If there were ever a doubt about the importance of images in the learning process, the infusion of technology and the use of multimedia in our daily activities have made it clear that we—students and teachers—live and function in a visual world.

The principle of using visuals in teaching and learning is not new. Visuals have often been the bedrock of teaching and learning in societies, cultures, and eras where reading literacy is limited. From cave drawings to stained glass windows, images have been used as teaching tools to communicate information, ideas, and concepts. As the printed word became more accessible through the printing press (an amazing technological innovation), there was increasing emphasis on the value of “literacy” in a different sense—the ability to read and write—as the term has been used throughout the 20^th. Century.

With the advent, expansion, and permeation of digital technologies, the meanings of “literacy” and “literate” are coming back to their older definitions—being educated, informed, and knowledgeable in many areas—including being literate in the application of the digital technologies. Using digital images is not only a way to increase understanding, but to increase students' visual literacy.

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This page was last updated on
02/15/2008 07:53 PM

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