Critically Engaging the 21st Century Learner in Visual Worlds and Virtual

Environments2009 VIRTUAL Visual Literacy Conference

Austin Peay State University

Kim Morrow, Ursula Price, Dan Przybylski & Lynette Taylor

Interactive Visual Literacy Tools for Future Scientists

Comprehension with Visual Literacy Visualizing is thinking

Using images help children connect concepts in ways text alone may not.

Visual texts simplify a topic and show the structure of that topic (Moline & Drew, 2009).

Re-composing

“Re-composing” means reading information in one form (such as words and sentences) and summarizing it in another form (such as a diagram or table)” (Moline & Drew, 2009).

Key Component

Students no longer simply copy information from the board to the notebook but must think about the main idea and translate it into visual text(Moline & Drew, 2009).

Re-composing is a key concept in aiding comprehension.

Accessibility

Most students can interpret and read diagrams and maps before reading the same information in words and sentences.

Comprehension is increased using text and nonfiction books with clear diagrams, not just photographs (Moline & Drew, 2009).

Higher Order Thinking

Visual Literacy increases not only comprehension but encompasses many of the skills in Bloom’s Taxonomy.

Science and Technology Relationship Diagrams Videos Flowcharts

electron

neutron

proton

Visual Worlds and Virtual Environments

www.learningscience.orgThe true scientist never

loses the faculty of amazement. It is the

essence of their being.Hans Selye, Newsweek, 1958

Helping Plants Grow Well

This site enhances student’s knowledge of plants while being interactive.

Students move the sliders to add water and heat.

The right conditions are determined for plant survival.

If conditions are right, the plant will grow.

www.bbc.co.uk/schools/scienceclips/plants_grow.

Melting and Freezing Point

Students choose the substance with the lowest melting point.

Students can click the heat button to test.

Visually see what happens to the substance.

Explains the temperature after it becomes a liquid.

www.bbc.co.uk/schools/ks2bitesize/science/materials/solids-liquids/play

Weather Maker

Interactive site that lets students control the weather.

Create conditions for a particular day, sunny, windy.

Move the humidity and the temperature slider.

www.bbc.co.uk/schools/science/physical

process/earth_sun_moon_play.shtml

Earth, Sun, and Moon

Visually see how the earth and moon move around the sun.

Students can click to see hourly changes.

Labels and quizzes are provided.

www.bbc.co.uk/schools/science/physical_process/

Ourselves-Movement Interactive

teaching tool using movement.

See differences in animal structures, living and non-living.

Label parts of the living, visual images.

Questions offered in audio and visual formats.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/scienceclips/index_flash.shtml

Ourselves-Body Parts

Students drag and label parts of the body.

Visual tools allow students to see differences between humans and other animals.

Uses easy to understand terminology.

Teeth and Eating

Students can drag the correct teeth to the mammal.

Upon success, they are able to see the animal eat.

Uses visual images to explain different types of mammals.

Supplemented with handouts and explanations.

Layers of Time-Fossil Activity Allows students to

explore how fossils are made.

Teaches students about different periods of time.

Matching activity provided as follow up to the activity.

http://www.amnh.org/ology/?channel=paleontology#

States of Matter Applet allows

students to visually see how molecules move.

See how elements and compounds react to heat.

Makes an abstract concept concrete.

Molecules move helping students understand the concept.

http://phet.colorado.edu/simulations/sims.php?sim=States_of_Matter

Balancing Equations

Challenges students to balance four types of equations.

Uses a visual model students can manipulate.

Helps students grasp the abstract concept of balancing equations.

Critical thinking is encouraged as students use scientific diagrams and models.

http://www.explorelearning.com/index.cfm?method=cResource.dspDetail&ResourceID=408

Tools for ScienceCreate a Graph Enables students

to compile data graphically.

Helps teach visual literacy skills.

Students are able to manipulate features on the graph.

Learn to interpret and read informational text.

http://nces.ed.gov/nceskids/createagraph/default.aspx

First Three Years Results

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90

Grades K-5 Grades 6-8 Grades 9-12

Perc

enta

ge In

crea

sed

Grade Level

First Three Years

Impact

• Web 2.0 and Visual Literacy Skills

• Higher Order Thinking Skills

• Interactive Lessons

• Comprehension

Future Scientists

Technology

Visual Literacy

Collaboration

Global Society

Life Long Learning

References

Moline, S. and Drew, D.Visual literacy k-8, using visual literacy. (n.d.). Retrieved December 1, 2009 from http://k-8visual.info/