Enhancing Learning with Visuals Melissa Kumberg What is

Enhancing Learning with Visuals Melissa Kumberg

What is Visual Literacy? Visual literacy is the learned ability to interpret visual messages accurately and to create such messages. Melissa Kumberg

It is Important to Know Visual Literacy So much learning involves visual imagery Students must be able to visualize ideas Many students learn more readily through visual imagery Verbal learners also need visual support to grasp certain concepts § Melissa Kumberg

Why use visuals in instruction and what value do they add to the learning process? Visuals……. . Can serve a multitude of purposes in the classroom Provide meaningful references for ideas Help to make abstract ideas more concrete Help motivate students Help direct attention to important concepts Repeat learning with different modalities Provide assistance in recalling prior learning Add value by enhancing student learning Melissa Kumberg

Visuals must be designed to influence student learning Interest enhances learning Visuals draw on learners’ interests to make instruction relevant Melissa Kumberg

Visual literacy can be developed through two major approaches: Helping learners to decode, or “read, ” visuals proficiently by practicing visual analysis skills (interpreting visuals) and helping learners to encode, or “write, ” visuals to express themselves and communicate with others (creating visuals). Melissa Kumberg

Six Types of Visuals Pictures Photographic representations of people, places, and things Internet, books, magazines, and newspapers Drawings Graphic arrangement of lines to represent persons, places, things, and concepts Textbooks and computer-based materials Charts Visual representations of abstract relationships Chronologies, quantities, and hierarchies Melissa Kumberg

Graphs Visual representation of numerical data Four major types: bar, pictorial, circle, and line Posters Combinations of images, lines, color, and words Variety of sources: commercial companies, airlines, travel agencies, government departments, and professional organizations, or make your own Cartoons Line drawings Variety of print media: newspapers, periodicals, and textbooks Melissa Kumberg

Using Presentation Software for Instruction Presentation software could be used to cover many different subjects in the classroom When teaching any subject presentation software would be a wonderful teacher resource When presenting a chapter from a textbook When new mathematical concepts are being taught There are endless possibilities for using presentation software in the classroom Melissa Kumberg

Visual Design Guidelines 1. Arrangement 2. Balance 3. Color 4. Legibility 5. Appeal Melissa Kumberg

Essential Objectives to Ensure High-Quality Visuals Alignment with Standards, Outcomes, and Objectives Accurate and Current Information Age-Appropriate Language Interest Level and Engagement Technical Quality Ease of Use (Student and Teacher) Bias Free User Guide and Directions Legibility for Use (Size and Clarity) Simplicity (Clear, Unified Design) Appropriate Use of Color Communicates Clearly and Effectively Visual Appeal Melissa Kumberg