shakeable soulfulness: The Ultimate Guide To Infographics

Topics: education, guest, guide, infographics, learning, questions, technology

What Are Infographics?

I found many definitions of what Infographics are as well as explanations of how they are useful in a variety of settings. Here are a couple of the definitions I liked followed by their sources:

Information graphics or infographics are graphic visual representations of information, data or knowledge. These graphics present complex information quickly and clearly, such as in signs, maps, journalism, technical writing, and education. With an information graphic, computer scientists, mathematicians, and statisticians develop and communicate concepts using a single symbol to process information. (Wikipedia)

An umbrella term for illustrations and charts that instruct people, which otherwise would be difficult or impossible with only text. Infographics are used worldwide in every discipline from road maps and street signs to the many technical drawings. (PC Magazine)

An easy-to-read illustration that helps tell a story and makes data points easier to understand. And it doesn?t hurt when infographics are not only clear and straightforward but also beautiful and engaging. The aesthetic design draws the viewer in; the information helps the viewer analyze and understand the data being presented. (Visual.ly)

And finally, my favorite, an Infographic that explains what is an Infographic: by Hot Butter Studio.

what is an infographic

These three examples do a nice job of defining what infographics are, but what is the value of an infographic in education? I?m glad you asked because this video does an excellent job of demonstrating how valuable they can be if they are used effectively in an educational setting.

The Value of Visualization from Column Five on Vimeo.

The Science Behind Infographics

Now that we have a basic understanding of what infographics are, This refers to the part of the video where the narrator asks the viewer to count the number of 7s in the number set. The video explains that comprehension becomes almost instant due to preattentive attributes, or ?visual clues? like size, color, and orientation that the brain processes in 250 milliseconds (msec). This chart shows a list of preattentive attributes that infographics use to convey their message clearly.

According to research by Mark Smiciklas, author of the book The Power of Infographics: Using Pictures to Communicate and Connect with Your Audiences, ?one of the primary reasons infographics work well as a communication tool can be linked to eyesight and the neurological connection of our eyes and brain.? He goes on to discuss how our brains are hard wired for infographics because vision directly accounts for 50% of our brain?s real estate. Since we are already built to consume information visually, infographics might be easier to process than pure text.

Smiciklas also notes that ?Robert Lane and Dr. Stephen Kosslyn offer an explanation for what the brain sees when it comes to pictures vs. words. Each letter in a word is essentially a symbol. To read text, the brain needs to act as a decoder first, matching those letters with shapes stored in memory. From there the brain must figure out how all the letters fit together to form words, how words form sentences, and how sentences form paragraphs.

Although all this comprehension takes place in only a split second, relatively speaking, when compared to how the brain deals with images, the process requires considerably more mental effort.?

Infographics and Education

One line from the Value of Visualization video that stands out above all as the key to illustrate infographics and the value they add to instruction is, ?your message is only as good as your ability to share it.? Using infographics in instruction is an innovative and engaging way to ensure that the message you are sharing is visually appealing and easily digested by your students.

They allow students to comprehend, interpret, and analyze complex information in a quick and clear manner. This combined with the brain research to support why infographics are so effective gives teachers a powerful new tool to use for teaching and learning.For more information on how to use infographics, checkout these additional resources from the New York Times blog called The Learning Network. Clicking on this link will give you access to posts on The Learning Network that have been tagged with Infographics.

Wait, it gets better! They take it one step further and elaborate on the Who, What, Where, When, Why, and How each of the infographics could be used in your classroom. I also encourage you to do some research of your own by simply typing in search words like ?infographics in education? into a search engine.

You?ll find more sources of infographics then you can shake a stick at as well as websites where you or your students can make your own infographics. Happy hunting!

If You Have Time David McCandless: The beauty of data visualization (18:17) ?Helping students interpret visual representations of information ? NYTimes.com.? The Learning Network ? The Learning Network Blog ? NYTimes.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Oct. 2012. <http://learning.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/08/23/teaching-with-infographics-places-to-start/>.
?Preattentive processing ? InfoVis:Wiki.? Main Page ? InfoVis:Wiki. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Oct. 2012. <http://www.infovis-wiki.net/index.php/Preattentive_processing>.
Rosenthal Tolisano, Silvia. ?Infographics- What? Why? How?.? Langwitches Blob. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Oct. 2012. <langwitches.org/blog/2010/06/16/infographics-what-why-how/>.
Smiciklas, Mark. ?INFOGRAPHICS AND THE SCIENCE OF VISUAL COMMUNICATION.? Social Media Explorer. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Oct. 2012. <www.socialmediaexplorer.com/digital-marketing/infographics-and-the-science-of-visual-communication/>.
?The Value of Visualization on Vimeo.? Vimeo, Your Videos Belong Here. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Oct. 2012. <http://vimeo.com/29684853>.
?What is an Infographic?.? Column Five: Infographics, Data Visualization and Motion Graphics. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Oct. 2012. <http://columnfivemedia.com/what-is-an-infographic/>. MLA formatting by BibMe.org.