Real Time Lets Students Visualize Real Life

Source: Alibaba In Real Time

We've written about data visualizations in real time in the past, including the Internet In Real Time and Breathing Earth. Our students are always amazed to watch the speed at which the data changes, and they're even more curious about how it is compiled. While the numbers are staggering for the sheer volume of data for social media and the Internet, they pale in comparison to those for the Chinese company Alibaba in real time.

Since we play The Stock Market Game in our classes, our students were well aware of Alibaba and its initial public offering (IPO) this fall. They know that it was the largest IPO in history and that it trades on the New York Stock Exchange. Now they know why.

We had the students open two screens to compare Amazon data on the Internet In Real Time with Alibaba to see just how big this global wholesale trade giant is. At the end of one class period, Amazon orders were 160,000 compared to Alibaba’s 1.7 million. That got their attention and drove them to make more comparisons with other information between the two sites. It also led to discussions about the role social media plays in financial success.

Source: The Internet In Real-Time

Real time data visualizations provide kids with real world connections to what they know and recognize. They pique their curiosity; that's their power. As with other visual content, there are a host of possibilities for using them in the classroom to demonstrate the strength numbers have on perception and success.

Aside from the fascination in watching the aggregation of data, it also is a pointed reminder that this could be done for an individual as well.

For other resources, please see:

• Collective Consumption: Social Media And Active Learning
• Visualization Of Current Events: Drone Attacks In Pakistan
• Tax Day: Visualizations Of The Federal Budget To Teach STEM And Financial Literacy
• Graphicacy And Teaching The Art of Seeing