What We See and Why It Matters: How Competency in Visual Literacy can Enhance Student Learning

WHAT WE SEE AND WHY IT MATTERS: HOW COMPETENCY IN VISUAL LITERACY CAN ENHANCE STUDENT LEARNING Anneliese Tillmann Interdisciplinary Educational Studies, Illinois Wesleyan University In today’s world, we use more visuals than ever before. Research suggests that the balance between words and images has shifted considerably calling for new forms of literacy (Brumberger, 2011). Visual literacy goes above and beyond the traditional concepts of reading and writing, expanding literacy to include visuals. The analysis and review of current visual literacy research suggests teaching visual literacy is necessary for students to become capable of navigating the visually driven world in which we live. The research highlights the importance of incorporating visuals into the literacy curricula and explores practical uses of visual literacy in present day society. Findings suggest that developing the ability to create images will help students better learn to decipher, understand and communicate with images. If there is a better understanding of how and why visuals are developed, then the use of visuals can become more effective, ergo enhancing student learning.

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