Last week's post featured some research I had done on student cell phone use and the impact on student learning. I created the following infographic:
Academic Poster Walk:
Universities have adopted the Academic Poster (Infographic) Walk. Half the students stand by their poster on a table or wall. The other half of the class walk around and ask questions of the presenting students. Then the students switch places.
Learning Walk:
Similar to the Academic Poster Walk, students create a QR code linking to their Infographic. (This is super simple with free QR code creator tools on the web.)
Students print the QR code. The codes are taped on the walls around the classroom. Students use their phones to view the Infographic - no need to print them!* Students can stand by their QR codes to answer questions, or you can let students experience the posters themselves.
*Note that the findings contained in my Teen Cell Phone Use Infographic were limited to 'Unstructured Personal Technology Use in the Classroom', meaning cell phone use NOT directed by the teacher.
Keep Infographics in your toolkit for a way to freshen your assignments, teach a new digital literacy skill to your students, or free up time (no group or individual presentation) in your classroom. As always, I am always willing to assist in any way!
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| Click here for a larger Infographic view |
Why use Infographics with my students?
Infographics represent a new type of digital literacy. They tell a story relying heavily on visuals with some supporting text. Whether you choose to create infographics for your students or have students create them as an assignment, research shows that:
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| https://www.searchenginejournal.com/visual-content-marketing-delivers-results-infographic/116496/#close
Research found the following impacts on learning due to the way the brain processes information:
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Because of these factors, Infographics are 30 times more likely to be read on the web over text based pages:
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| https://www.searchenginejournal.com/visual-content-marketing-delivers-results-infographic/116496/#close |
Successful Infographics are based on rigorously processed data that is properly organized in an appealing visual style.
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| https://www.searchenginejournal.com/visual-content-marketing-delivers-results-infographic/116496/#close |
When can I use Infographics with my students?
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| https://contently.com/2015/04/29/infographic-why-your-brain-and-your-readers-love-infographics/ |
Below are some ideas that you may want to consider:
For current projects:
Instead of a research paper or as part of a research paper, have students create an Infographic of their findings. I found that to create the Infographic you really need to thoroughly research and know your topic. I felt a significant cognitive load figuring out what information to present, in what format, and in what order.
Instead of a traditional lab report, have students construct an Infographic of their lab protocols, lab findings, and their conclusions. Using the easy graphing tools found in Piktochart, direct input or copy/paste data into a wide range of charts and graphs easily manipulated for visual interest.
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| From http://www.flickr.com/photos/97508883@N08/14754923611/in/pool-pimpmyposter/. Note this is PhD level work. |
Instead of a paper outlining reasons or impacts of historical events, have students create an Infographic. Students can use maps to indicate any manner of important information like culture or ethnicity of people living in various regions, or have students create timelines with graphics.
Instead of a character study paper, create a flowchart of how characters in a book are related. (I saw this very complicated one for Game of Thrones!)
Instead of a Slide presentation, have students create an Infographic using minimal text and visuals. Students will need to talk more about each element of their Infographic, rather than read verbatim the many words on a typical student slide. (If you click this link and click Show Presentation, each block of the Infographic will show individually!)
Create an Infographic presenting analysis results for Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Bio-Statistics, or Statistics classes.
New Ideas:
One problem with presentations in any classroom is that they take a lot of class time. Here are a couple of ideas for times when students are working with differing topics.Academic Poster Walk:
Universities have adopted the Academic Poster (Infographic) Walk. Half the students stand by their poster on a table or wall. The other half of the class walk around and ask questions of the presenting students. Then the students switch places.
Learning Walk:
Similar to the Academic Poster Walk, students create a QR code linking to their Infographic. (This is super simple with free QR code creator tools on the web.)
Students print the QR code. The codes are taped on the walls around the classroom. Students use their phones to view the Infographic - no need to print them!* Students can stand by their QR codes to answer questions, or you can let students experience the posters themselves.
*Note that the findings contained in my Teen Cell Phone Use Infographic were limited to 'Unstructured Personal Technology Use in the Classroom', meaning cell phone use NOT directed by the teacher.
Keep Infographics in your toolkit for a way to freshen your assignments, teach a new digital literacy skill to your students, or free up time (no group or individual presentation) in your classroom. As always, I am always willing to assist in any way!
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