Improving Tabular Displays, With NAEP Tables as Examples and Inspirations

This article provides four guidelines the use of which can make tables more effective and evocative data displays and discusses a theoretical structure to aid in the development of test items to tap students’ proficiency in extracting information from tables.

Abstract

The modern world is rich with data; an inability to effectively utilize these data is a real handicap. One common mode of data communication is the printed data table. In this article we provide four guidelines the use of which can make tables more effective and evocative data displays. We use the National Assessment of Educational Progress both to provide inspiration for the development of these guidelines and to illustrate their operation. We also discuss a theoretical structure to aid in the development of test items to tap students’ proficiency in extracting information from tables.