Assignment 4 Infographics, Posters
by Tonia Clark and Jimmy Vinson
Reflection
Topic
Langston Hughes
Target Audience This infographic was created for 5th grade Social Studies students.
Instructional Design Process To develop this assignment, my partner and I began by locating the Georgia Performance Standards Social Studies Frameworks for 5th grade. We selected Unit#6 – Ups and Downs: World War I, the Jazz Age, & the Great Depression” framework. We researched the unit topics and decided to use the ARCS Model of Instructional Design. Therefore, it was important for the infographic to capture the attention of the students, have relevance to their experiences, provide confidence, and satisfaction of newly acquired information.
The Lesson We Are Trying to Teach For the infographic, we decided to teach a lesson about the cultural developments and individual contributions in the 1920’s after World War I. We focused on Langston Hughes as one of the contributors to the Harlem Renaissance and used the following standard: SS5H4: The student will describe U.S. involvement in World War I and post-World War I America.
How Project Can Be Used For Teaching/Supporting Classroom Lessons Infographics are excellent way to present clear and precise information to students when learning complex topics. As students examine the visual aid they learn how to determine the most important and useful information. An infographic is also beneficial when introducing new content to students and simultaneously address the various learning styles and abilities of learners. Students can create their own infographics to enhance their analytical and synthesis skills as they make decisions about what to include. They could also share their infographics with other peers to discuss similarities and differences.
Principles and Elements of Visual/Media Literacy/Mayer’s Multimedia In order to integrate visual literacy skills for this assignment, the elements of size/scale, value, and color were employed. Additionally, the principles of focal point, balance, movement, and unity were also included. As learners view the infographic, the color and size of the headings/objects and images capture their attention. Mayer’s principle of multimedia, spatial, and individual differences are also employed since the words and images appear together on the screen. The viewers are able to determine the focal point, balance, movement in the layout of the provided information. As a result, students are using the “Learn to Look” approach and are enhancing their visual literacy, analytical, and comprehension skills.
Definition of Infographics/Posters
Infographics are visual representation of information used to explain topics. They are easy to read and include the most relevant data. Sometimes charts, graphs, and numbers are used to convey understanding of more complex topics or concepts. Posters are similar to infographics, but they offer more statements to communicate an idea or concept without extraneous information.
Proposed Way Students Can Develop Infographics/Posters There are several ways in which students can develop infographics or posters. A teacher can get students to develop an infographic about the aftermath of World War I. The learning objective is for students to describe the cultural developments and individual contributions in the 1920’s. Teachers could divide the class into 4 or 5 groups and assign a topic to each group. The students would then create an infographic to show their understanding of the topic. They could present the infographics to the class and students would then learn key concepts about each topic.
Challenges
This assignment was enjoyable and the challenges I encountered were minimal. Some application tools such as Easel.ly have numerous templates and make it simple to create infographics. This is especially helpful for students and first time users who are not familiar with designing visual presentations. Uploading information into the infographic was a bit challenging at first but became easier the more time I spent using the application tool. I really like the option for making the infographic longer to add more date. Overall, this was a great assignment and I anticipate using infographic/posters in the future with students and colleagues.
Target Audience This infographic was created for 5th grade Social Studies students.
Instructional Design Process To develop this assignment, my partner and I began by locating the Georgia Performance Standards Social Studies Frameworks for 5th grade. We selected Unit#6 – Ups and Downs: World War I, the Jazz Age, & the Great Depression” framework. We researched the unit topics and decided to use the ARCS Model of Instructional Design. Therefore, it was important for the infographic to capture the attention of the students, have relevance to their experiences, provide confidence, and satisfaction of newly acquired information.
The Lesson We Are Trying to Teach For the infographic, we decided to teach a lesson about the cultural developments and individual contributions in the 1920’s after World War I. We focused on Langston Hughes as one of the contributors to the Harlem Renaissance and used the following standard: SS5H4: The student will describe U.S. involvement in World War I and post-World War I America.
How Project Can Be Used For Teaching/Supporting Classroom Lessons Infographics are excellent way to present clear and precise information to students when learning complex topics. As students examine the visual aid they learn how to determine the most important and useful information. An infographic is also beneficial when introducing new content to students and simultaneously address the various learning styles and abilities of learners. Students can create their own infographics to enhance their analytical and synthesis skills as they make decisions about what to include. They could also share their infographics with other peers to discuss similarities and differences.
Principles and Elements of Visual/Media Literacy/Mayer’s Multimedia In order to integrate visual literacy skills for this assignment, the elements of size/scale, value, and color were employed. Additionally, the principles of focal point, balance, movement, and unity were also included. As learners view the infographic, the color and size of the headings/objects and images capture their attention. Mayer’s principle of multimedia, spatial, and individual differences are also employed since the words and images appear together on the screen. The viewers are able to determine the focal point, balance, movement in the layout of the provided information. As a result, students are using the “Learn to Look” approach and are enhancing their visual literacy, analytical, and comprehension skills.
Definition of Infographics/Posters
Infographics are visual representation of information used to explain topics. They are easy to read and include the most relevant data. Sometimes charts, graphs, and numbers are used to convey understanding of more complex topics or concepts. Posters are similar to infographics, but they offer more statements to communicate an idea or concept without extraneous information.
Proposed Way Students Can Develop Infographics/Posters There are several ways in which students can develop infographics or posters. A teacher can get students to develop an infographic about the aftermath of World War I. The learning objective is for students to describe the cultural developments and individual contributions in the 1920’s. Teachers could divide the class into 4 or 5 groups and assign a topic to each group. The students would then create an infographic to show their understanding of the topic. They could present the infographics to the class and students would then learn key concepts about each topic.
Challenges
This assignment was enjoyable and the challenges I encountered were minimal. Some application tools such as Easel.ly have numerous templates and make it simple to create infographics. This is especially helpful for students and first time users who are not familiar with designing visual presentations. Uploading information into the infographic was a bit challenging at first but became easier the more time I spent using the application tool. I really like the option for making the infographic longer to add more date. Overall, this was a great assignment and I anticipate using infographic/posters in the future with students and colleagues.