Introducing Infographics to the Classroom

At the commencement of the unit into using infographics to present information, the focus was for students to gain an understanding what an infographic was, how they were used and what makes a great infographic. Students were not asked to find an infographic related to the elective, instead, they looked at finding infographics that connected to their personal interests (celebrities, sport, movies, geographical). Discussions focused on to content and the visual aesthetics of the infographic. 

Engage
Students responded to questioning relating to the inforgraphic that they chose to analyse and interpret.

• Which infographic was the best?
• What made them interesting, content/design or a bit of both?
• What role did the use of colour, font, graphics and images have on the infographic?
• Were your feelings towards the information affected by the design of the inforgraphic?

Students identified the qualities to them that made a great infographic with the common themes included: infographics should be visually appealing and well presented; the graphics used look interesting; the information included interesting statistics and information/facts.

What have I done in the past?

Whenever class work is being set in class, it has to have an intent. Consideration needs to be given as to what knowledge is expected to be introduced and developed. In my case, as part of my Year 9 Photography elective students were to investigate the historical aspect of various photography movements or genre. Students were expected to research into their topic, identify key artist and pioneers and present their findings to a small group using presentation applications such as PowerPoint or Prezi such as the one below.

As I wanted students to incorporate more of a graphic design element to their presentation, I needed to find a way for students to still present their research as well as allow them to include considerations into the way their investigations was presented. 

In a previous unit, we had focused on the skills in image manipulation using Adobe Photoshop CS5. The unit included basic image editing and the use of layering and masking of layers. The skills developed gave the opportunity to apply their techniques to another area of art and design.

An example of a Photoshop exercise producing multiple portraits. Students photographed their subject from a fixed position, layered and masked their images to present a image of their subject posed in multiple situations.

I wanted to students to create a greater connection to the skills and understandings of the concepts covered and identify different ways to use the new knowledge. I also wanted to see how students could present their knowledge and research in a creative and appealing way. I saw that it was time to move away from the grips of PowerPoint that has had a hold of student presentations and increase their understanding of what good design is. I expected that students would begin to gain a better understanding of the skills required to produce informative graphic visualisations.

Using Mind Maps for Planning

Using bubbl.us for mind mapping concepts
https://bubbl.us/ - Online (Free with payment plans starting from US$6.99/Month) 

As part of the planning process, students were expected to create a mind map of the potential areas that they could investigate. Some of the key reasons for using bubbl.us included the easy to use interface, ability to save as a jpeg/png, no need to sign up to use, and the students being able to print and add to their mind map after finishing. As the students were expected to produce the mind map in one session, there was not a need for the students to sign up and take full advantage of bubbl.us for exporting or sharing. Students were able to not only add text, but also attach website links and files to bubbles.

Examples of bubbl.us :

These students Infographic was to focus on Cat-ography, the Photography of Cats. Even after presenting extensive potential of ideas to include in their Infographic, they added and extended their ideas.

Students identified areas where they were going to focus in their Infographic. Students used varous colours to identify main topics and areas to investigate.

There are a variety of alternatives to bubbl.us which are available offline and online:

Inspiration - Offline (Paid)
http://www.inspiration.com/Inspiration
Inspiration provides users to show visual mapping, outlining, writing and making presentations, it has a easy-to-use interface and ability to save projects to continue at a later date. Inspiration is part of the Edustar image for Victorian Government Schools.

Freemind - Offline (Free)
http://freemind.sourceforge.net/wiki/index.php/Main_Page
Freemind is Java-based mind mapping software which allows users to map ideas and planning concepts. It allows users to "fold/unfold" branches as well as create "follow links" to websites and files. Freemind is part of the Edustar image for Victorian Government Schools.

Mindmeister - Online (from US$2.99/month)
http://www.mindmeister.com/
Mindmeister is a web-based environment where users can collaborate mind maps with other users in real time. Users can create presentations and mind maps through a simple interface and export results in a variety of formats depending on the plan chosen. Mindmeister is also available on iOS and Android platforms.

Coggle - Online (Free)
http://coggle.it/
Coggle is another web based mind map site that provide users the opportunity to work individually as well as collaboratively. Once users have signed in using their Google account, users are presented with a easy to use environment, with the ability to drag and drop images straight to the document as well as being able to track changes made to the document and undo back to a certain date or event. Coggle is currently in beta form.

Text2Mindmap - Online (Free)
https://www.text2mindmap.com/
Text2Mindmap is a simple mind map generator where users type their information into a text box and the website creates a mind map instantly. Users are able to download their mind maps as pdf/jpeg formats or save their work after creating an account.

Video: David McCandless - The Beauty of Data Visualization

David McCandless gives an interesting insight in the way Infographics can show insightful connections in data that would be lost in the numbers, as well as promoting the visual aesthetics of data generated graphics. His TED Talk from 2010 presents the sometimes positive relationship that can come from data and the great way Infographics can present data creatively.

If you want to check his blog and some great visualised examples go here.

What are Infographics?

Infographics have introduced an easy and creative way to share information and interesting data. In an age where knowledge is becoming increasing available, educators and students alike are finding new ways to tune in and engage, where Infographics can present information with the ease of understanding and interpretation. 

by Column Five Media.

The world of the intra-web has expanded ways to support educators in developing innovative methods to tackle areas of the curriculum.  Educators have the ability to use web-based approaches, commencing in the classroom and provide students the ability to effectively develop graphical methods for presentation. Infographics allow students develop additional understandings of visual communication practices and apply effective ways to present their knowledge of their investigation.

Recently, infographics have emerged as dynamic tool to visually represent knowledge of topics and have this knowledge displayed in a format that creates interest for students and educators alike. Websites such as visua.ly and infogr.am share great examples how infographics have the ability to be used to cover a wide range of topics aimed towards a broad audience and provide instant snapshots of knowledge.