Within museums and science centers, the visual presentation of data represents a timely, relevant, and formidable interpretive challenge. Tackling this challenge head on, however, means employing a series of principles that position educators to support learners of all skill levels in interpreting data visualizations more generally. In this article, we introduce the Simplicity‐Familiarity Matrix, a research‐driven model for situating complex data visualizations in the context of exhibition design. This model emerges from a study of data literacy that was undertaken at five informal learning institutions, along with established principles of constructionist approaches to teaching. Specifically, it highlights key affordances and challenges we associate with data visualizations along two spectra: simplicity and familiarity. We propose the Simplicity‐Familiarity Matrix, along with criteria for each quadrant, to assist museum professionals when designing interpretative materials for an exhibition space. In light of these considerations, we close with several guiding principles for supporting learners’ apprehension of data visualizations in museums: (1) including the use of well‐designed, easy‐to‐understand data visualizations, (2) providing appropriate support and guidance, (3) offering multiple modes of access, and (4) making data visualizations relevant to visitors, e.g., via personalization.

Our world’s complex challenges increase the need for those entering STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math) disciplines to be able to creatively approach and collaboratively address wicked problems – complex problems with no “right” answer that span disciplines. Hackathons are environments that leverage problem-based learning practices so student teams can solve problems creatively and collaboratively by developing a solution to given challenges using engineering and computer science knowledge, skills, and abilities. The purpose of this paper is to offer a framework for interdisciplinary hackathon challenge development, as well as provide resources to aid interdisciplinary teams in better understanding the context and needs of a hackathon to evaluate and refine hackathon challenges. Three cohorts of interdisciplinary STEAM researchers were observed and interviewed as they collaboratively created a hackathon challenge incorporating all cohort-member disciplines for an online high school hackathon. The observation data and interview transcripts were analyzed using thematic analysis to distill the processes cohorts underwent and resources that were necessary for successfully creating a hackathon challenge. Through this research we found that the cohorts worked through four sequential stages as they collaborated to create a hackathon challenge. We detail the stages and offer them as a framework for future teams who seek to develop an interdisciplinary hackathon challenge. Additionally, we found that all cohorts lacked the knowledge and experience with hackathons to make fully informed decisions related to the challenge’s topic, scope, outcomes, etc. In response, this manuscript offers five hackathon quality considerations and three guiding principles for challenge developers to best meet the needs and goals of hackathon sponsors and participants.

Interactivity, message, and story are critical, interrelated components of most educational exhibition designs. In this article, we introduce an Interactivity Design Framework for guiding exhibition designers’ intentional inclusion of interactivity, story, and message in exhibition components. This framework emerges from selected findings from summative evaluation of the Human Plus exhibition, which took place at the New York Hall of Science in late 2013. The exhibition was designed to generate interest in engineering among pre‐adolescent girls. Recognizing the target group's interest in human relationships and narrative, the exhibition was designed to be engaging and interactive, driven by compelling narratives of how engineering had enhanced the lives of people with disabilities. Exhibits interwove interactivity and story to convey messages related to both engineering itself and how engineering can meet the needs of people with disabilities. Because of this dual focus, the exhibition evaluation revealed important findings about how, and under what conditions, story and interactivity function to convey message: they can work together or compete.

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