The pandemic has created significant teaching challenges for data visualization educators. Classroom-based hands-on activities don’t readily translate into engaging online experiences. This paper lays out three guiding principles I used to make this transition - maintaining learning goals, embracing the affordances of available technology, and activating the learner’s physical setting as part of the activity. I present two activities that I adapted to work online as case studies in how those principles play out - building data sculptures and sketching visual word webs. The three principles, case studies, and reflections offer insights and lessons to other educators designing and leading virtual activities with data visualization learners.
Presented at the VisActivities Workshop at IEEE Vis 2020.
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