This document discusses the importance of visual literacy and visual thinking in learning. It makes the following key points: 1) Visual images are becoming the predominant form of communication and interpreting visual language plays an important role in learning. Some people are visual thinkers. 2) Early childhood development involves drawing on visual language before words. Visual thinking is a fundamental part of the learning process but approaches need to support both visual and verbal thinking. 3) Teachers need to recognize the role of visual thinking in a multimodal world and consider strategies to create a learning environment that supports visual thinking. Being visually literate allows people to interpret and evaluate visual texts.

1. VISUAL LITERACY
Module 2

2. AIM: Explore what visual literacy
means
• Think about it, draw on research, and relate to
your own experience of thinking
• Discuss why literacy and language teachers, and
teacher educators, need to recognise the role of
visual thinking in learning in a multimodal world
• Consider whether your learning and teaching
approaches need to support visual thinking
• Explore strategies for creating a learning
environment in which visual thinking can play a
deep and significant role in the learning process.

3. Visual Language - Introduction
We all read visual language, whether
accompanied by written or spoken words or not.

4. Need for visual literacy
• Visual images fast becoming the most
predominant form of communication
• Recognising pictures precede recognition of
words
• Interpreting visual language play an important
part in learning about world in general
• Some people are visual thinkers
• Necessary workplace skill

5. Pre-school children brought up in an
environment where visual language
plays an important part.
• Direct to images before they can speak
• Read pictures before they read words
• Draw pictures before they write

6. Everyday Communication
Three strands of language - oral, written, and
visual, essential for receiving and transmitting
information
Everyday face-to-face communication, where
the spoken language cannot be separated
from the visual language of gestures, eye
contact, and facial expression.

7. Print where visuals convey meanings
not necessarily presented as written
text

8. Visual Thinkers
Thinking as fundamental to learning.
But not all people think in the same way. Some people think only
visually, some only verbally (i.e. in words) and some do both (Cooper,
2006).
West (1997) defines visual thinking as:
“... that form of thought in which images are generated or recalled in
the mind and are manipulated ... associated with other forms (as with
a metaphor), rotated ... or otherwise transformed gradually from one
image into another. These images may be visual representations of
material things or they may be non-physical abstract concepts ...”
• Test on man and woman walking

9. Why should we take account of visual
thinking?
“Any successful theory of pedagogy must be based on views
about how the human mind works in society and in
classrooms…” Kress (2000)
Visual & verbal thinking involve:
• taking in and generating information and ideas
• processing information, and
• storing and retrieving information
For a successful, creative and meaningful learning experience,
the learner needs a learning environment that supports all
these aspects of how they think.

10. Workplace Skills
Internet texts are strongly visual
Visual images can
help read and understand texts
support reading and help make meaning of text
Readers should learn to
explore various forms of verbal and visual communication analyse
the interaction between words and images
think critically about the meanings and effects produced.
Focus on how to use images available to build reading skills.

11. Character study

12. Visual literacy
The ability to decode, interpret, create, question, challenge
and evaluate texts that communicate with visual images as
well as, or rather than, words.
Visually literate people can read the intended meaning in a
visual text, interpret the purpose and intended meaning, and
evaluate the form, structure and features of the text.
It is important for teachers to be well informed and confident
so that they teach effectively and enjoy exploring visual
language.
Many countries have included the study of visual language as
an integral part of the study of the English language.

13. How Visuals Help
Pictures may serve to help
• (a) establish the setting, (b) define/develop
the characters, (c) extend/develop the plot,
(d) provide a different viewpoint, (e)
contribute to the text’s coherence, and (f)
reinforce the text.
Levin’s five functions that help in text processing
• decorational, representational, organizational,
interpretational and transformational.

14. Graphic Organisers

18. Instruction writing

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24. Color coding, highlighting
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25. Exploring Visual Language
Teachers
• learn how visual language works
• acquire terminology
Gain means of identifying, describing, discussing,
analysing, and evaluating visual language, and
thereby gain a better understanding of visual
language texts.
Just as close reading of written texts promotes
understanding in depth, so close study of visual
texts provides important insights.

26. Visual technologies
Use of ICT can have a great impact upon reading and learning
standards.
Variety of ICT opportunities that can be used:
• video/DVD
• digital images
• ICT texts/web-based texts
• photographs/images
• outlines, picture glossaries, etc.
BECTA Research (2011)

27. How can using pictures help second
language learners succeed in school?
• For second language learners, meaningful
interaction and plenty of conversation are
essential. Visual materials can promote
dialogues that stimulate thinking.
• General education and special education
teachers can initiate language-rich
opportunities in all contexts.

28. Benefits for levels ELLs
• Silent period: learner relies mostly on listening and nonverbal
means for learning.
1. Can use pictures to communicate their thoughts as well as represent
their comprehension.
2. Need time to develop enough confidence and language skill before
using language to participate fully in classrooms.
3. Visuals help to demonstrate what they know through non-verbal
means and to build successful learning experiences. Also teachers can
make their instructions more explicit and comprehensible.
• More proficient ELLs: learn to speak simple sentences
1. Strongly aware of their mistakes in language.
2. Visuals provide students with ample opportunities for them to talk
about a common topic across textual formats.
3. Also makes content more explicit cont.

29. Benefits for levels ELLs
• Most proficient stage: willing to participate in
all aspects of classroom activities
1. Help students to engage in content learning in
more creative and critical ways.
2. Visual materials should become anchoring
tools to help them access meanings and
demonstrate what they know.
3. Build strategies based on visuals to self-
regulate their learning process.

30. Benefits for persons with
developmental disabilities
• Workplace Success: Reading and writing supports
communication, enhances access to information,
and allows individuals to perform personal and
work-related tasks with increased independence.
• Personal development: literacy skills for the
expression of needs, wants, information, feelings
and ideas.
• Enhancing communication, interpersonal
interactions, access to employment
opportunities, increased independence in terms
of daily living skills and access to leisure activities.

31. ADVANTAGES
trigger student interest
meaningful contextualisation
prompts for talk
vocabulary work, drills, writing, etc.
promote self-confidence among ELL students
promote alternative ways of participating
allow opportunities for more interactions
suit the needs of ELL students with various levels of language proficiency
activate background knowledge
focus on higher-order thinking and problem-solving
establish a purpose for learners
provide a structure for reading
provide additional context for accessing information
promote study skills

32. Exploring Visual Language: a
Framework
“Close read" of visual language text
During guided, shared, and independent reading of visual
language, ask:
• What is the visual text about?
• What visual language features are used? What effects do
these features have on the reader?
• What clues do the visual language features give the reader?
• How do the visual, written, and oral texts interrelate and
support each other?
• Is this visual language meant to represent reality? How
"true" is a text.
• What is the main focus of attention of each illustration?

33. Teaching using visuals
STW
Help students focus on illustrations by asking
What do I See? What do I Think? and What do I
Wonder? This strategy enables students to fully
experience the message in picture books.
Developed by Janet C. Richards and Nancy A.
Anderson
STW promotes critical thinking, encourages
thoughtful prediction, and stimulates curiosity.

34. Thank you, now
Get Down to Work