VISUAL LITERACY
Visual Literacy, by definition, is the “learned ability to interpret visual messages accurately and to create such messages”. This requires the function of both the teacher and the learner.
STRATEGIES
It is the primary aim of the teacher to be able to teach the students to develop their visual literacy in the following strategies:
1) Input Strategies – students must be taught how to DECODE or read the purpose and message behind every visual.
But first, teachers must take into consideration the learner’s age, cultural background, and visual preferences to effectively guide them. It is known that younger children tend to interpret the visuals into sections rather than the whole. Older children analyze the whole scene and report the meaning of the picture. Cultural-bias can influence the decoding of the visual. Every learner’s cultural background always determines the manner of the interpretation because analysis necessitates experiential understanding. Finally, visual preferences vary among learners. “Upper elementary students prefer color to black and white, chose photographs over drawings and prefer moderately complex than to simple illustrations.”
Then, “teachers develop these visual skills by letting their students; practice viewing and critiquing visual displays (ex. magazine ads) and by thinking critically about and discussing television programs.”
2) Output Strategies – students must be taught how to ENCODE or write visuals.
Visual literacy can be enhanced when students create visual presentations. These visual presentations take so many forms. It can be a thematic presentation of carefully selected and arranged 35mm slides. They can use the video camera to illustrate ideas. They can use current computer presentation software, such as Power Point, Keynote, Movie Maker, or iMovie.
These, however, must be done through meaningful SEQUENCING. This is a skill that is learned and enhanced through proper guideline and constant practice. Sequencing is best learned though storyboarding techniques.
GOALS
Visual Literacy is essentially a function of effective communication. Visual teaching and learning is but a by-product of successful delivery of purposeful ideas. Thus, to achieve this, teachers and students have to know the goals that guide the visual design, namely;
1) Ensure Legibility – words and images in visual presentations can be satisfactorily read and seen.
2) Reduce Effort – visuals should be easily understood through appropriate pattern arrangements, good color combinations, less distracting choice of shapes and text.
3) Increase Active Engagement – visuals should be as appealing as possible. Color schemes and designs should hold the audience.
4) Focus Attention – the audience has to be drawn towards the important parts of the presentation using good design patterns and specific directional guides.
