Presented at the 7th International Conference on Auditory Display (ICAD), Espoo, Finland, July 29-August 1, 2001.This programmatic research project builds on results from research on data sonification and from studies investigating comprehension of visual graphs. The purpose of the project is to explore the effectiveness of using sonified graphs of real data sets from disciplines to which students are exposed during academic courses. The primary question is whether sonified graphs can increase the comprehension of graphed data for students. The secondary question is whether stereo or monaural sonifications are most effective for graph comprehension. The third and final question of this project is whether sonified graphs with rhythm markers result in better comprehension than sonified graphs without them. The project consists of three laboratory experiments that explore whether students can match auditory representations with the correct visual graphs, whether they can comprehend graphed data sets more effectively by adding sonified components, and whether they can be trained to use sonified graphs better with practice. Results could provide new methods for teaching students with different learning styles quantitative skills in educational settings from kindergarten through college. They could also be extended to assist in teaching students with visual impairments about graphed data sets
