Matusiak - Visual_Literacy_In_Practice.pptx (14.13 MB)
Visual literacy in practice
presentation
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, AnnaDigital 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.