Students, no matter what age they are, learn in many different ways. Some are auditory, visual, reading/writing, and kinesthetic learners. Infographics can embody several of these versions of learning all in one place. A visual or graphic is always extremely helpful to aid in student learning and an infographic combines both information or text and graphic design. Using infographics in the classroom can enhance student learning in so many ways; it catches their attention, explains information, and also helps them to retain the information presented. The combination of both text and visuals is extremely helpful for comprehending information. Sometimes just reading text alone is not enough for students to understand a concept and they need more than one way for it to be presented to them. According to Lawrence (2022), “visual rhetoric is another powerful rhetorical tool to help analyze the world” (p. 187). Seeing information in a visual format can help students understand more complex information. Infographics can also be helpful for students with attention disorders; the visuals along with the condensed text, helps keep their focus on what they are learning.
Infographics are a great tool for teachers to use and there are so many great ways that they can be incorporated into lessons and in the classroom in general. Here is a website that contains 10 ways to use infographics as a visual learning tool to help further student comprehension.
10 Ways to Use Infographics as a Visual Learning Tool
Lawrence (2022) states that “scholars in the field of rhetoric now recognize the powerful effects that visuals, video, design, and processes can have on our perception of reality” (p. 161). Graphics can have such an impact on our learning and understanding of things. Not only is it helpful to teach using infographics, it is extremely beneficial for students to create their own infographics to display their learning. Having students create an infographic to display their knowledge activates important critical thinking skills. Infographics require students to read information and then summarize and synthesize that information to be included on the infographic. Furthermore, having to incorporate graphics into their writing, pushes students to think deeper into what they are researching and helps them have a deeper understanding of the material Using infographics to share their learning can be more enjoyable for students, hold their interest in the material, and, in turn, help them retain the information because they are invested in what they are learning. Derek and Jenkinson (2020) suggest, “our experiences have shown that infographic-based assessments can enhance student creativity, engagement, and communications skills” (p. 103). Using infographics and graphics to express information in general is a lifelong skill that will be helpful for students beyond their school years. Whether it is reading an infographic or creating an infographic, students are using multiple forms of rhetoric to both comprehend information and express information. Derek and Jenkinson (2020) have found that, “infographics have a strong visual component that can make it easier for a viewer to understand the message” (p. 95).
Below is an infographic that explains 5 reasons that teachers should use infographics in their classroom and with their students.
Lawrence, D. (2022). Digital writing: A guide to writing for social media and the web. Broadview Press.
Derek, A. S. & Jenkinson, A.M. (2020). Using infographics to help students understand anatomy and physiology. Journal of the Anatomy and Physiology Society. Retrieved February 3, 2024, from https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1294930.pdf.
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I taught fifth grade math for seven years and wish I would have taken this graduate class sooner. Creating an infographic was fun, and my students could have used and created infographics for references and tips for math strategies. In Fanguy’s (2023) article, I like the idea in the infographic, “10 ways to use infographics as a visual learning tool.” The presented idea suggested utilizing infographics to explain rules or clarify a process. This would be valuable for math students. “Because infographics present data–numerical, written, and visual–they can be a powerful medium for making arguments” (Turner & Hicks, 2017, p. 61).
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ReplyDeleteHey Mallory, I agree with you that infographics are a great tool for teachers to use. I love how infographics synthesize information down to what is most important. It's great that educators can find many online sources for ways to utilize infographics in their classroom. In their article "Infographics as a Promising Tool for Teaching and Learning", Parveen and Husain (2021) reference criteria for creating infographics. "Yarbrough (2019) suggested four criteria for quality infographics that might help in designing and producing them for teaching learning process. They should be: meaningful and relevant, helpful in summarization, helpful in quick recall and helpful in maximizing the communication with minimizing the space" (p. 558).
ReplyDeleteParveen, A. & Husain, N. (2021). Infographics as a promising tool for teaching and learning. Journal of Emerging Technologies and Innovative Research, 8(8), 554-559. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/353972899_infographic_as_a_promising_tool_for_teaching_and_learning
Mallory, I loved learning how infographics could be use within the classroom. I have seen them, and used them for teacher or parent purposes, but I have never thought about the different ways they can be utilized in the classroom with students. According to Lawrence (2022), “visual rhetoric is another powerful rhetorical tool to help analyze the world” (p. 187). According to Turner and Hicks' table 4.3 (2022), lists "the procedural knowledge of form that a student needs in order to critically consume or compose an infographic" (p. 71)
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