Abstract
This paper explores research issues and methods for experimentally assessing the effectiveness of interactive and
dynamic geographic visualization displays for knowledge discovery and knowledge construction. Based on a research
framework from cognitive science, and utilizing the eyemovement data collection approach, a series of controlled
animation experiments are proposed. These empirical studies adhere to experimental design standards in cognitive
psychology, but are additionally grounded on a solid dynamic design framework borrowed from cartography, computer graphics and cinema tography, to investigate how different dynamic visual variables, and various levels of interactivity affect people’s knowledge construction processes from dynamic displays as compared to static displays.