Teaching, Learning, and Visual Literacy
The Dual Role of Visual Representation

This book examines the importance of visual literacy education, offering strategies for improving the visual analytic abilities of teachers and students.

Billie Eilam (Author)

9780521119825, Cambridge University Press

Hardback, published 27 August 2012

348 pages, 30 b/w illus. 4 tables
22.9 x 15 x 2.8 cm, 0.68 kg

Visual literacy is an increasingly critical skill in a globalizing, digital world. This book addresses the core issues concerning visual literacy in education, underscoring its importance for the instruction of students and educators. Professor Billie Eilam argues that the incorporation of visual skill development in teacher training programs will help break the cycle of visual illiteracy. Understanding the pedagogical benefits and risks of visual representation can help educators develop effective strategies to produce visually literate students. Eilam presents a broad overview of theoretical knowledge regarding visual representation, as well as a discussion of best practices for the use of visual elements in schools. In addition to theory, Eilam includes practical exercises for introducing visual literacy into teacher education, offering strategies for analyzing visualization in curricula and for increasing awareness of visual culture.

Preface. Part I. Introduction: 1. Dualities of visual literacy: the double-faced Janus image
Part II. The State of the Art in Visual Literacy among Teachers and Students in Schools and within Today's Visual Culture: 2. A day in teachers' work: qualitative research and case illustrations on teaching and learning with VRs in today's schools
3. Students' ideas about VRs over development
4. Practising students' ideas about VRs and their uses
5. The emergence of visual literacy and the global visual culture
Part III. Teachers' Visual Literacy Programs: Rationales, Lacunae, and Planning: 6. The rationale for implementing explicit visual education for teachers
7. Integration of VRs into teacher education programs: past, present, and future
Part IV. The Nature of VRs and their Impact on Learning: 8. Some aspects of human perception that teachers should understand
9. Symbolic language: signs and sign types
10. Visual representations: types and characteristics
11. Learning with representations and multimedia: affordances and constraints
Part V. The Invisibility of VRs in Curriculum Materials: 12. VRs' influences on curricular concepts and theories
13. A comprehensive schema for analyzing MRCMs
Part VI. A VR Curriculum Framework for Teacher Education: 14. Innovations in teacher education
15. Proposed curriculum framework
16. Possible exercises and tasks
Part VII. Epilogue: 17. An image of the future: the visually literate teacher.

Subject Areas: Literacy strategies [JNFD], Educational psychology [JNC]