interactions with space
Interpreting qualitative data to
inform context

32. Hoping to uncover...
An understanding of "place" - as different
rangers see it.
The relationship between people, knowledge and
location.

33. Understanding
of Place
Interactive
Interfaces
Greater sense-making
Rich
Knowledge

34. Bill Cartwright, Jeremy Yuille, Monique Elsley
ARC Linkage grant
Acknowledgements...

35. chris.marmo@students.rmit.edu.au
@kurisu
Thanks!
www.prosimian.com.au