Affordances of images in pedagogy

1. Technical features, affordances and pedagogy – analysis of images
Features of the technology Affordances (activities and practice) Affordances (examples of pedagogy and designs)
Images can be real life (photographs) or
created digitally. These can be merged to
create a mix.
An image of almost any idea, concept, emotion,
experience can be created to support or show
learning. Students can locate and produce images to
meet their individual needs and understanding. The
creator must make decisions how best to
communicate their thinking.
Creativity
Year 7 English – Ned Kelly novel study.
Production of an illustration in response to a literature
study, and in a style similar to the period could be done
using the ArtRage app. It allows students to create a
response using what looks like real materials. Their
image, made digitally, could be placed in a class blog to
allow peers to post comments around the effectiveness
of the artist in making the piece look authentic to the
time.
Critical Thinking
Year 3 History – Local Area Study
Researching and locating photographs of the local area.
Students compare and contrast with modern
photographs and discuss the how and why of change.
Communication
LOTE
Students could create a digital class dictionary in a Wiki
to illustrate commonly used words and phrases in the
focus language. Images could be sourced or created as
students require.
Empathy
Year 6 History - Immigration and Multiculturalism Study
Group Task - images representing specific groups of
immigrants could be researched and collected and a
collage produced. To this an audio could be embedded
from the perspective of a fictional immigrant from that
country represented in the collage describing the
hardships they encountered. Much discussion and
collaboration would have to occur within groups of
students to decide which images are best included to fit
with the audio and to meet the audience expectations.
Individualism
Year 1 History – Generations Study
Students could take photographs (or copy from old hard
Images are easily duplicated and transferred
to social media. Format can be changed to
allow use in various applications.
The importance of audience comes into play when
transferring images - the “who to, where and why”
questions should factor into choices.
Images can be altered through Web 2.0 tools.
E.g. resized, cropped, and zoomed in close.
Focus on an image’s parts can be changed for the
viewer by the creator to enhance message signals.
Images can have effects applied to change
the whole message of the image.
The feel and overall look of an image sends as
powerful a message as the separate elements within.
Changing a colour photograph to sepia can give the
impression it was taken long ago.
A series of images can be transformed into a
movie format.
A collection of images can be used to present a
narrative.
Images can be placed in online repositories
and made private or public.
Audience can be consciously controlled (or not) to a
certain extent. Crowd generation of images make
locating support resources easier.
Photographs of people in situ and in action
can be produced digitally.
Experience, movement emotion and whole stories can
be told through images of humanity. Ethical use of
such requires explicit teaching and learning by
producers.
Images, such as concept maps and flow
charts can be manipulated to be expanded.
Students can add to and change in response to their
knowledge construction either individually or
socially.
Images can be serialised to illustrate
sequence.
Closer examination of movement and process is
possible. Linking sequenced images requires prior
knowledge and further knowledge development.
Numerical data can be converted as an
image.
The creator can show results and evidence in a visual
way for speed and ease of understanding by the
audience.

2. Images can have audio embedded within
them to enhance the author’s message.
Production of audio to add to the message of an
image can direct the viewer’s focus and enhance
communication.
copies at home) of their Great grandparent, grandparent,
parent and themselves. Depending on availability.
Uploaded to computer (by the teacher – to a safe
restricted folder) the children could then speak to the
images about their experiences with older generations.
This adds a unique visual to the sharing of information.
Images can be produced by mobile apps (e.g.
360 Panorama) to situate the viewer in a 3D
position.
The image can provide the viewer with the feeling of
“being there”. Presenting images to an audience that
will never physically be in that place overcomes the
feeling of distance.
Visual Literacy
Year 5 Geography– Bushfire and Flood impact
As a stimulus photographs from recent natural disasters
in Australia could be interpreted by students in a See-
Think-Wonder approach. An infographic could then be
produced (after research) to educate people how to
respond after an event to help themselves and others in
the community.
Digital Citizenship
In all pedagogy that requires the use of images,
cybersafety and ethical use should be taught to students
and practised by the teacher and students alike.
Images can be sourced from Creative
Commons websites to be used freely (in
accordance with licencing).
If a person cannot produce an image to use for a task,
perhaps due to time and space constraints, the use of
another’s work may be available to solve the
problem.