What-is-Visual-Literacy.docx

**What is Visual Literacy?** The basic definition of visual literacy is the ability to read, write and create visual images. It is a concept that relates to art and design but it also has much wider applications. Visual literacy is about language, communication and interaction. Visual media is a li...

**What is Visual Literacy?** The basic definition of visual literacy is the ability to read, write and create visual images. It is a concept that relates to art and design but it also has much wider applications. Visual literacy is about language, communication and interaction. Visual media is a linguistic tool with which we communicate, exchange ideas and navigate our complex world. The term "visual literacy" was defined in 1969 by John Debes, the founder of the International Visual Literacy Association, as: *"Visual Literacy refers to a group of vision-competencies a human being can develop by seeing and at the same time having and integrating other sensory experiences. The development of these competencies is fundamental to normal human learning. When developed, they enable a visually literate person to discriminate and interpret the visible actions, objects, symbols, natural or man-made, that he encounters in his environment. Through the creative use of these competencies, he is able to communicate with others. Through the appreciative use of these competencies, he is able to comprehend and enjoy the masterworks of visual communication." -- John Debes, 1969* Since this definition by Debes, researchers and practitioners have re-defined ever more complex definitions that reflect the breadth of its applications. The term itself takes on different meanings in different contexts and you will therefore encounter new ideas in education, science, graphic design, art, technology, philosophy and so on. A computer screen shot of a diagram Description automatically generated Visual literacy is, by nature, an organic concept that requires us to continually define and re-define its meaning as our world changes. Digital technology has greatly impacted our understanding of visual literacy as we now see children growing up with tablets and computers and what appears to be highly developed visual literacy instincts. But are they instincts, or are they picking up this new 'language' as a result of their interactions with digital technologies? These, and many more, are the questions that we ask and explore on this website. We welcome you to put forth your own definition of visual literacy so that our collective knowledge can continue to inform progress in this important field. Visual literacy refers to the ability to successfully interpret and use images. We derive meaning from a great deal of visual input in our daily lives -- something that has increased significantly with the rise of digital media and technology. Today, our communications are more peppered with visuals than ever, including emojis, memes, profile pictures, advertising imagery, etc. Many jobs roles include application of visual literacy skills -- from manipulation of imagery in creative media and design arenas to representing data in a financial or scientific context. Being able to effectively interpret visual information is a key skill, impacting many areas of our professional and personal lives. As educators, it is useful to consider how you might encourage and utilise these skills in the classroom. Visual Literacy is being aware of how we experience images, video, and other forms of multimedia. Images must be evaluated in a similar way to written texts.  Like text, images can be used accurately, deliberately, misleadingly or carelessly. Some images, like texts, can be interpreted in different, sometimes contradictory, ways. Visual literacy is not just restricted to art history and film studies it is important for everyone. Maps can show geographical information much better than a verbal or textual description. Charts and graphs can clearly describe the growth or decline of population, financial performance of a company, etc. Cartoons can sum up a viewpoint or opinion. Images are everywhere in increasingly vast quantities. They entertain, influence, manipulate and persuade us. Some images are used to fill an otherwise blank space.  It is easy to view images passively without thinking about them or even just not notice them.  It is important that you reflect critically on any images that you come across in your research and even when casually searching the internet and other visual media just as you would to written text. This guide offers you the skills to question why the author of a document has chosen particular images and why you react to them in the way you do. **Are You Visually literate?** A visually literate person is someone who can: Determine the nature and extent of the visual materials needed Find and access needed images and visual media effectively and efficiently Interpret and analyze the meanings of images and visual media Evaluate images and their sources Use images and visual media effectively Design and create meaningful images and visual media Understand many of the ethical, legal, social, and economic issues surrounding the creation and use of images and visual media, and access and use visual materials ethically. **How to interpret and analyze an image** The first thing to consider when interpreting and evaluating visual materials is the \"rhetorical situation.\" This consists of four components: - Sender/Author/Creator  - Receiver/Audience/Viewer - Intention/Purpose/Goal  - Message/Content You should take time to look closely at the image or series of images and read any captions, metadata, and other accompanying text to learn about the image(s)  You should be able to: - Describe the image and what it represents - Identify the techniques used to produce it whether it is original or a reproduction - Recognize if the image has been altered. Is it a detail of a larger image, have the colours been changed? Look at this picture of a sleeping swan. How does it make you feel? What does it mean - if anything? What is happening - if anything? How is your attention directed across the image? Work through the \'Questions to ask Yourself\' in the box below. There isn\'t really a \'correct\' answer to this exercise. Really look at the image and reflect critically on it and on your responses to it and practise asking yourself the questions. **Tips for evaluating an image** Images, especially photographs, present a visual record of a moment in time. They can provide valuable information about what happened, what things looked like. However, images can be manipulated either by technical means such as altering or cropping, or by presenting images out of context. They are primary sources and need to be interpreted carefully. The following advice is from [The American Library Association](https://www.ala.org/): 'Once you have identified primary sources, it is necessary to read and examine them with a critical eye. It is important to consider both the source itself and the time in which it was created. Remember, too, that sources exist in different formats. Below are some of the questions you may ask about the nature of a source: 1\.  What is the source and what is it telling you? 2\. Who is the author or creator?\     What biases or assumptions may have influenced the author or creator?\     Who was the intended audience?\     What was the significance of the source at the time it was created?\     Has the source been edited or translated, thus potentially altering the original intent or purpose?\     What questions could be answered using this source?\     What, if any, are the limitations of the source?\     Does your understanding of the source fit with other scholars' interpretations, or does it challenge their argument? Consideration of these questions will help you analyze and interpret your sources without overusing and relying on too many direct quotations.' **Examples of Visual Literacy Skills** As with reading and writing the written word, a great many skills work together to establish a good level of visual literacy. Just with word-based literacy, a student's visual literacy skills will develop and deepen over time, given valuable and relevant opportunities to learn and apply them.  Encouraging visual literacy in the early years and building on this throughout the key stages will help to develop visually literate adults. Based on the description of a visually literate adult by The Association of College & Research Libraries ([**ACRL**](http://www.ala.org/acrl/standards/visualliteracy)), visual literacy skills include the ability to: - Interpret images. - Analyze the meaning of images. - Evaluate images and their sources. - Use images and visual media effectively. - Design and create meaningful images and visual media. - Understand the wider context surrounding the creation and use of images and visual media -- including ethical, legal, social and economic issues. **Why Should I Encourage Visual Literacy in the Classroom?** There are many reasons why it is beneficial to consciously encourage visual literacy in the classroom. These include: **To develop a life skill -** We live in an image-rich world. From being able to follow instructions to construct flat pack furniture to recognizing that images on social media are carefully curated to choosing an emoji to accompany a message, visual literacy skills will not only be beneficial in an educational context, but also in adult life. Being visually literate contributes towards having good communication skills. A 2020 LinkedIn [survey](https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/communication-most-in-demand-skill-future-work-heres-dan) found that communication is the most in-demand skill for today's job market. **To unlock other learning -** Visual literacy is not only a skill to learn in itself but it is also a means of acquiring other learning. The government's [**Reading Framework**](https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-reading-framework-teaching-the-foundations-of-literacy) points out that English is not only a subject in its own right but a means of delivering the curriculum. Likewise, visual elements accompany the written aspects of the curriculum and being visually literate means that children can draw meaning from visuals to aid their learning in other areas.  This includes, for example: - Gathering information from charts, graphs and diagrams in math or science. - Interrogating visual source material, such as photographs or posters in history. - Reading and constructing maps in geography. - Analyzing creative visuals in art, drama or design.  Taking the time to explicitly develop visual literacy skills will mean that visual elements of planned learning across the curriculum will have more meaning and impact for the learner. **To support verbal language development -** Using accompanying visuals -- images, signs or gestures -- can support speech and language development in young children as well as provide support for those whose first language is not English. **To support wider literacy skills -** Visual literacy can be used to help teach and reinforce reading comprehension. Using visual texts (including films, adverts, picture books, etc), or the visual elements of written texts, as a focus for comprehension activities can be both engaging and impactful. Similarly, encouraging visual literacy can have an impact on writing, as it can be used to stimulate and strengthen a student's imagination. Using visual material (including photographs, illustrations and film clips) as a stimulus for writing can produce excellent results. However, you should apply an [adaptive approach](https://www.highspeedtraining.co.uk/hub/what-is-adaptive-teaching/) to assess your learners' current visual literacy skills when planning the activity, and build in opportunities to model the activity.  **To encourage critical thinking -** Visual literacy can strengthen critical thinking skills (Thompson, 2019). As well as being a desirable academic skill, critical thinking also has a large role to play in safeguarding, particularly in terms of online risk. For example, children should be taught to think critically about the imagery they encounter and interact with online. **To support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities -** Many intervention or [support strategies](https://www.highspeedtraining.co.uk/hub/supporting-pupils-with-sen-in-the-classroom/) for children with SEND include visual elements -- such as visual timetables, feelings boards and image-based Speech and Language interventions. Building in more opportunities to utilise visual literacy can form part of the reasonable adjustments that you should make to support children's individual needs. For example, children who are neurodivergent may find visual information more accessible than resources that are text heavy. **Selecting visual input** The visuals that you use could be moving or still images. Think about incorporating some of the following: - Short animations -- Pixar shorts such as 'For the Birds' or 'Bao' are rich visual resources around which you can base whole literacy topics.  - TV adverts -- these allow you to look at how images are used to persuade or carry a message.  - Print advertising. - Posters --  this can include movie posters, historical propaganda posters and public health posters. - Artwork -- works of art can provide excellent stimulus.  - Stills from films -- take a 'snapshot' from a film to explore. - Stills from computer games. - Photographs -- historical photographs can be particularly interesting to analyze. - Picture books -- these should not just be considered as suitable for only younger children. There are many excellent picture books that you can use when teaching older students -- for example 'Window' by Jeannette Baker, 'The Lost Thing' by Shaun Tan or 'Voices in the Park' by Anthony Browne, to name a few. - Graphic Novels. - Memes or gifs. A wealth of visual literacy resources can be found on [The Literacy Shed](https://www.literacyshed.com/) website.  The more variety you incorporate, the more opportunities you will have to develop, and build on, those visual literacy skills. **Receptive Activities** When exploring any of these visuals, you will want to scaffold the activity through questioning. Simply presenting children with rich imagery and asking them to describe it is not going to yield the best results. Depending on the activity and your desired outcome, you might want to ask questions along the lines of: **Literal exploration** - Who or what can you see?   - How would you describe the way the character/setting looks? - What happened in this section of the film/animation? - What did X do? - What is this advertising? **Inference** - What do you think the character is feeling? What clues can you find to this in the picture/film? - What do you think might have happened just before this? - What do you think might happen in the next shot? - What message do you think the filmmaker/author/artist is trying to convey?  **Evaluation** - How does this make you feel?  - What do you think the artist/author/filmmaker wants you to feel, and why?  - Do you think this is a good choice of image/illustration? **REFERENCES** *LibGuides: Visual Literacy: How to define image need*. (n.d.). Watts, C. (2023, July 19). What is Visual Literacy? *The Hub \| High Speed Training*. *What is Visual Literacy? -- Visual Literacy Today*. (n.d.).