Visual information is everywhere. Television, computer screens, signs, symbols, books, magazines, movies, and even body language provide visual messages.

What makes a visual image communicate its intended message?

What makes a visual image effective for instruction?

What is the best visual structure to use in a given instructional situation?

Although there are no easy answers to questions like these, understanding visual literacy will help guide you as you work with visual images for instruction.

Skill in representing ideas visually is one that evolves over time.

• The definition of visual literacy;
• A description of visual literacy;
• Perception of visual images;
• Design elements and principles
• Practical guidelines in creating visual images.
• Links to other visual literacy WWW sites

Objectives

Your goal in viewing this module is two-fold. First, as a teacher, you will need to understand visual literacy principles as they apply to the creation and interpretation of instructional visuals and media. A quiz will be given in class at a later date.

Secondly, you will need to apply these visual literacy principles to the design and production of two pieces of educational media, a poster and an overhead transparency, that you could use in the teaching of our instructional design assignment. You will be required to use at least one of these pieces of media in your mini-lesson teaching presentation.