Can collaborative visualization be an effective way for developing visual interpretation skills? An eye tracking study

In today’s increasingly visual world, developing systematic approaches to strengthen students’ visual literacy has become essential. Visual literacy is defined as the ability to read, interpret, and construct meaning from visual representations through the use of visual language and visual structures. This study investigated the impact of collaborative visualization on the development of visual interpretation, one of the core visual reading skills within visual literacy that involves decoding visual language, analyzing visual structures, and constructing meaning from images. Collaborative visualization involves learners jointly viewing, discussing, interpreting, and creating visuals, while visual interpretation refers to perceiving an image, analyzing it through visual language, and constructing meaning collaboratively. Using a pretest – posttest control group design, the study measured students’ visual interpretation performance and attention patterns with a test based on visual language and administered via an online eye-tracking tool. Results indicated that collaborative visualization significantly enhanced visual interpretation skills compared with individual practice. Eye-tracking data further supported these outcomes, showing earlier and more focused attention on visually and semantically relevant areas, suggesting more effective visual reading processes. Overall, the study provides a novel perspective on improving visual interpretation and broader visual literacy skills through structured collaborative learning.