The GLIM Test
The Graphical Languages in Mathematics [GLIM] Test is a 32-item test that was developed to determine students’ decoding performance for each of the six graphical languages. A bank of 58 items was variously trialled with primary-aged children (N = 796) in order to select items that: (a) varied in complexity; (b) required substantial levels of graphical interpretation; and (c) conformed to reliability and validity measures. The items were selected from state, national and international year-level mathematics tests that have been administered to students in their final three years of primary school or to similarly aged students.
The six graphical languages are summarised in the table below
Graphical Languages |
Examples |
Encoding Technique |
|---|---|---|
Axis Languages |
Horizontal and vertical axes |
A single-position encodes information by the placement of a mark on an axis. |
Opposed-position Languages |
Line chart, bar chart, plot chart |
Information is encoded by a marked set that is positioned between two axes. |
Retinal-list Languages |
Graphics featuring colour, shape, size, saturation, texture, orientation |
Retinal properties are used to encode information. These marks are not dependent on position. |
Map Languages |
Road map, topographic map |
Information is encoded through the spatial location of the marks. |
Connection Languages |
Tree, acyclic graph, network |
Information is encoded by a set of node objects with a set of link objects. |
Miscellaneous Languages |
Pie chart, Venn diagram |
Information is encoded with additional graphical techniques (e.g., angle, containment). |
Download an example of items in the GLIM test from the different languages by clicking here.
The EPGLIM Test
The Early Primary Graphical Languages in Mathematics (EPGLIM) test is a 25-item test developed to determine young students’ decoding performance across the graphical languages. An initial pilot study variously trialled a bank of 175 items with lower and middle primary-aged children (N = 577). A second pilot study on 40 of the original items was conducted with 272 children aged 8-11 years, in order to select items that: (a) varied in complexity; (b) required substantial levels of graphical interpretation; and (c) conformed to reliability and validity measures. The items were selected from state, national and international year-level mathematics tests that have been administered to students in their middle years of primary school or to similarly aged students.
The EPGLIM test was reduced from the original six graphical languages of the GLIM to five: namely the Axis, Apposed-position, Retinal-list, Map and Miscellaneous languages. This was done in order to cater for the young age of the children. There are 13 GLIM items also in the EPGLIM test.
Graphical Languages |
Examples |
Encoding Technique |
|---|---|---|
Axis Languages |
Horizontal and vertical axes |
A single-position encodes information by the placement of a mark on an axis. |
Apposed-position Languages |
Bar chart, column graph, plot chart |
Information is encoded by a marked set that is positioned between two axes. |
Retinal-list Languages |
Graphics featuring colour, shape, size, saturation, texture, orientation |
Retinal properties are used to encode information. These marks are not dependent on position. |
Map Languages |
Road map, topographic map |
Information is encoded through the spatial location of the marks. |
Miscellaneous Languages |
Pie chart, Venn diagram, tree, network |
Information is encoded with additional graphical techniques (e.g., angle, containment, a set of node objects with a set of link objects). |