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Matusiak - Visual_Literacy_In_Practice.pptx (14.13 MB)

Visual literacy in practice

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posted on 2017-06-03, 21:39 authored by Symposium on Information and technology in the arts and humanitiesSymposium on Information and technology in the arts and humanities, Matusiak, Krystyna, Harper, Anna
Digital technology has dramatically changed the way students utilize visual materials by enabling easy creation and reuse. The influx of resources in the visual mode of representation has created new possibilities for teaching and learning in an academic environment that has traditionally favored the text as a source of knowledge. However, the proliferation of images and ease of copying and pasting do not mean that students know how to select appropriate images, evaluate them in regard to meaning, quality, and copyright, and integrate them into academic work effectively. With the expanding role of images in communication and education, visual literacy is gaining more attention in research and practice. The concept of visual literacy includes critical understanding of visual information as well as the skills in creation and processing of digital images. This presentation will report the findings of the research project that examined undergraduate and graduate students’ visual literacy skills and use of images and other visual information resources in the context of academic work. The study explored the types of visual resources being used in students’ academic work, the role images play in academic papers and presentations, and the ways students select, evaluate, and process images. For the purpose of this study, we collected documentary evidence in the form of students’ papers and presentations, questionnaires about visual practices, and conducted interviews with 15 undergraduate and graduate students. The findings of the study indicate that undergraduate as well as graduate students lack basic visual literacy skills in selecting, evaluating, and using images. Students use a range of visual resources in their presentations but rarely use images in papers. We found students struggle with proper use of images in academic work, and feel that visual literacy is an important concept that should be addressed in library instruction alongside information literacy. This presentation will discuss the findings as well as implications for expanding visual literacy awareness and education. It will offer suggestions for incorporating visual literacy skills into instruction and collaborating with campus stakeholders to address the lack of visual literacy education.

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