This blog is designed to assist educators with questions pertaining to the introduction of educational technology in the classroom.
Sunday, June 14, 2020
The Time of Infographics
How did infographics begin, or have they always been? I realize this is a kind of weird question, but I think it is only fair to ask. Turner & Hicks (2017) provide us with, "The first documented infographic was published in 1869, with Charles Minard's skillful outline of Napoleon's march upon Russia" (p.61). I believe they are correct in as far as we are used to contemporary publication, but the first infographic, I beg to differ. We have come to realize the beauty of an infographic is the ease of communication when trying to convey a more substantial, perhaps a more complicated topic. "Historically, visual representations of information have dated back to prehistoric cave paintings and early representations of geographical information captured in maps (Friendly, 2008, as cited in Gallagher et al., 2017, p.130). What could be more complicated than the pursuit of life itself? Were cavemen communicating how, when, and what to hunt when drawing on cave walls for future generations? Virtually tour the Lascaux cave art or watch this brief video of Lascaux and tell me what you see.
Video of Lascaux Cave Images
I believe these images could have been used by a teacher from long ago trying to instruct new hunters on how to live.
The more significant issue at hand is why do we still enjoy using infographics? Turner & Hicks (2017) tell us it is "because of their visual appeal, perhaps because they are so easy to like" (p.60). I firmly believe the reason infographics have remained a tool for the ages is due to the ability to quickly convey information. VanderMolen & Spivey (2017) state, "Human brains are wired to process visual information more quickly than the written word" (p.198).There is no mistaking the immediate consumption of raw data from an image, and the ability to store that information for later could be quite beneficial. Turner & Hicks (2017) determine part of the value of infographics is the speed a viewer can absorb "information and draw comparisons to their own lives" (p.61). One of the Lascaux web site images linked above shows hunting parties traveling after different animals. Perhaps these images mean we don't go alone on a hunt. One image from Lascaux shows a man, believed to be dead, in front of a bull, and this image may convey the reason cavemen didn't hunt alone. Granted, we do not fully comprehend the ideas, imagery, or communication emanating from Lascaux art, but we do understand the value of modern-day infographics to education.
Students comprehend information in infographics well, and we must utilize this comprehension in education. Turner & Hicks (2017) and I agree "because infographics present data-numerical, written, and visual- they can be a powerful medium for making arguments, and we think they are a mode worth teaching" (p.61). The ability to publish in the modern era via digital text remains unprecedented. The ability to share information globally through "web-based tools such as Pictochart, Infogram, and Easel.ly make it easier than ever before" (Turner & Hicks, 2017, p.61). Educators have the responsibility to share with students how to read and create infographics. VanderMolen & Spivey (2017) taught students how to create infographics while incorporating "the target audience, learning objectives, materials, teaching procedures, grading rubric, instructor’s observations, results of a student survey, lessons learned, and recommendations for instructors" (p.199). If it is true, "Infographics are a visualization tool that can be used to improve retention, comprehension, and appeal of complex concepts" why would educators not use it (Gallagher et al., 2017, p.129)? I created the infographic below, and it could be used to assist younger students in understanding the size and contents of Lascaux. I do believe infographics can play a significant role in education, the only difference is, I think they always have.
Denney, D. (2020, June 14). Lascaux Cave [Infographic]. Pictochart. https://create.piktochart.com/output/47317774-lascaux-cave
Gallagher, E.S., O’Dulain, M., O’Mahony, N., Kehoe, C., McCarthy, F., & Morgan, G. (2017). Instructor-provided summary infographics to support online learning. Educational Media International, 54(2), 129–147. https://doi.org/10.1080/09523987.2017.1362795
Kendall's Creative Classroom. (2015, July 7). Caves of Lascaux [Video File]. Youtube. https://youtu.be/PId2enlr_OY
Turner, K.H., & Hicks, T. (2017). Teaching adolescents to read and write digital texts: Argument in the real world. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.
VanderMolen, J., & Spivey, C. (2017). Creating infographics to enhance student engagement and communication in health economics. Journal of Economic Education, 48(3), 198–205. https://doi.org/10.1080/00220485.2017.1320605
Darren I loved your video. I have never heard of the caves of Lascaux so that was educational for me. I like the way that you interpreted the cave paintings as informative when you stated that you thought the paintings showed why the men never hunted alone. I would not have looked at it that way.
I also think that Turner and Hicks (2017) might see infographic stories the same way you do when they said, "Many of the resources we reviewed refer to 'story' in the sense of marketing and brand development, not in the sense of having a narrator, or rising action, or a protagonist and antagonist" (p. 62). When I think of stories I think of a form of entertainment. I think Turner and Hicks were saying that infographics are used as a way to inform and educate, and not necessarily a way to entertain.
You had me at "virtual tour"! One thing I am focusing on this year is using virtual reality, I actually did my first summary thing in this class on it! It is really cool to actually "take" your students somewhere just by using a small phone device. I have never heard of these caves before, but you have my adventurous side ready to visit! Your info graph was ideal. It is short and to the point, there are not many colors that collide with each other and it gets to the point. Some of the ones I researched were too "busy" and honestly made me not want to click on them. I feel like for use in the classroom, as Turner and Hicks (2017) explain "teaching digital genres and modes is not about tools" (P. 80). There are so many things that we can use these for in the classroom. However, my mind goes straight to "how can my students create one of these for an assignment". I also used virtual reality this year for taking my students to certain places in our novels. It is a huge way to build background knowledge and I can't wait to search more into your ideas!
References: Turner, K.H., & Hicks, T. (2017). Teaching adolescents to read and write digital texts: Argument in the real world. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.
Darren I loved your video. I have never heard of the caves of Lascaux so that was educational for me. I like the way that you interpreted the cave paintings as informative when you stated that you thought the paintings showed why the men never hunted alone. I would not have looked at it that way.
ReplyDeleteI also think that Turner and Hicks (2017) might see infographic stories the same way you do when they said, "Many of the resources we reviewed refer to 'story' in the sense of marketing and brand development, not in the sense of having a narrator, or rising action, or a protagonist and antagonist" (p. 62). When I think of stories I think of a form of entertainment. I think Turner and Hicks were saying that infographics are used as a way to inform and educate, and not necessarily a way to entertain.
You had me at "virtual tour"! One thing I am focusing on this year is using virtual reality, I actually did my first summary thing in this class on it! It is really cool to actually "take" your students somewhere just by using a small phone device. I have never heard of these caves before, but you have my adventurous side ready to visit! Your info graph was ideal. It is short and to the point, there are not many colors that collide with each other and it gets to the point. Some of the ones I researched were too "busy" and honestly made me not want to click on them. I feel like for use in the classroom, as Turner and Hicks (2017) explain "teaching digital genres and modes is not about tools" (P. 80). There are so many things that we can use these for in the classroom. However, my mind goes straight to "how can my students create one of these for an assignment".
ReplyDeleteI also used virtual reality this year for taking my students to certain places in our novels. It is a huge way to build background knowledge and I can't wait to search more into your ideas!
References:
Turner, K.H., & Hicks, T. (2017). Teaching adolescents to read and write digital texts: Argument in the real world. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.
This is an excellent place for virtual tours of Civil and Revolutionary War battlefields. https://www.battlefields.org/visit/virtual-tours
Delete