Workshop on developing an integrated approach to spatial cognition of navigation and visualization

Date: July 7-July 10
Location: German House (at UN Plaza)
Size of workshop: ~35

The field of spatial cognition has generally treated visualization and navigation as independent research areas. A complete account of spatial cognition will need to address potential interactions and processes common to the two skills. For this workshop, we ask: What are the spatial abilities and representation mechanisms that both interacting with visualizations and navigating in the world have in common? What are the different capabilities required for each alone? Do the established measures of spatial ability capture performance on visualization and navigation tasks or do we need additional measures? Are individual differences in visualization and navigation predictive of performance in other cognitive domains? What is the role of top-down and bottom-up information in the two domains (There is a lot of debate in navigation on this question, can we identify similar debates for visualization)? Do cultural differences in schooling or environments result in different or related competencies in these two areas? Finally, expert reasoning in navigation and visualization requires an integration of spatial and non-spatial information (e.g., recalling the meaning of symbols on a map while reasoning about that space and knowledge of traffic conditions while planning a route). What does integration of symbolic and spatial information in the two domains tell us about both domain general and domain specific cognitive processes?

See working documents from the 2008 workshop (restricted to workshop participants)

Workshop participants can download a zip file of all the opinion papers (Zip Archive PRIVATE FILE 6.6MB Jul6 09). You will need to be logged in to your account in order to access the file.


DFG/NSF SPATIAL COGNITION WORKSHOP JULY 7 THROUGH 10, 2009 – NEW YORK CITY

Draft Agenda


TUESDAY, JULY 7, 2009


6:20 pm: Doors open, registration; guests wait in the lobby of 871 UN Plaza until they are accompanied to the elevator (10 guest maximum per ride)

Getting from the hotel to the German House is just getting across the street: Hotel=NE corner of 49th and 1st; German House=SW corner of 49th and 1st.


7:00 pm: Begin of Welcome Address
7:00 pm: Dr. Horst Freitag, Consul General of Germany in New York
7:10 pm: Marion Müller, Director DFG North America
7:20 pm: Dr. Joan Straumanis, Director NSF SLC program

7:25 pm: First course will be served

7:30 pm: Christian Freksa on status of SFB/TR8

7:40 pm: Nora Newcombe on status of SILC

7:55 pm: Main course will be served

8:50 pm: Dessert and Coffee will be served

9:30 pm: Opening dinner ends



WEDNESDAY, JULY 8, 2009

7:45 am: setup of registration desk (Kristofer Oedekoven)

7:55 am: workshop participants arrive in lobby and will be accompanied by Stefan Altevogt to 23rd Floor

8:00 am: Breakfast – German House Restaurant, 23nd floor

8:30 – 9:00 am: Welcome & overview (Tim Shipley), German House Restaurant, 23rd floor

9:00 – 10:00 am: Session 1, Mary Hegarty, German House Restaurant, 23rd floor

10:00-10:30 am: 6 5-minute presentations by new participants

10:30 – 11:00 am: Coffee Break, German House Restaurant, 23rd floor

11:00 am – 11:30 pm: Session 2: Anjan Chatterjee (22nd Floor)

11:30 am – 12:15 pm: Session 3: Christoph Hölscher (wayfinding taxonomy) and Ruth Conroy Dalton (visualization in architectural design)

12:15 – 1:15 pm: 12 5-minute presentations by the new participants

1:30 – 2:30 pm: Cold buffet-style lunch– catered at the 22nd Floor of the German House
sign up for dinner reservations

2:30 - 4:30 pm: Four concurrent sessions (2 Rooms on 22nd Floor, 1 room on 13th Floor and 1 room on 15th floor)

4:30 – 5:00 pm: Coffee Break – 22nd floor German House

5:00 – 6:30 pm: Four concurrent sessions (2 Rooms on 22nd Floor, 1 room on 13th Floor and 1 room on 15th floor)

6:30 pm: End of 1st workshop day

7 pm: small group dinners at area restaurants



THURSDAY, JULY 9, 2009

7:45 am: setup of registration desk (Kristofer Oedekoven)

7:55 am: workshop participants arrive in lobby and will be accompanied by Stefan Altevogt to 23rd Floor

8:00 am: Breakfast – German House Restaurant, 23rd floor

9:00 – 10:30 am: Four concurrent sessions (2 Rooms on 23rd Floor, 1 room on 13th Floor and 1 room on 15th floor)

10:30 – 11:00 am: Coffee Break, German House Restaurant, 23nd floor

11:00 am – 12:30 pm: reports and structured discussion of whole group

12:30 – 1:30 pm: Cold buffet-style lunch– catered at the 22nd Floor of the German House

2:30 - 5:30 pm: Free time

Rooms available for group discussion (2 Rooms on 22nd Floor, 1 room on 13th Floor and 1 room on 15th floor)

Geoscience field trip to central park

7:00 pm reception at Harvard Club

8:00 pm Dinner at Harvard Club (attire "business casual")



FRIDAY, JULY 10, 2009

7:45 am: setup of registration desk (Kristofer Oedekoven)

7:55 am: workshop participants arrive in lobby and will be accompanied by Stefan Altevogt to 23rd Floor

8:00 am: Breakfast – German House Restaurant, 23rd floor

9:00 – 10:30 am: Four concurrent sessions (2 Rooms on 23rd Floor, 1 room on 13th Floor and 1 room on 15th floor)

10:30 – 11:00 am: Coffee Break, German House Restaurant, 23nd floor

11:00 am – 1:00 pm: reports, structured discussion (plenary or separated into 4 groups)

1:00 – 2:00 pm: Cold buffet-style lunch– catered at the 22nd Floor of the German House

2:00 - 3:00 pm: Wrap up session

3:00 - 6:00 pm: free time

6:00 pm: End of 3rd workshop day



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