examining the affordances and constraints of using infographics … · 2018. 7. 10. · of...
TRANSCRIPT
ExaminingtheAffordancesandConstraintsofUsing
InfographicsinPre-ServiceTeacherEducation
by
LaurenFridman
AThesisSubmittedinPartialFulfillmentofthe
RequirementsfortheDegreeof
MasterofArts
in
EducationandDigitalTechnologies
TheFacultyofEducation
UniversityofOntarioInstituteofTechnology
April13,2018
©CopyrightbyLaurenFridman«2018»
i
Abstract
Infographicsareacommunicationtoolthatcanbeusedtosharelargeamountsofdata
inamoreaestheticallypleasingandcognitivelymanageableway.Theproductionand
consumptionofinfographicsencouragesthedevelopmentofmanyskillsthathavebeen
deemedascrucialforstudentstodevelopinschoolincludingdigitalliteracies,twenty-first
centurycompetencies,andmultimodality.Thisstudyaimedtoinvestigatehowfour
studentsinapre-serviceeducationprograminSouthernOntario,Canada,perceivedboth
theaffordancesandconstraintsoftheuseofinfographicsintheirteaching.Usingamixed
methodsapproach,Likert-styledata,alongwithin-depthcontentandmultimodalanalysis
ofinfographicartifactsandinterviewtranscriptions,thisresearchinvestigatedwhetheror
notinfographicscouldaidteachercandidatesintheirdevelopmentofdigitalliteracies,
twenty-firstcenturycompetencies,andmultimodalityskills.Additionally,throughthefour
phasesofthisresearchstudy,teachercandidateswereabletoexploretheiropinionsabout
infographicsandtheirpotentialfutureuseintheirteachingpractice.Thisstudyproposesa
newInfographicMatrixthatcouldbeusedbyeducatorstobetterembedthis
communicationtoolintotheirclassrooms.Throughtheconsumptionandproductionof
infographicstherewerepositiveimpactsthatresultedfortheteachercandidates,bothwith
regardstoprofessionaldevelopmentaswellaspersonalgrowthasalearner.Thisresearch
aimedtolessenthegapthatcurrentlyexistsinthisareaofeducationresearch,aswellas
offertheteachercandidatespedagogicallyimpactfulapproachestoliteracyeducationfor
usewiththeirfuturestudents.
Keywords:infographics,digitalliteracies,K-12education,pre-serviceteachereducation,
mulitmodality,twenty-firstcenturycompetencies,globalcompetencies,literacy
education
ii
Acknowledgements
Iwouldfirstliketothankmythesisadvisor,Dr.JanetteHughes.Herdoorwasalways
openwheneverIranintotroubleorhadaquestionregardingmyresearchorwriting.She
consistentlyallowedthisresearchtobemyownwork,butneverhesitatedtosteermein
therightdirectionwhenevershethoughtitwasrequired.Dr.Hugheswasaconstantsource
ofsupport,guidance,andinspirationthroughoutthisjourneyandforthatIamincredibly
grateful.
Second,Iwouldliketothanktheparticipantswhotookthetimeoutoftheirbusy
schedulestocompletemystudy.Itwasapleasurehearingyourinsightsintothisresearch
andlearningfromyouasyouprogressintoyourteachingcareers.Withoutyouthis
researchandthesiswouldnothavebeenpossible.Iwishyouallthebestofluckinyour
futuresaseducators!
Iwouldalsoliketothankmybrother,Michael,whoansweredeveryemail,phonecall,
andtextmessageIsent,regardlessofthetime,throughoutthethesiswritingprocess.
WhetheritwasregardinghowIwasconductingmyresearch,ifanideamadesenseto
someoneoutsidethefield,orifitwasjuststressinduced,heneverfailedtooffermethe
loveandinsightIrequired.
Finally,Iwouldliketoexpressmyprofoundgratitudetomymother,father,andBubs,
whohavestoodbymethrougheverystepofthismaster’sdegree.Also,toBrandon,who
camealongpartwaythroughmystudies.Theywereallaconstantsourceofencouragement
andlovethroughoutmyyearsintheM.A.andtheprocessofresearchingandwritingthis
thesisdocument.
Thisaccomplishmentwouldnothavebeenpossiblewithoutanyofyou.
Thankyou.
iii
Contents
Abstract..........................................................................................................................................................................i
Acknowledgements..................................................................................................................................................ii
Figures.......................................................................................................................................................................viii
Tables............................................................................................................................................................................ix
Appendices..................................................................................................................................................................x
1 Introduction........................................................................................................................................................1
1.1 Overview......................................................................................................................................................1
1.2 PreviousResearchandProblemAreas...........................................................................................4
1.3 ResearchGoal.............................................................................................................................................4
2 LiteratureReview.............................................................................................................................................5
2.1 Overview......................................................................................................................................................5
2.2 TermsofRelevance.................................................................................................................................6
2.2.1 DigitalLiteracies...............................................................................................................................6
2.2.2 TheProsumerMovementandParticipatoryCulture.......................................................7
2.3 RelevantThemes......................................................................................................................................9
2.3.1 Communication.................................................................................................................................9
2.3.2 StudentEngagement....................................................................................................................10
2.3.3 VisualizationandLearning.......................................................................................................11
2.4 ConsolidationofTopics......................................................................................................................13
iv
2.4.1 Multiliteracies.................................................................................................................................13
2.4.2 Twenty-FirstCenturyCompetencies...................................................................................16
2.4.3 MultimodalityintheDigitalLiteraciesEducation..........................................................19
2.4.4 InfographicsasaToolforCommunication........................................................................20
2.5 LimitationsandGapsinPreviousResearch...............................................................................21
2.6 ResearchQuestions..............................................................................................................................23
3 Method................................................................................................................................................................24
3.1 Design.........................................................................................................................................................24
3.2 Participants..............................................................................................................................................26
3.3 Context.......................................................................................................................................................27
3.4 Procedure.................................................................................................................................................28
3.4.1 Consent..............................................................................................................................................28
3.4.2 DataCollection...............................................................................................................................29
3.5 DataCollection........................................................................................................................................30
3.5.1 Overview...........................................................................................................................................30
3.5.2 PhaseOne:Pre-SurveyQuestionnaire.................................................................................31
3.5.3 PhaseTwo:One-on-oneInterview&Task........................................................................31
3.5.4 PhaseThree:TeacherCandidateCreatedInfographicArtifact................................34
3.5.5 PhaseFour:Post-ResearchInterview&Questionnaire...............................................34
3.6 DataAnalysis...........................................................................................................................................35
v
3.6.1 QuestionnaireResponses..........................................................................................................35
3.6.2 InterviewTranscriptions...........................................................................................................36
3.6.3 InfographicArtifacts....................................................................................................................36
3.7 ChapterSummary..................................................................................................................................40
4 Results.................................................................................................................................................................42
4.1 Overview...................................................................................................................................................42
4.2 PhaseOne:Pre-ResearchQuestionnaire.....................................................................................43
4.2.1 Phillip.................................................................................................................................................45
4.2.2 Luke....................................................................................................................................................46
4.2.3 Eric......................................................................................................................................................47
4.2.4 Jake......................................................................................................................................................48
4.3 PhaseTwo:One-on-oneInterviews&InfographicSortingTask.....................................49
4.3.1 Phillip.................................................................................................................................................50
4.3.2 Luke....................................................................................................................................................51
4.3.3 Eric......................................................................................................................................................53
4.3.4 Jake......................................................................................................................................................55
4.4 PhaseThree:TeacherCandidateCreatedInfographicArtifacts.......................................57
4.4.1 Phillip.................................................................................................................................................57
4.4.2 Luke....................................................................................................................................................60
4.4.3 Eric......................................................................................................................................................63
vi
4.4.4 Jake......................................................................................................................................................64
4.5 PhaseFour:Post-ResearchInterviews&OnlineQuestionnaire.......................................67
4.5.1 Phillip.................................................................................................................................................67
4.5.2 Luke....................................................................................................................................................69
4.5.3 Eric......................................................................................................................................................70
4.5.4 Jake......................................................................................................................................................72
4.6 ChapterSummary..................................................................................................................................73
5 Discussion..........................................................................................................................................................74
5.1 Overview...................................................................................................................................................74
5.2 EngagingintheConsumptionandProductionofInfographics.........................................75
5.3 ReadingandWritingofInfographicstoDevelopDigitalLiteraciesSkills....................79
5.4 CreationofInfographicsandtheIntersectionwithTwenty-FirstCentury
Competencies.....................................................................................................................................................81
5.5 TeacherCandidatesFutureUseofInfographics......................................................................83
5.6 EducationalImplications....................................................................................................................85
5.7 LimitationsandFutureResearch...................................................................................................87
5.7.1 Overview...........................................................................................................................................87
5.7.2 LimitedParticipantPopulation...............................................................................................88
5.7.3 TimeConstraints...........................................................................................................................88
5.7.4 InfographicsintheMainstreamEducationSystem.......................................................89
vii
5.7.5 FutureResearchConsiderations............................................................................................89
5.8 Conclusion................................................................................................................................................91
6 References.........................................................................................................................................................93
AppendixA–LetterofIntroduction&ConsentForms......................................................................107
AppendixB–Pre-ResearchQuestionnaire.............................................................................................111
AppendixC–One-on-oneInterviewQuestions....................................................................................113
AppendixD-InfographicsforRankingActivity……...……………………………………………………114
AppendixE-InfographicRankingQuestions……………………………………………………………….117
AppendixF-TeacherCandidateCreatedInfographics……………………………………………….....118
AppendixG-Post-StudyInterviewQuestions…....……..………………………………………………....122
AppendixH-Post-StudyQuestionnaire………...…………………………………………………………….124
AppendixI-WrittenThankYouLetter(Email)…………………………………………….……………..125
AppendixJ-TeacherCandidateRecruitmentEmail…………………………………………….………126
AppendixK-ResearchEthicsBoard(REB)Approval..………………………………………………….127
AppendixL-ResearchEthicsBoard(REB)Renewal…………………………………………………...128
AppendixM-Tri-CouncilPolicyStatementonEthics(TCPS2:Core)..……………………..…….129
viii
Figures
Figure1.VisualLearning.
Figure2.SummaryofNewPedagogies.
Figure3.FrameworkforGlobalCompetencies.
Figure4.5-ParagraphEssayStructurevs.InfographicStructure.
Figure5.SortingTaskInfographicA.
Figure6.SortingTaskInfographicB.
Figure7.SortingTaskInfographicC.
Figure8.DIYProductionMatrix.
Figure9.InfographicProductionMatrix.
Figure10.ConfidenceLevelsUsingTechnologyinTeaching.
Figure11.StudentEngagementinTraditionalLiteracyEducation.
Figure12.ScreenGrabofUpperSectionofPhillip’sInfographic.
Figure13.ScreenGrabofMiddleSectionofPhillip’sInfographic.
Figure14.ScreenGrabofUpperHalfofLuke’sInfographic.
Figure15.ScreenGrabofLowerHalfofLuke’sInfographic.
Figure16.Eric’sInfographic.
Figure17.ScreenGrabofUpperSectionofJake’sInfographic.
Figure18.ScreenGrabofMiddleSectionofJake’sInfographic.
ix
Tables
Table1.CaseStudyParticipantBackgroundData
Table2.DataCollectionProcedures
x
Appendices
AppendixA…………………………LetterofIntroduction&ConsentForms
AppendixB…………………………Pre-ResearchQuestionnaire
AppendixC…………………………One-on-oneInterviewQuestions
AppendixD…………………………InfographicsforRankingActivity
AppendixE…………………………InfographicRankingQuestions
AppendixF…………………………TeacherCandidateCreatedInfographics
AppendixG…………………………Post-StudyInterviewQuestions
AppendixH…………………………Post-StudyQuestionaire
AppendixI…………………………WrittenThankYouLetter(Email)
AppendixJ…………………………TeacherCandidateRecruitmentEmail
AppendixK…………………………ResearchEthicsBoard(REB)Approval
AppendixL…………………………ResearchEthicsBoard(REB)Renewal
AppendixM…………………………Tri-CouncilPolicyStatementonEthics(TCPS2:Core)
1
1 Introduction
1.1 Overview
Infographics,anincreasinglypopularcommunicationmedium,actasameansof
“takingcomplexideasandinformationandrepresentingtheminavisualformatthatis
clearlyandquicklyunderstood”(Thompson,2015).Thesearevaluablelearningtoolsas
theytakeacomplicatedsetofdataandconvertitintoamoremanageableanddigestible
biteforreaders.Peopletendtobedrawntoinfographicsastheycontainvisualizations,
coloursandimages,whichareappealingtoaudiences(Kos&Sims,2014).Infographics
servetobridgethegapsbetweenthevarietiesofmodesavailabletofostercommunication,
andtheirdigitalnatureenablesthegrowthofdigitaltoolskillsets.Althoughweare
consumingvastamountsofinformationviainfographics,particularlyintheonlinerealm,
thereisadearthofresearchregardingtheeducationalpotentialof“reading”andproducing
infographics,particularlyintheareaofliteracyeducation.
Images,icons,andgraphicshavebeenusedforcenturiestodescribeinformation.
Today,infographicsareutilizedintraditionalmediaplatformslikenewspapers,magazines
aswellasduringnewsbroadcastsandthroughoutsocialmedia(Smiciklas,2012).
Infographics,basedontheconvergenceofinformationandgraphics,areameansto
simplifyandsummarizecomplexinformationinanaccessibleanddigestiblemanner.The
purposeofinfographics,accordingtoReavy(2003)andLankow,Ritchie&Crooks(2012)is
toprovideaclear,andeasy-to-digestexplanationofinformationbeingsharedwiththe
2
reader.Awell-designedinfographicshouldclarifyinformationandpiqueinterestina
subjectareaaswellasencouragefurtherresearchonagiventopic(Siricharoen,2013).
Visualizationofinformationhasbeenanassettothemassconsumptionofmaterial
fromthemedia.Consumersofknowledgelooktoabsorbandengage
informationquicklyandefficiently,utilizingtheprocessingpowerofthe
visualsystemsinthebrain(Lankow,Ritchie&Crooks,2012)
compoundingwithinformationthattheindividualalreadyhasstored
(Trumbo,1999).Figure1emphasizesthecomingtogetherof
informationwiththepropertiesofgraphicdesigntoelicitbetteroverall
visuallearningandunderstanding.Whengraphicdesignelementslike
spacing,useofwhitespace,font,andcolourareconsidered,theartifactin
questionbecomesmorethoughtprovokingandthusmemorable,aidingintheabilityto
recallinformationfromthegraphic(Smiciklas,2012).Throughtheadoptionofinfographic
toolsintheclassroom,studentscanbegintoacknowledgetheimportanceofthesedesign
elementsintheirlearning,andcanusethemtoadopttheroleofproducerratherthan
consuminginformation.Byencouragingthedevelopmentoftheserequisiteskillsearlierin
theireducationaljourneys,studentswillcultivatemoremultiliteraciesskills(NewLondon
Group,1996;Cope&Kalantzis,2000;Unsworth,2001)thatwillaidtheminthebetter
understandingofmaterialfromliterarytexts.
Teachersarealwaystryingtofindnovelwaystoimprovetheirpracticeto
constantlyengagetheirstudents.Throughinfographicsstudentsareabletoexpresstheir
knowledgeandunderstandinginnewandinterestingways.Morespecifically,narrative
Figure 1: Visual learning
(Smiciklas, 2012)
3
infographicsareadesign-focusedmethodforstudentstoinformtheiraudienceinan
entertainingandillustrativeway.Narrativeinfographicsusegraphicelementsofdesign,
specificallystaticimageslikedrawings,charts,photos,orgraphics,tocommunicatespecific
informationinawaythatisimpactfulandmeaningfultothereader(Clark&Mayer,2011;
Lankow,Ritchie&Crooks,2012).Themultimediaimpact,proposedbyClarkandMayer
(2011),emphasizesthatpeopletendtolearnmoreprofoundlywheninformationis
presentedasbothtextandvisualswhencomparedtotextalone.However,itisimportant
todifferentiateusefulgraphicsfrom“chartjunk”(Tufte,2001),oranysortofgraphic
elementthatisunnecessaryordoesnotcommunicateinformationtothereader.
Withtheuseofinfographics,teacherscanutilizeskillstypicallyfoundinarts
educationtoenhancethelearningofstatistical-basedlearning(Davidson,2014),making
subjectslikemathandthesciencesmorecomprehensibletostudents.Thismayenable
teacherstointegratetheSTEAM(Science,Technology,Engineering,Arts,Mathematics)
movementintoaclassroom,ratherthansimplySTEM.Thesesubjectsoftenincorporatea
lotofdata,whichheremeansanymeasurableformsofinformation(Lankow,Ritchie&
Crooks,2012),whichareoftencomplexinnaturerelyingonanunderstandingofnumerical
knowledge.Inorderforinfographicstobeeffectiveastoolstoimproveliteracy,theyneed
toservethreemainfunctions;theyneedtobeappealing,understandableandmeaningful
(Lankow,Ritchie&Crooks,2012).Studentsshouldbeengagedbythelookofthe
infographic,abletocomprehendtheinformationbeingpresentedtothem,andthe
infographicshouldincreaseretentionbybeingmemorable.Theinteractivenatureofthe
inquiry-basedlearningenvironmentencouragesactiveinvolvementfromthestudentsand
thusworksintandemwithintroducingnewwaystoaccomplishnewliteracytasks,
4
includingreadingandcreatinginfographics.Infographicsenablethisactivethoughtand
productionofafinalartifactratherthanstudentsjustbeingreceiversofknowledge.By
encouragingtheinquiryprocess,studentscanformulateideasandconductresearchon
topicsthataremeaningfultotheminacurricular-basedandcuriosity-drivenassignment.
1.2 Previous Research and Problem Areas
Whilethereissomeresearchabouttheefficacyofinfographicswithregardsto
communication(Smikiclas,2012;Siricharoen,2013),researchintothepotentialof
infographicsinthefieldofeducationhasyettogainsimilarmomentum.Although
infographicsaregainingpopularitythroughtheireaseofdistributionandaccessibilityon
socialmediaaswellastraditionalmedia,alackofacademicresearchrelatedtotheir
potentialforstudentlearningandteachingmakesitmuchlesslikelythatinfographicswill
beusedinK-12classrooms.Minimalresearch(Kos&Sims,2014;Thompson,2015)could
befoundexaminingthebenefitsanddrawbacksoftheuseofinfographicsintheK-12
classroom.Thisstudyaimstobegintoidentifytheaffordancesandconstraintsof
infographicuseinthekindergartentograde12educationalsystems.
1.3 Research Goal
Thecurrentstudyinvestigatestheuseofinfographicswithteachercandidatesto
supporttheirlearningoftwenty-firstcenturyanddigitalliteraciesskills.Specifically,the
researchseekstoidentifyteachercandidateattitudestowardsusinginfographicsinthe
classroomandthepotentialforthiscommunicationtooltobeusedintheirfuturepractice.
5
2 Literature Review
2.1 Overview
Fromamoretraditionalstandpoint,literacyeducationusedtofocusonreadingand
writing,whichwereisolatedfromsocialprocesses(Gee,2000).Researchinliteracy
educationemphasizedtheinterconnectednatureoftheseliteracyrelatedskillsandthe
importanceofintegratingotherrepresentationalmeanstocreatedeepermeaning
(Bakhtin,1986;Gee,1996).WiththisparadigmshifttowardsaNewLiteraciesapproach
(Lankshear&Knobel,2003;Street,2003;Leu,Kinzer,Coiro&Cammack,2004;Albers&
Harste,2007,Knobel&Lankshear,2007),academicsandeducatorsarelookingfornew
methodstonotonlyteachthetraditionalandfundamentalliteracytechniques,butalso
engagethewidervarietyofskillsthatstudentsnowrequirebecauseoftechnological
advancesinindustryandtheworkforce.
Thefirstsectionofthisliteraturereviewwillfocusontermsofrelevance,including
digitalliteracies,alongwiththeproductionandconsumptionofmedia.Sectiontwowill
reviewtheroleofinfographicsthroughthethemesofcommunication,interpretation,as
wellasvisualizationandlearning.FromtheresearchconductedonNewLiteracies
(Lankshear&Knobel,2003;Street,2003;Leu,etal.,2004;Albers&Harste,2007;Knobel&
Lankshear,2007)thefieldhasexpandedtoincludetopicsincludingmultiliteracies,twenty-
firstcenturycompetencies,multimodalityinthedigitalliteraciesclassroom,aswellas
infographicsasamediumforcommunication,whichwillbediscussedinthefinal
consolidationsectionoftheliteraturereview.
6
2.2 Terms of Relevance
2.2.1 Digital Literacies
Inadigitalworld,itisimperativethatteachercandidatesdevelopdigitalliteracies
skills(Beazley,McLeod&Lin,2008;Judge&O’Bannon,2008;Lund,Furberg,Bakken&
Engelien,2014).Digitalliteraciesisdefinedasbeingabletousedigitaltoolsbutalsoadapt
theiruseinparticularcircumstancestomeettheneedsoftheuser(Eshet-Alkalai,2004;
Knobel&Lankshear,2007;Jones&Hafner,2012;Barton&Baguley,2014).Digital
literacies–includingcreation,construction,cultureandcognition–havebeenemphasized
ascentraltwenty-firstcenturyskillstobedevelopedbystudentsintheclassroom(Jewitt,
2008;Binkley,etal.,2012).Studentsneedtobeabletosuccessfullycommunicatethrough
multimodalmethodstoconveymeaning(Jewitt,2008),sothroughinteractingand
communicatingmultimodally,studentsarebeingbetterpreparedtobeadaptable
communicators(Dusenberry,Hutter&Robinson,2015).Byprovidingtheteacher
candidateswithanapproachtoencouragethistypeofcommunicationfromtheirfuture
students,theTCsarebeingsetupforgreatersuccessesintheirclassrooms.
Theresearchtodateextensivelycoversthepedagogicalbenefitsofstudentsbeing
exposedtonotonlyoralandprintliterature,buttomultimodalworksaswell(NewLondon
Group,1996;Lankshear&Knobel,1998;Cope&Kalantzis,2000;Kress,2000,2003;
Knobel&Lankshear,2007;Hughes,2009).Regardlessofthisresearchthough,studentsare
stillunderusingthesedigitalliteraciesskillseventhoughmanyofthempossessthe
capabilitytodoso(Alvermann,2002;Gee,2003;Kress,2003;Hughes,2009).Withaccess
toonlinefreewarethatpromotesmultimodalcommunication,whetherthrough
7
infographicsorotherwise,studentsarebetterabletoputtheirdigitalskillstouse,bothas
creatorsandconsumersofonlinemedia.InARichSeam,theauthorsoutlinedhownew
pedagogiesencouragedteacherstoaddresslearninginanewlight,byusingtechnologynot
asasupplementtolearning,butasatoolthatispervasivetothelearningexperience
(Fullan&Langworthy,2014).TheirfindingsweresummarizedinFigure2.
Figure 2: Summary of new pedagogies (Fullan & Langworthy, 2014, pg. 3)
Likemanyauthorsresearchingdigitalmediaandeducation,FullanandLangworthy(2014)
recognizedthereachthatthesetoolscanprovidestudents.Withtheclickofabutton,
studentscanaddressreal-worldproblemsacrossavastarrayofaudiencesastheyextend
farbeyondthefourwallsoftheclassroom(2014).Educatorsandstudentsarenolonger
limitedbytheboundariesoftheclassroom,theyareabletoconsumeandproduce
knowledgeandcontentthathasaglobalimpactandreach.
2.2.2 The Prosumer Movement and Participatory Culture
WiththeexplosionofWeb2.0,theprosumermovementwasborn(Toffler,1980),
encouragingwebaudiencestonotjustpassivelyabsorbinformationfromtheonlineworld,
buttoactivelycontributetotheknowledgeeconomyaswell(Buckingham,2007b;
Greenhow,Robelia&Hughes,2009).Toffler(1980)describesthetermprosumerasthe
blurringofthelinesbetweenaproducerandconsumertomeetthegrowingdemandsof
8
theindividualbuyer.Asaprosumer,individualscouldproducetheirowngoodsand
servicestomeetthegrowingneedsoftheonlinemarket.Withtheaidoftechnology,
personalizationandremixingofexistingmediaandgoodswouldbecomemorereadily
availableandfeasiblefortheeverydaybuyer.Throughtoolslikewikis,blogs,videosharing
andsocialnetworkingsites,studentsareshiftingthefocusofliteracyeducationtowards
onethatismorecollaborativeandmultimodal(Jenkins,etal.,2009;Bloom&Johnston,
2010).
AccordingtoJenkins(1992),participatorycultureinspiredindividualstobecome
morefamiliarandinteractivewithtexts,especiallyinonlineenvironments,whichcombine
elementsofimage,words,video,andsounds(Hughes,2007).Thisrequiresthemtobeable
tonavigateliteratureacrossmultiplemodalities,usingmultipleskillsets.Thesemay
include,butarenotlimitedto,thecriticalanalysisandcreationofmultimodaltextsthat
incorporatevisual,textual,digital,dramatic,andnewliteracies(Albers&Sanders,2010).
Thecurrentresearchmadeitclear,thatmodern-dayliteracyiscreatedthroughan
interdependentrelationshipthatexistsbetweenmodes(gestural,textual,digital,visual,
musical),media(film,television,radio,written),andlanguage(movement,written,oral,
mathematics,coding)(Jewitt,2008;Albers&Sanders,2010).Throughmultimodal
instruction,educatorsneedtoplantheirprogramsinsuchawaythatnotonlyfostersthe
developmentoftheseskills,butalsoallowsstudentstheopportunitytointeractwithand
experiencesuccessfuliterationsthatfosterstheminthelearningenvironment.
9
2.3 Relevant Themes
2.3.1 Communication
Literatureinthefieldofeducationalreadyemphasizedtheimportanceof
multimodalcommunication(NewLondonGroup,1996;Kress,2000,2003;Nixon,2003;
Alvermann,2009,Albers&Sanders,2010;Hughes&Tolley,2010;Jocius,2013;Eteokleous
&Pavlou,2015),whilealsoexpandingtoincludevisualcommunication(Avgerinou&
Pettersson,2011;Matrix&Hodson,2014),alongwithdigitaland/oronlinecommunication
(Cope&Kalantzis,2000;Chandler-Olcott&Mahar,2003;Mills,2010;Cooper,Lockyer&
Brown,2013).Digitalmediaofferstheopportunityforstudentstocommunicatemore
effectivelywhencomparedtowhentheyidentifiedashavingdifficultywithtraditional
paper-basedwrittenassignments(Alvermann,2009).Throughtoolslikeinfographics,
authorsarechallengedtotakevastamountsofcomplexinformationandpresentitinaway
thatisconsumableandapproachabletotheaverageperson(Smiciklas,2012;Toth,2013;
Lyra,Isotani,Reis,Marques,Pedro,Jaques&Bitencourt,2016;Ozdamli,Kocakoyun,Sahin
&Akdag,2016).SinceWeb2.0hasprovidedtheaffordanceofmasssharingofcontentand
information,providingaudiences,whetherstudentsorthegeneralpublic,with
opportunitiesformoreappealingandefficientinformationprocessing,infographicsare
becomingawelcometoolforcommunication(Locker&Kienzler,2012;Toth,2013).
WithaccesstotheWeb,theabilitytocommunicateandsharecontentwithawider
audiencehasbecomemucheasierforindividualcreatorsandhasbecomeaculturalnorm
(Belk,2014).AsuserssiftthroughTwitterorFacebookfeeds,theyarelikelytocomeacross
aplethoraofinformationbeingshared(Leonardi,2017),whetherthroughtextualpostsor
embeddingcontentlikephotos,videos,andinfographics(Greenhow&Lewin,2015).This
10
multimodalexpressionhasforcededucatorsandstudentstoconsiderhowtobecome
betteratcommunicatinganddecodinginformationinthistypeofenvironment(Kereluik,
Mishra,Fahnoe&Terry,2013).Sincethesecompetenciesneedtobetaughtinthe
classroom,thisthesisworkstoidentifyspecificchallengesandskillsthatteacher
candidatesshouldimproveuponsothattheycanbettereducatestudentsintheirfuture
practice.
2.3.2 Student Engagement
Thereisanundeniablerelationshipbetweensuccessinthelearningenvironment
andengagementwithwhatisbeingtaught(NelsonLaird&Kuh,2005;Robinson&
Hullinger,2008;Chen,Lambert&Guidry,2010).AccordingtoMarks(2000),student
engagementcanbedefinedas“theattention,interest,investment,andeffortstudents
expendintheworkoflearning”(p.154-155).However,thedistinctiondoesnotstopthere,
researchershavefurtherbrokendowntheideaofengagementintocognitive,emotional,
andbehavioural(Fredricks,Blumenfeld&Paris,2004).Accordingtotheresearch
conductedbyFredricks,etal.(2004),cognitiveengagementinvolvestheeffortthat
learnersputintosuccessfullycomprehendwhatisbeingtaught,whichincludesskillslike
self-regulationandmetacognition.Emotionalengagementcentersonthelearning
experience,includingfeelingsofboredom,interest,andlevelsoffrustration.Finally,
behaviouralengagementreferstoobservablebehavioursincludingpresenceinthe
classroom,taskcompletion,andlevelsofparticipation(Fredricks,etal.,2004;Henrie,
Halverson&Graham,2015).Throughtheeffectiveuseoftechnologyinmeaningful
activities,likeinfographicproduction,teachersareabletoleveragestudents’interestsin
thesetools,andapplythattowardssuccessintheclassroom(Sadik,2008).
11
Today’sstudentsprovideaninterestingchallengeforteachers,inthattheyhave
grownupinasocietydominatedbyconstantengagement.Whetheritisthroughvideo
games,television,music,orotherwise,studentsarebeinginundatedwithcontent
throughouttheirday,soitisnotunreasonablethattheyhavesimilarexpectationswithin
theclassroomwalls(Prensky,2005).Whenitcomestotheclassroom,studentswanttobe
intellectuallystimulated;theywanttobechallengedbythetasksandinformationbeing
providedtothem(OISE,2011a).InastudyconductedbytheCanadianEducation
Association(CEA),theyfoundthatonly37%ofstudentsfeltintellectuallyengagedbywhat
theywerebeingtaughtintheclassroom(Dunleavy,Willms,Milton&Friesen,2012).
Dunleavy,etal.(2012)usedthreemeasurestoidentifyintellectualengagement:1)interest
andmotivation,2)effort,and3)qualityinstruction.Thereisacorrelationthatexists
betweenstudentengagementlevelsandteachingmethods,sowhenstudentsaretaught
withmultipletoolsandtechniques,theytendtolearnbetter(OISE,2011b).Itisclearthat
intellectualstimulationandengagementcontributetokeydevelopmentaloutcomesfor
students(Dunleavy&Milton,2010;Dunleavy,etal.,2012).Whenstudentsareemotionally
andcognitivelyengagedinwhattheyarebeingtaughtintheclassroom,theyareoften
moresuccessfulwiththeireducationaloutcomes.
2.3.3 Visualization and Learning
Ithasbeenshownthroughpastresearchthatmanystudentspreferhavingvisuals
embeddedintotheirlearning(Miller,2001;Vanichvasin,2014;Sousa,2017),with
Smiciklasestimatingthatasmanyas65%ofpeopleidentifywiththislearningpreference
(2012).Roughly50%ofthebrainisdedicatedtosomeform,eitherdirectorindirect,of
visualfunctions(Smiciklas,2012).Theneuralnetworkthatexiststosupportthevisual
12
systemisvastandisoneofthemostheavilyreliedonbythehumanbrain.Theneurons
responsiblefortheprocessingofvisualactivityaccountforapproximately30%ofthetotal
greymatterfoundinthebrain(Smiciklas,2012),whichalsoaccountsforthelargecapacity
forstorageandrecallofthevisualmemorysysteminthebrain(Sousa,2017).Words,
lettersandnumbersareallsymbols,whichrequiredecodingfromthebraintomakesense
oftheincomingdata.Thisdecodingprocessrequirestheunderstandingofthesymbol,how
thesymbolfitsintoalargerwordandthenhowthewordscometogethertoform
meaningfulsentences.ThisideacomesfromthepsychologicalCognitiveLoadTheory,
whichallowslearnerstofocusonvariousareasoflearningwithoutoverwhelmingthe
capacityofthebrain(Sweller,1988;Lyra,etal,2016).Thoughthisdoesoccurin
millisecondsformostpeople,theamountofmentaleffortrequiredforthistypeofdecoding
ismuchgreaterthantheprocessingofavisualimage(Smiciklas,2012).Additionally,
factorslikelettersize,caseusage,andfonthavelargeimpactsontheabilityofalearnerto
processtextualinput,makingthedecodingprocessmorementallydemanding,wherethe
variantsinimagesseemtohavelessofanoveralleffect(Pegado,et.al,2014).
Withthesefactorsinmind,itisclearhowinfographicscanbridgethegapsinthe
currentsystemoflearningforstudentswhoidentifywithmultiplelearningpreferences.
Infographicsbringtogethermultiplemodalitiesinhopesthatawideraudience,regardless
oftheirpropensitiesforlearning,willunderstandthem.Infographicsusetextand
illustrationsorimagestoinspirereaderstoretaintheinformationbeingpresentedbetter
(Lyra,etal.,2016).However,itisimportanttonotestillthatregardlessofthewaythat
studentsprefertolearn,infographicsacttoencouragegeneralvisualliteracyskill
developmentamongstalllearners(Thomas,Place&Hillyard,2008;Matrix&Hodson,
13
2017).Mostimportantlythough,throughtheuseofvisualsasasupporttool,studentsmust
showadeepunderstandingofthecontentastheyneedtocriticallyanalyzetheconceptsto
beabletoformulatevisualrepresentationsoftheinformation(Matrix&Hodson,2017),
continuingtofacilitatetheirtwenty-firstcenturyortransferableskills.
2.4 Consolidation of Topics
2.4.1 Multiliteracies
Amultiliterateindividualcanbedefinedassomeonewhoisabletoadapthisorher
understandinganduseofliteracytechniquesamongarangeoftoolsandtechnologies,
whilemaintainingsocietalandculturalresponsibility,andparticipatingasanactiveand
informedcitizen(Anstey&Bull,2006).Additionally,multiliteraciespedagogiesworkto
facilitatetheconstructivistorself-directedmodeloflearning(Borsheim,Merrit&Reed,
2008),empoweringstudentstoengageinliteracypracticesinarelevantandexcitingway.
Shareablemediaarticlestodaycapitalizeontheuseofnotonlytext,butalsovisual,digital,
andothermultimodalformatstocommunicatewiththepublic(O’Byrne,2014).A
multiliteraciesapproach(NewLondonGroup,1996;Unsworth,2001;Cope&Kalantzis,
2009)challengestheconstraintsoftraditionalmethodologiesforteachingliteracy,moving
awayfromsolelytextualapproaches.VanHeertumandShare(2006)suggestthattoday’s
teachersareengaginginaparadigmshiftwherebytheyareacceptingmultipleformsof
meaningor“dynamicrepresentationalresources”(p.252)thatarecontinually
reconstructedbyusersaspartoftheprocessoflearning.However,multiliteraciesdonot
simplyengagelearnersinmultimodalcommunication;theyalsogivetheseliteracies
meaningsinmultiplecontexts,suchastext,images,andfilm(Jacobs,2013).When
14
consideringtheemergenceofdigitaltoolsandreadingmethods,thewayinwhichreaders
receiveinformationisalsochanging(Hughes&Tolley,2010);thus,weneedtofind
meaningfulwaystoengagestudents.
AccordingtotheNewLondonGroup(1996),goodmultiliteracies-basedteaching
involvesfourmaincomponents;situatedpractice,overtinstruction,criticalframing,and
transformedpractice.TheNewLondonGroup(1996)suggeststhatsituatedpracticerefers
totheideaofframingstudentlearninginsociallyandculturallyrelevantideas.Overt
instruction,ontheotherhand,ishowstudentsdevelopanexplicitmetalanguageor
discourseforlearning.Gee(1991)explainedtheconceptofdiscoursesasthewaysinwhich
audiencescandevelopmeaningacrosstexts,includingthosefamiliarwiththecontentand
thosewhoarenewtoit.Criticalframinginspiresmeaningtothestudents’socialcontexts,
andtransformedpracticeisthemethodoftransferringandremixingthemetalanguageand
learnedcontent(NewLondonGroup,1996;Chandler-Olcott&Mahar,2003).Byemploying
thesefourconcepts,educatorsmitigatetheissueofculturallyirrelevantteachingand
pedagogy,astheyareabletoformulatelearningbasedonindividualstudentneedsand
socialpractices.
Withthisinmind,itisimportanttoenforceandidentifythedifferencesbetween
legitimateinformationandothermediathathavebeguntoblurthatlinethroughmedia
literacy,digitalliteracy,andcriticalliteracyeducation(Buckingham,2007b;Bloom&
Johnston,2010).AccordingtoMasterman(1985),medialiteracyormediaeducationcanbe
definedas“theknowledge,skillandcompetenciesrequiredinordertouseandinterpret
media”(p.36).Similarly,digitalliteracies“comprisesavarietyofcognitiveskillsthatare
utilizedinexecutingtasksindigitalenvironments,suchassurfingtheWeb,deciphering
15
userinterfaces,workingwithdatabases,andchattinginchatrooms”(Eshet-Alkali&
Amichai-Hamburger,2004,p.421).Finally,criticalliteracyconcernsitselfwith“teaching
learnerstounderstandandmanagetherelationshipbetweenlanguageandpower”(Janks,
2000,p.176).Withthesethreeliteracymodelsinmind,educatorsneedtofindawayto
bridgetheseideasandteachmoreholisticallytothetechnology-drivenstudent.
Additionally,studentsareconstantlydevelopingnewwaystointeractwithandleverage
onlinemultimediaspaces(Alvermann,2008;Moje,etal,2008;Jocius,2013)bothinand
outsideoftheschool-learningenvironment,so,teachersintoday’sclassroomsneedtobe
abletocreateauthenticlearningtasksthatencouragemeaningfulinteractionswith
technology(Sadik,2008),whilealsoteachingstudentshowtoappropriatelynavigatethe
growingonlinelearningenvironment(Jenkins,etal.,2009;Bloom&Johnston,2010)ina
safeandeducation-drivenway.
Technologyhasplayedapivotalroleinredefiningteachers’approachestoliteracy
teachingandlearning.Digitalliteraciesandtheacceptanceofmultiliteraciesisbecoming
embeddedintoteachingandlearningintheclassroom(Labbo&Place,2010;Cooper,
Lockyer&Brown,2013),withanemphasisoncreatingorproducingwithtechnologies,not
simplypassiveconsumptionfromthem.Bycreatingalternativecurricularprogramming
thatemphasizesthemulti-inmultiliteracies,educatorssetthestudentsupforsupporting
thefluidityofthewayinwhichliteracyistaughtandconceptualized(Jacobs,2013).With
regardstoteachercandidateeducation,themodelingofthesepedagogicalpracticesbetter
encouragestheiradoptionintheirfutureclassroom.Pre-serviceteachersareableto
engagewiththistypeoflearningduringtheirteachereducationprograms,whichgives
themarealisticideaofwhatisrequiredforthistypeoflearningandunderstanding
16
(Borsheim,Merritt&Reed,2008).Literacyhasthecapacitytobringstudentstoamore
holisticunderstandingoftheworldtheylivein,sobyencouragingteachercandidatesto
exploremultiliteraciesasapedagogytoimplementratherthansolelytraditionalreadingor
writing,wearebetterpreparingthemfortheirfuturepractice.
2.4.2 Twenty-First Century Competencies
Thetwenty-firstcenturybroughtseveralchangestothewaythateducatorslookat
pedagogy,especiallywiththeconstantevolutionoftechnology.Inlightofthesemore
technologicallycenteredperspectivesonlearning,thenotionthatstudentsarebeing
adequatelypreparedforthetwenty-firstcenturyworkforce,withappropriate
competenciescameintoquestion.Traditionally,theseskillsets,suchascriticalthinking,
multimodalcommunication,collaboration,andcreativity,havebeenlookedatineducation
assoftskillstodevelopalongsidethecurriculum,notastheirownentityforlearningand
understanding.Sincewearewellintothetwenty-firstcenturyalready,thisphrasehas
becomedated,soeducatorsaremovingtowardsusingthetermssuchastransferableskills
forlearning.However,theliteratureup-to-dateonthistopicusesthetermtwenty-first
centuryskills,soforthepurposesofthisthesis,theywillbereferredtoastwenty-first
centuryskillsaswell.TheOntarioMinistryofEducation(2017)definethesetwenty-first
centurytransferrableskillsthroughtheglobalcompetenciesframework,whichusesthe
categoriesillustratedinFigure3.
17
Figure 3: Framework for global competencies (Ontario Ministry of Education, 2017)
Throughtheseglobalcompetenciesandtechnologyintegration,studentsareableto
makedeeperandmoremeaningfulconnectionswiththeirlivedexperiencesoutsideofthe
classroomtothecurricularcontentbeingtaughtintheclassroom(Cramer,2007;Binkley,
etal.,2012).ThecompetenciesidentifiedinFigure2extendbeyondthosetraditionally
recognizedassoftskills,inthattheyareindustryrelevantandincludewaysofinteracting,
likethroughmethodsofcommunicatingandunderstandingalternativeperspectives,with
thewidercommunityandworld(Jenkins,Clinton,Purushotma,Robison&Weigel,2009;
Silva,2009;Partnershipfor21stCenturySkills,2011;NationalResearchCouncilofthe
NationalAcademics,2012).Theoverarchingconceptthenliesinwhatstudentsdowiththe
knowledgetheyareconstructing,asopposedtobeingabletoquantifyandassesswhat
unitstheycanretain(Silva,2009).
Twenty-firstcenturycompetenciesseemtostemfromtheideasproposedby
educationaltheoristswhoinspiredtheconstructivistmovement.Thisincluded,butwasnot
18
limitedto,JohnDeweyandLevVygotsky.Dewey(1938)believedthatthefoundationof
educationshouldbeexperienceratherthanjusttheory(Larson&NorthernMiller,2011;
Ültanir,2012),sobybuildingonlivedandlearnedexperiences,studentsshouldbeableto
developadeepergraspoftheconceptsbeingpresentedtothem.Inhis1938book
ExperienceandEducation,whenspeakingaboutthepurposeofschooling,Deweyclaims,“in
ordertoaccomplishitsendsbothfortheindividuallearnerandforsocietymustbebased
onexperience”(p.39).Deweyemphasizedthatstudentsshouldbeabletousetheir
interestsasastartingpointfortheirlearningaslongastherewasapurposetothe
investigationorlearning(Dewey1938;Mills,2010).Throughinterest-drivenprojects,
studentsidentifyapurposeforstudyrelatedtotheirareaofinterestandpursuestudyto
supportacurricularendgoal.Thoughhelivedbeforethemajorshiftsintechnologyand
learning,Dewey’sframeworkhelpedtodevelopproblem-basedandconstructivistlearning
thatisabigproponentoftwenty-firstcenturythinking.Vygotskyontheotherhand,
believedheavilyinthesocialcontextasadriverofknowledgebuilding(Liu&Chen,2010;
Schreiber&Valle,2013),especiallythroughhiszonesofproximaldevelopment(Vygotsky,
1978).Vygotsky(1978)spoketotheideathatstudentlearningdoeshaveacorrelation
withtheircurrentpsychologicaldevelopment,andbyteachingwiththesezonesof
proximaldevelopmentinmind;educatorswouldbeabletoengageineffectiveteaching.He
statedthat,“learningawakensavarietyofinternaldevelopmentalprocessesthatareable
tooperateonlywhenthechildisinteractingwithpeopleinhisenvironmentandin
cooperationwithhispeers”(Vygotsky,1978,p.90).Educatorsshouldthusbepushing
studentsjustoutsideoftheircomfortzonesinordertoencourageknowledgegrowthand
discoverythroughcollaborationwithcontentexpertsaswellasimportantarticlesor
19
productsforlearning(Mills,2010).DrawingonthelearningtheoryofVygotsky,students
areencouragedtocollaborateandparticipateincooperativecriticalthinkingtasks,which
maybetterpreparethemfortheneedsofthetwenty-firstcenturyworkforce.
2.4.3 Multimodality in Digital Literacies Education
Thereisevidencetosuggestthatreadingandwritingskillswhenconnectedwith
otherrepresentationalsystemshelpindividualscreatemeaning(Gee,1996;Kress,2003;
Buckingham,2007b;Mills,2010;Jocius,2013).However,theconceptofmultimodalityis
notnewineducation.Theblendingofmodessuchastext,images,hypermedia,sounds,and
gestures,hasimpactedthewayinwhichwecommunicate,bothinthephysicalandvirtual
worlds(Mills,2010;Walsh,2010).Teachershavebeenusingteachingtoolslikepicture
books,whichcombinetextualandvisualelementsinawaythatisameaningfulhybrid
betweenthetwo,whereasstudentsareconstantlyinundatedwithmultimodalmediawhile
perusingtheirsocialnetworkingsitesorexploringtheWeb.Theuseofmultimodality
enablesstudentstoconnectwithawideraudiencethroughtheuseofdifferentmeaning
makingdevices,andthislayeringofexperiencesencouragesadeeperconnectiontothe
contenttobeestablished(Williams,2014).
Conversely,thesuccessofmultimodalityisnotjustintheacquisitionofknowledge
bytheaudience;itisalsoaboutengaginginthecreationofmultimodalprojects.
Multimodality,whetherdigitalortangible,encouragesimagination,criticalthinking,
problemsolving,andcreativity(Albers&Harste,2007).Byparticipatinginmultimodal
creation,studentsarerequiredtomeaningfullyselectdifferentmodalitiestopurposefully
conveymeaningaboutatopic(Walsh,2010;Jocius,2013;Barton&Baguley,2014).Thisis
nottosaythattraditionalreadingandwritingpracticesarenolongernecessary;itis
20
simplynolongertheonlyoptionforcommunicatingintheever-evolvingweb-based
landscape.Onlineactivitiesrequiredifferentmodalitiesortypesofdigitalskills,ranging
fromscanningtext,designingofpagedisplays,andhypermedialiteracybuttheyalsooften
requirestudentstobeabletocompletetasksinvideoediting,soundcreation,orimage
manipulation(Godwin-Jones,2015).Studentengagementinthesetoolsisoftendrivenby
interestandexploration,butwithashiftinperspective,theseskillscanbeleveragedfor
classroomuse.
2.4.4 Infographics as a Tool for Communication
Likemanyvisualtools,infographicsoffercreatorstheopportunitytopresent
informationinawaythatreliesonbothvisualimageryandtextualrepresentation,butalso
requiresaudiencestobothinterpretanddecodewhatisbeingpresentedtothem
(Avgerinou&Pettersson,2011).Tufte(1983,1990,1997)andWurman(1989),through
theirworkinthefieldofgraphicdesign,offeredeffectiveuseofdesignprinciplesfor
informationdesignandproblemsolvingthatcanbeappliedtothistypeoflearningand
communication.Ithasbeenshownthatimagesareoftenmoreimpactfulwhentryingto
persuadeanaudiencewhencomparedtotextalone(Trumbo,1999;Griffin,2008;Green&
Myers,2010;Lazard&Atkinson,2015),sobyempoweringstudentstoengagein
multimodalartifactcreation,wearefosteringawidersetofliteraciesskills.Additionally,
theuseofimageryandiconographyencouragesamoreholisticandemotionalresponse
fromanaudience.Creatorsofvisualmediaoftenbankonthefactthatitwillelicitsome
familiaritybetweentheaudienceandthearticle(Avgerinou&Pettersson,2011)andwill
alsothatmayencouragememorystorage(Reavy,2003)makingthefinalproductmore
effectiveasacommunicationtool.
21
However,whileinfographicsarewidelysharedonlinethroughsocialnetworking
siteslikeTwitter,LinkedIn,andFacebook(Toth,2013;Albers,2014;Lazard&Atkinson,
2015),theyareoftennotcreatedwithmuchcontentfocus.Rather,theimportanceinmost
oftheseinfographicsistheabilitytogoviralandtheoverallvisualappeal(Albers,2014).
Oftentheyarevisuallypleasingwithaplethoraofclipart,fonts,andcolours,buttheylack
theinformationdensitythatwillactuallyeducateareaderonaspecificareaofinterest
(Albers,2014;Arslan&Toy,2015).Infographicsshouldbedesignedwithastrategyand
audienceinmind,thuspushingthecreationoftheartifacttoproduceaneffective
educationalexperienceforthereaderwithoutseekingoutadditionalresources(Toth,
2013;Arslan&Toy,2015).Bycreatingandsharinginfographics,studentswillbeableto
fosterthesecommunicationanddesignskills,whichwillpotentiallybecomevery
importantintheirfutureworkplaceandeducationalendeavours.
2.5 Limitations and Gaps in Previous Research
Amajorlimitationisthatcurrentliteraturedoesnotreallyacknowledgetheuseof
infographicsasacommunicationtoolinthetraditionalkindergartentogradetwelve
learningenvironment.Whileithasbeguntobeadoptedinotherindustries,likethe
business,journalism,andmedicalsectors,theuptakeofthistoolisstillunderinvestigated
inthefieldofeducation.Whilesomeresearchhasbeenconducted,itmostlyfocusingonthe
implicationsinhighereducationstudies(Vanichvasin,2013;Matrix&Hodson,2014;
Sudakov,Bellsky,Usenyuk&Polyakova,2014;Mendenhall&Summers,2015;Lyra,etal.,
2016;Ozdamli,etal.,2016),sothegapexistsinthestudyasitrelatestoK-12education
andcurriculum.Atthetimeofthecompletionofthisthesis,onlytwoarticlescouldbe
22
foundthatwerewrittenaboutworkwithinthekindergartentograde-twelvesystem
(Krauss,2012;Kos&Sims,2014).InKrauss’article,Infographics:Morethanwordscansay,
sheadvocatesfortheuseofinfographicsasacommunicationtool.Thearticlecontinuesto
outlineherfivestepstocreateaneffectiveinfographicaswellassomeprojectexamples
thatshewouldusewithintheclassroom(2012).Kraussdoesnotactuallyshareany
findingsasthiswascreatedasmoreofaresourceforteachersratherthananacademic
study.So,whilethisisahelpfultoolforteachers,itdoeslittletolessenthegapthatexistsin
academicresearchonthistopic.Kos&Sims(2014)ontheotherhandfocusedtheirstudy
onmiddleschoolstudentsinColorado.TheyimplementedaSTEM-CareersInfographic
Project(SCIP)with180gradeeightstudentsoverafour-weekperiod.Duringthis
intervention,studentschoseaSTEMcareer
pathandresearchedaboutitinorderto
createaninfographicaboutthecareerand
presentedittotheclass.Theresearchers
wouldprovidequestionsorpromptsfor
studentsduringtheresearchphaseifthey
feltitnecessary.Kos&Simsexploredthe
similaritiesofinfographicsandessaysand
outlinedthemthroughagraphicthatwas
sharedwithstudents(seeFigure4).The
researchersfoundthatinfographicsoffered
adiversewayofpresentingdataand
informationinawaythatwasdeemed
Figure 4: 5-Paragraph essay structure vs. infographic structure
(Kos & Sims, 2014)
23
preferabletothestudentsinthestudy.Additionally,studentsidentifiedasbeingmore
engagedandenjoyingthecreationprocessmorewithaninfographicwhencomparedtoa
traditionalessayassignment.
Theexistingresearchpropagatesthepotentialefficacyofthiscommunicationtoolin
theweb2.0universe,buttheactualapplicabilityandcurricularconnectionshaveyettobe
explored.Thisresearchprojectaimstobegintoreducethegapthatexistsinthisresearch
areaandencouragestudentstoutilizeamoremultiliterateandmultimodalapproachto
theirlearningexperiences.
2.6 Research Questions
Thisstudyinvestigatedthefollowingfourquestions:
1) Whataffordancesandconstraintsexistforteachercandidateswhoengageinthe
consumptionandproductionofinfographics?
2) Howdoesthereadingandwritingofinfographicshelpteachercandidatesdevelop
theirdigitalliteraciesskills?
3) Howdoesthecreationofinfographicsintersectwiththedevelopmentoftwenty-
firstcenturycompetencies,suchasmultimodalcommunication,creativeandcritical
thinking,collaboration,problemssolvingandculturalandglobalcitizenship?
4) Inwhatwaysdoteachercandidatesenvisionusinginfographicsintheirown
teaching?
24
3 Method
3.1 Design
Thisstudyemployedapragmaticapproachtomixedmethodsresearchutilizing
qualitativecasestudytechniques(Stake,2000)alongwithquantitativemethodologies.In
ordertobeselectedforthein-depthcasestudy,theparticipantshadtobecurrently
enrolledintheBachelorofEducationprogramataspecificUniversityinSouthernOntario
andcompleteallphasesoftheresearchstudy.AccordingtoCreswell(2014),pragmatic
researchemploysbothqualitativeandquantitativepracticestoprovideamoreholistic
viewandunderstandingofthedataandresearchquestions.Thisresearchphilosophy
emphasizestheimportanceofidentifyingarealworldproblemandfindingaplausibleand
practicalsolutiontosaidissue(Creswell,2014).Theprobleminthisresearchstudywas
whetherornotanalternativecommunicationmethod,infographics,couldbeusedasan
effectivelearningtoolforteachercandidatesenrolledinaninitialteachereducation
program.Throughmixedmethodsresearch,theresearcherwasabletoformulatefindings
thatwouldnothavebeenfoundbyusingeitherquantitativeorqualitativeresearch
independently(Creswell,2014).Additionally,themixedmethods,multi-phase,casestudy
approachenabledtheresearchertoworkmorecloselyandcollaborativelywiththe
participants,empoweringthemtosharetheirviewpointsandideas,providingricherdata
throughmultipleperspectives(Crabtree&Miller,1999;Baxter&Jack,2008).
Intermsofquantitativedata,apre-researchquestionnairewasadministeredonline
containingeightLikert-stylequestionstoassesstheparticipant’sknowledgeofthe
researchcontent,includingdigitalliteracies,technologyuse,infographics,andliteracy
25
education,toestablishabaselineforparticipants’understanding.Participantdemographic
datawasalsocollectedatthistime.InadditiontotheLikert-stylequestions,participants
alsocompletedaseriesofopen-endedqualitativequestionswheretheyexpandedupon
ideasunderlyingtheresearchquestions(AppendixB).Thesequalitativeresponseswould
actasaguidelinefortheone-on-oneinterviewsthatwouldfollowinphasetwo,andwould
alsobeusedinthefinalconcludinginterviewattheendoftheproject(phasefour).
Followingphaseone,theparticipantswereinvitedtocompleteapre-studyinterview
(phasetwo)toprovideadditionalqualitativedatathatwouldeithersupportorcontradict
theinformationprovidedthroughtheirquestionnaireresponses.Theanswerswere
comparedtothosereceivedfromtheonlinequestionnaireforsimilaritiesaswellas
disparities.Thesewereusedintheformulationofthequestionsforthephasefour
concludinginterviews.
Next,theteachercandidatesenteredtheparticipatoryphaseoftheresearch.Here
theywereaskedtouseanonlinefreewaretocreateaninfographiconthetopicoftheir
choosing.Theycouldinclude,asmuchoraslittleinformationastheyfeltwasappropriate,
tosupporttheirtopicandprovidetheaudiencewithathoroughenoughunderstandingof
thesubjectmatter.
Finally,participantswereaskedtocompleteafinalone-on-oneinterviewwiththe
researcheralongwithanonlinequestionnaire.Theinterviewfocusedonhowtheopinion
oftheparticipantevolvedoverthecourseofthestudy,aswellastouchingonthe
infographicthattheycreatedduringthethirdphase.Teachercandidateswereaskedabout
responsestheygaveduringphaseoneandtwoandhowthoseresponsessupportedor
26
challengedtheinfographictheycreatedinphasethree.Therewasaudioandvideo
recordingofthesephasefourinterviews,whichweretranscribedforlateranalysis
purposes.Theanswersprovidedinthefinalquestionnairewerecomparedtothosegiven
inthepre-researchquestionnairetoassessforgrowthandperspectiveshifts.
3.2 Participants
ThestudytookplaceprimarilyinauniversityinSouthernOntario,Canada,andalso
partiallyinanonlineindividualenvironment.TheonlineenvironmentincludedGoogle
formsforthepre-andpost-researchquestionnairesandPiktochart(Piktochart,2018)for
theinfographiccreationduringphasethree.Therewereatotalofnineteachercandidates
thatvolunteeredasparticipantsforthisstudy,fivemalesandfourfemales,rangingfrom23
to40yearsofage.Duringthecourseofinvolvementinthestudy,eachparticipantwas
enrolledinhisorherinitialteachereducationprogramineitherthePrimary/Junior(n=5)
orIntermediate/Senior(n=4)division.Primary/Juniorreferstoteachingkindergarten
throughgradesix,whereasIntermediate/Seniorconcentratesongradesseventhrough
twelve.Ofthenineparticipants,fourwereenrolledintheconcurrenteducationprogram
andtheotherfivewereapartoftheconsecutiveeducationstream.Thebackgroundsofthe
Intermediate/Seniorparticipantsvariedacrosssubjects,withthreecomingfromscience
undergraduatedegreesandonefromahumanitiesundergraduateprogram.
Oftheninestudents,fourofparticipantswereselectedforamorein-depthcasestudy
analysis,allofwhichhappenedtobemales.Theseteachercandidatesweretheonlyfourto
completeallofthephase-relatedtasks,sotheyofferedthemostcompletepictureofthe
impactofthestudy.Theparticipantsenteredthestudywithavarietyoftechnological
27
skills,noneofwhichwhoidentifiedashavingcompleteexpertiseintheirinfographic
creationabilities,thoughtheywerefamiliarwiththemedium.Theseteachercandidates
weregivenresearcher-selectedpseudonyms:Phillip,Luke,Eric,andJake.Toaccountfor
timeconstraintsonbehalfoftheteachercandidates’schedules,theresearcheroptedto
assignpseudonymsratherthanasktheparticipantstoselectthem.Thefollowingtable
(Table1)offersinsighttothebackgroundoftheparticipantswhowereselectedasthe
casestobestudied.
Table1.CaseStudyParticipantBackgroundData
ParticipantName
UndergraduateDegree
Age TeacherEducationStream
ProgramDivision
Phillip BachelorofArts 40 ConsecutiveEducation
Primary/Junior
Luke BachelorofArts(Honours)
23 ConsecutiveEducation
Primary/Junior
Eric BachelorofSciences(Honours)
23 ConsecutiveEducation
Primary/Junior
Jake BachelorofSciences(Honours)
23 ConcurrentEducation
Intermediate/Senior
3.3 Context
Thestudywasprimarilyconductedinaneducationalresearchlaboratorysettingin
SouthernOntario.Teachercandidatescompletedtheonlinetasksontheirown
technologicaldevices,allofwhichwereeitherMacBookorPClaptops.Teachercandidates
wereaskedtomeettheprimaryinvestigatorontwoseparateoccasionsatthelaboratory
locationtoconductone-on-oneinterviewsorcompletephaserelatedtasks.Eachin-person
28
meetingwasarrangedtobe30-minutesorlesstoaccountforthefactthattheteacher
candidateswerestillcompletingtherequirementsoftheirBachelorofEducationdegrees
andhadtoworkaroundtheirclassschedulesandassignments.Theonlineportionsofthe
researchincludedGoogleFormspre-andpost-researchquestionnairesandPiktochart
(Piktochart,2018).Thesecomponentswerecompletedontheirowntimeatalocationof
theirchoosing,inaccordancewiththeircourseworkandpracticumschedules,andwere
submittedtotheprimaryinvestigatorthroughemail.Participantswerealsoabletocontact
theresearcherthroughemailcommunicationwithanyquestionsorconcernsthroughout
thedurationofthestudy.
3.4 Procedure
Priortobeginningthisstudy,theprimaryinvestigatorsubmittedanapplicationfor
researchstudytotheUniversityofOntarioInstituteofTechnology(UOIT)ResearchEthics
Board(REB)andapprovalwasgrantedonFebruary2,2017,REB#14131(AppendixJ).Due
tothetimeconstraintsoftheteachercandidatesastheycompletedtheirBachelorof
Educationdegrees,theapplicationwasresubmittedforrenewal,whichwasapprovedon
January10,2018(AppendixK).Additionally,asarequirementofTri-Councilresearch,the
researchercompletedtheTri-CouncilPolicyStatement:EthicalConductforResearch
InvolvingHumansCourseonResearchEthics,whichwasgrantedonApril8,2016
(AppendixL).Withallofthesepre-researchstepscompleted,IreachedouttotheFacultyof
Educationstudentbodyforparticipantvolunteers.
29
3.4.1 Consent
Theresearcherattendedacohort-widelectureandpresentedtheresearchstudy
opportunitytotheentireteachercandidatepopulation.Atthistimethephasesand
requirementswereexplainedtotheteachercandidatesandthosewhowereinterestedin
participatinginthestudywereaskedtostaybehindtochatwiththeresearcherorreach
outviaemailcommunication.
Ninestudentsreachedouttotheresearcherandtheyweregivenconsentformsto
readandreview.Theconsentformsprovidedadetailedoutlineofthestudyandadvised
theparticipantsoftheirrightsandadvisedtheteachercandidatesthattheyhadtheability
towithdrawfromthestudyatanytime,regardlessofwhatphasetheywereat,withoutany
penalty.Thepotentialparticipantswereinvitedtoaskanyquestionsthattheyhadabout
theresearchprojectorconsentdocumentpriortosigninganything.Theresearcher
receivedinformedconsentfromeachteachercandidatewhowaswillingtoparticipatein
theresearchstudy(AppendixA).Allofthesignedconsentformswerecollectedandkeptin
asealedenvelopeuntilthecommencementofdataanalysis.
3.4.2 Data Collection
Datacollectionfollowedthestepsoutlinedbelow(Table2).Duetotherequirements
oftheteachercandidatesfortheBachelorofEducationprogram,thetimelineworkedwith
theirscheduleandtookplaceoverafour-and-a-half-monthperiod.
Table2.DataCollectionProcedures
Step Procedure Time
1 TeacherCandidatesreceive,fillout,andsubmitconsentforms PriortoStudy
30
2 TeacherCandidatescompletepre-surveyquestionnaire PriortoStudy
3 Researchertoreviewresultsofthequestionnaires PriortoStudy
4 One-on-oneinterviewswithTeacherCandidates&Sorting
Activity
Week1&2
5 Reviewandtranscribeaudio/videofrominterviews Week3&4
6 TeacherCandidatestocreatetheirpersonalinfographics Week5-10
7 Researchertoreviewtheinfographics Week11&12
8 Researcherformulatesfollow-upquestionsforthefinal
interviews
Week13
9 One-on-onefinalinterviews Week14–17
10 Transcriptionofthevideos Week18
3.5 Data Collection
3.5.1 Overview
Inordertoenhancereliability,validityandtoprovideamorethorough
understandingoftheparticipants’opinionsandknowledge,bothquantitativeand
qualitativedatawerecollectedandanalyzedforthefourphasesinthisresearchproject.
Questionsaskedinthepre-surveyaimedtodevelopabaselineunderstandingofthe
researchtopicspriortobeginningthestudy.Thisallowedtheresearchertocompare
participants’priorunderstandingswiththeirlearningastheyprogressedthroughthe
researchstudy.Theresearcherwasabletointerpretthevarietyofqualitativedatafromthe
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open-endedpre-surveyresponses,transcribedandvideodatafromthephasetwoandfour
videos,aswellasderivemeaningfromtheteachercandidatecreatedinfographics.The
qualitativevalidityofthisstudywasreinforcedthroughthemultipleactivitiescompleted
bytheparticipantsandthediversityofdatacollectedfromthesephases.
3.5.2 Phase One: Pre-Survey Questionnaire
Quantitativedatawerecollectedthroughanonlinepre-surveyquestionnaire
composedofeightLikert-stylequestionsaswellastenopen-endedresponses(Appendix
B).Thepre-surveywasusedprimarilytoestablishabaselineofunderstandingofthe
teachercandidatesforthecontentoftheresearchstudy.TheLikert-stylequestions
concentratedontheteachercandidatescomfortlevelssurroundinguseoftechnologyinthe
classroom,preconceptionsofliteracyeducation,aswellastheiropinionsoninfographicsin
education.Theopen-endedquestionsfocusedontheparticipantsunderstandingofdigital
literacieseducation,twenty-firstcenturycompetencies,andinfographicsasaneducational
tool.Theopen-endedquestionsencouragedtheteachercandidatestoofferadditional
insightintotheirresponsesthatwouldprovideamoreholisticunderstandingwhenitcame
tolaterdataanalysis.TheLikert-styleratingscalewasemployedincollaborationwiththe
open-endedquestionsbecauseitisawaytorateteachercandidateoutlooks,observations,
andbeliefsaboutthetopicsinareliableandvalidway(Cohen&Manion,2000).
3.5.3 Phase Two: One-on-one Interview & Task
Followingthecompletionofthepre-surveyquestionnaire,theteachercandidates
wereaskedtocometotheeducationalresearchlaboratorytocompletebothaninfographic
sortingtaskinthestyleofaone-on-oneinterviewwiththeprimaryinvestigator.Each
32
participantwasprovidedwiththesamesetofthreeinfographicprintouts(Figure5,6&7,
forclearerimagesseeAppendixD)andwasaskedaseriesofquestionspertainingtothose
infographics(AppendixC&E).
Figure 5. Sorting task infographic A
Figure 6. Sorting task infographic B
33
TheinfographicswerelabeledA,B,andC,forthepurposeofidentificationduring
dataanalysis.Thesethreeinfographicswereselectedbecausetheresearcherfeltthatthey
wouldillicitemotionalresponsesandabletobedissectedbyparticipants.InfographicsA
andB(Figures5&6)werebothgoodexamplesofinfographics,sotheresearcher
hypothesizedthattheteachercandidateswouldresonatewithoneofthose,findingsboth
positiveattributesandpotentialareasforimprovement.InfographicC(Figure7)was
selectedasanexampleofwhattoavoidwhencreatinganinfographic.Thisinfographicwas
meanttoillicitastrongnegativeresponseandallowstheteachercandidatestooutline
whatspecificallytheydonotlikeaboutitandofferwaysthattheybelieveitcouldbe
improved.Withthesethreeinfographicsselected,theresearcherwasinterestedtoseeif
andhowtheteachercandidateswouldtaketheirconstructivefeedbackfortheinfographics
Figure 7. Sorting task infographic C
34
provided,andapplyittotheonesthattheywouldcreateinphasethree.Eachinterview
andsortingtasktookthirtyminutesorlessfortheparticipantstocomplete.Thegoalofthis
taskwastogaugetheteachercandidates’currentlevelsofunderstandingastheypertained
toinfographicsthathadalreadybeencreatedforthem.Keythemesweretriangulatedfor
cross-casecomparison.ThisinformedtheresearcherinthecreationoftheInfographic
Matrix(Figure9)usedlaterinthestudy.Theseinterviewsandthesortingtaskwhere
audioandvideorecordedfordatacollectionandanalysispurposes.Theaudiowas
transcribedbytheresearcherandusedinthedataanalysis.
3.5.4 Phase Three: Teacher Candidate Created Infographic Artifact
Forthethirdphaseoftheresearchproject,theteachercandidatesweregiventhe
opportunitytoexploreanissuethattheywerepassionateaboutandcreateaninfographic
toteachanaudienceaboutthattopic(AppendixF).Theywereaskedtousetheonline
freewarePiktochart(Piktochart,2018)astheinfographicdesigntool,butweregiventhe
optionofseekingoutanothersoftwareiftheyhadsomethingthattheypreferred.The
teachercandidatesweregivennospecificguidelinesonhowtheyweretocreatetheir
artifact,onlythattheyneededtosticktotheirtopicofchoiceandexplainittoanon-
industryrelatedaudience.TheseweresubmittedelectronicallyasPDFdocumentstothe
researcherviaemailcommunication.Sincetheparticipantshadtobalancethecompletion
ofthistaskwiththeircoursework,theresearchergavetheteachercandidatesonemonth
tocompletethisphase.
35
3.5.5 Phase Four: Post-Research Interview & Questionnaire
Thefinalresearchphaseinvolvedtheresearcheranalyzingtheinfographicsthatwere
createdbyeachoftheparticipants.TheresearcherutilizedanInfographicMatrix(Figure
7)thatwascreatedforthepurposeofinfographicassessment.Thismatrixwasadapted
fromtheworkofKafaiandPeppler(2011)andtheirDIY-ProductionFramework.Once
theywereassessed,theparticipantswereinvitedtocompleteaone-on-onepost-research
interviewwiththeprimaryinvestigator.Atthistimetheywereaskedaseriesofquestions
pertainingtothestudyatlarge.Theseweremoregeneralquestionsandtheywereaskedto
allparticipants.Followingthegeneralquestions,thereweresomecreatedforeach
individualparticipantbasedontheinfographicthattheysubmittedduringphasethree.
BothsetsofquestionscanbefoundinAppendixG.Inthelatterhalfoftheinterview,
participantswereaskedaboutcommentsorinformationthattheyprovidedduringthe
phasetwointerviewsandhowthatwassupportedordifferentfromwhattheyproduced
fortheinfographictaskinphasethree.Finally,theparticipantscompletedanonlinepost-
researchquestionnairethatfollowedupwiththequestionsaskedinthepre-survey
questionnaire.
3.6 Data Analysis
3.6.1 Questionnaire Responses
Thepre-researchquestionnaireemployedbothquantitativeandqualitativedata
collectiontechniques.ThequantitativeresearchmethodswerefocusedonLikert-style
questionswhereasthequalitativequestionsweremoreopen-endedintheirnature.The
quantitativedatawereassessedandabaselinelevelofunderstandingwasdeterminedfor
36
eachoftheparticipantsinthestudy.Theseresultswerethencomparedtotheresponses
giveninthesurveysduringphasetwoandfour,tocheckforgrowthorchangesinteacher
candidateperspectivesoninfographicsinthelearningenvironment.Contentanalysis
(Krippendorff,1989,2004;Berg,2007)wasusedforthequalitativeresponsesduringthis
phaseoftheresearchprocess.Inordertogainamoreholisticunderstandingoftheteacher
candidateperspectives,thequantitativeandqualitativedatawerethenconsidered
togetherforafinalinterpretationoftheresults(Creswell,2014).
3.6.2 Interview Transcriptions
Inordertorespondtotheresearchquestions,contentanalysis(Berg,2007)was
usedontheinterviewtranscriptsfromphasetwoandfour.Contentanalysisisusedto
focusonthereplicablebutunobservabledatathatcanbeinferredduringinterviewsand
throughresearchartifactslikeimages,printedmatter,orsounds(Krippendorff,1989,
2004),whichissometimesoverlookedintraditionalquantitativeresearchstudies.
Responsesfromtheinitialinterviewwerecomparedtothosefromtheconcluding
interviewtodetermineiftheteachercandidatesexperiencedanygrowthorchangesin
theiropinionsontheefficacyofinfographicuseasacommunicationtoolaswellasdigital
literacyeducationinthetwenty-firstcenturylearningenvironment.Additionally,teacher
candidateswerequestionedabouttheirresponsestotheirpre-surveyquestionnaire,which
providedadditionaldataregardingtheefficacyoftheproposeduseforinfographics.
AccordingtoKrippendorff(1989,2004),throughcontentanalysis,theresearcherwasable
togainnewinsightsfromthepatternsthatemergedfromtheperspectivesbeingshared
duringtheindividualparticipantinterviews.
37
3.6.3 Infographic Artifacts
Contentanalysis(Krippendorff,1989,2002;Berg,2007)andmultimodaltextual
analysis(Hull&Katz,2006;Jewitt,2008)wereutilizedforthissectionoftheresearch.
AccordingtoJewitt(2008),“multimodalanalysisoffersawaytobroadenthelensof
educationalresearchandinvestigatetheroleofimageandnon-linguisticmodes”(p.258).
Forthepurposeofthisstudy,theemphasisofnon-textualmethodologiesintandemwith
linguisticcommunicationinfluencedthedecisiontoemploythistypeofanalysisforthe
teachercandidatecreatedartifacts.Byexaminingtheinfographicsfromamultimodallens,
thepoweroftheimages,graphics,andartisticchoices,becamemoreimportantinthe
overallunderstandingandconsumptionoftheartifact.Inordertoassessthetext
componentoftheinfographics,contentanalysis(Krippendorff,1989,2004;Berg,2007)
wasusedaswell.Whenconsideringhowandwhytheteachercandidatesmadethe
decisionstheydidwithregardstolanguage,theoverallefficacyoftheinfographicbecame
clearer.Throughcontentanalysis(Krippendorff,1989,2004;Berg,2007),theinfographics
wereassessedforspecificthemesorcodes.Withthesecodes,theresearcherwasableto
bettercomparetheteachercandidatesacrosscases.
Tosupportthemultimodaltextualanalysis,theresearcher,withtheguidanceofDr.
Hughes,createdaninfographicmatrix,adaptedfromtheworkofKafaiandPeppler(2011).
Kafai&Peppler(2011)usedtheparticipatorycompetencieswithregardstodo-it-yourself
(DIY)productionintheirframework,whichincludethetechnical,critical,creative,and
ethicalpracticesofproduction.Thefulloverviewoftheirframeworkofparticipatory
competenciescanbeseeninFigure8.
38
Figure 8. DIY production matrix (Kafai & Peppler, 2011)
39
ThematrixcreatedbyKafaiandPeppler(2011)didnotaddresstheneedsof
teacherswhowantedtouseinfographicsspecificallyintheirclassrooms,whichprompted
theresearchertocreateamatrixexclusivetoinfographiccreation(Figure9).The
researcher-createdmatrixfollowedtheleadofKafaiandPeppler(2011),using
participatorycompetenciesasawaytoorganizetheinformation.Thisnewmatrixfocused
onthreepracticesthattheresearcherfeltwereparticularlyapplicablewhenconsidering
infographiccreation:design,utility,andethics.Thedetailsandrationaleareoutlinedin
Figure9.
Competency Practices Definitions
Design Layout Westernlanguagesreadtoptobottomandlefttoright,thisshouldbeconsideredwhentheinfographicisdesigned(Lankow,Ritchie&Crooks,2012).Additionally,considerationsshouldbemadewhetherthegraphiciscreatedinportraitorlayoutposition.
HierarchyofInformation
Theinformationintheinfographicshouldreadfrommostimportanttoleastimportant,orinawaythatemphasizestheimportanceofspecificcontent.Thiscanbedonethroughuseoftextorothermodesofcommunication(visuals,audio,graphs,etc.).
Aesthetics Basicdesignprinciplesshouldbeconsideredastheycreateamoreappealingproduct.Font,colour,textsize,useofwhitespace,line,andvalueshouldbeconsidered.
UseofGraphicsandIcons
Thevisualsusedshouldengagethereadersandnotactasadistractionfromthepurposeoftheinfographic(Bateman,Mandryk,Gutwin,Genest,McDine&Brooks,2010).Thegraphicsshouldbeclearlyrelevantandrepresenttheinformationappropriately.Iconsandgraphicsshouldbeuniversallyunderstood(i.e.acheckmarktomeanyesorcorrect).
Utility Efficacy Theinfographicshouldbemadeinawaythatcommunicatesaspecificobjectiveorpurpose(Lankow,Ritchie&Crooks,2012).Additionally,itshouldgeneratecontentusingsmallchunksoftextwiththesupportofimages/graphics(Clark&Mayer,2011).
Communicative
Approach
Theinfographicshouldutilizeeitheranarrativeorexplorativecommunicationapproach(Lankow,Ritchie&Crooks,2012).Theinformationprovidedshouldreflectthechoiceofapproachfortheinfographic.
PointofView Thepurposeandtopicareclearlypresentedandconsistent
40
throughouttheinfographic.Theviewershouldbeabletofindthemainpointsoftheinfographiceasily.Thereadershouldbeabletoidentifytheobjectiveoftheinfographiceasily.
EntertainmentValue
Usegraphics/imagesthatsupportthetextandthatdonotdistractfromtheoverallmessage(Clark&Mayer,2011).Cognitiveloadshouldbeconsideredtomaintainthepurposeoftheinfographicwhilemakingitinterestingandengagingforthereader.
Audience Theinfographicwascreatedwithanintendedaudienceinmind,whichisreflectedinthecreation.
Ethics References Informationshouldbecitedappropriatelytocredittheoriginofthe“text.”
AccuracyofInformation
Informationshouldbepresentedinawaythatisnotmisleadingoramisrepresentationfromitsoriginalpurpose.Infographicshouldbeerrorfree.
Figure 9. Infographic production matrix
Whilecompletingthedataanalysisontheinfographicscreatedbytheteacher
candidates,theresearchercomparedeachoftheindividualinfographicstothematrix
(Figure9).Commentsandquestionswerewrittenforeachinfographic,andthesewere
usedintheformationoftheindividualizedquestionsforthephasefourone-on-one
interviewsattheconclusionoftheresearch.Resultswerecomparedacrossparticipantsto
seewherethereweresimilaritiesanddifferencesintheirperformanceandsuccesswith
thecreationoftheirinfographicartifacts.
3.7 Chapter Summary
Insummary,tobestaddressthequestionsguidingthisresearch,avarietyofdata
collectionmethodswereusedinthisstudy.Thesetoolsincludedpre-andpost-research
questionnaires,structuredone-on-oneinterviews,infographictasksrelatedtoboth
productionandconsumption.Inaddition,observationandtranscriptionswereusedwith
theintentionofallowingparticipantstoexpressthemselvesacrossavarietyofmodalities.
Keepinginlinewiththeliteraturethatdrovethisresearch,theefforttoexhibitmultimodal
41
teachingthroughoutthisstudywasastrategicchoicebytheresearcherinordertoshow
theapplicabilityofthesetoolsandmethodologiesfortheteachercandidatesintheirfuture
classrooms.Throughtheresearcherencouragingmultimodalcommunicationfromthe
participants,itwashopedthatteachercandidateswouldprovidericherandmoreall-
encompassingdatatobeanalyzedinthenextstepsofthethesisprocess.
42
4 Results
4.1 Overview
Thisstudyfocusedonfourmainresearchquestions:
1) Whataffordancesandconstraintsexistforteachercandidateswhoengageinthe
consumptionandproductionofinfographics?
2) Howdoesthereadingandwritingofinfographicshelpteachercandidatesdevelop
theirdigitalliteraciesskills?
3) Howdoesthecreationofinfographicsintersectwiththedevelopmentoftwenty-
firstcenturycompetencies,suchasmultimodalcommunication,creativeandcritical
thinking,collaboration,problemssolvingandculturalandglobalcitizenship?
4) Inwhatwaysdoteachercandidatesenvisionusinginfographicsintheirown
teaching?
Theparticipantpopulationbeganwithasampleofnineteachercandidates(fivemale
andfourfemale)fromaSouthernOntarioBachelorofEducationprogram.Fourofthe
participantswereselectedforcasestudyanalysisforparticipationinthisresearchproject.
In-depthcasestudyresearchwasutilizedtostretchbeyondthelimitationsofstatisticsand
quantitativemeasures,anddelvedeeperintotheconditionsthroughtheparticipants’
perspective.Bynarrowingthefielddowntofourcases,theresearcherisbetterableto
triangulateforspecificthemesandcomparethemacrossparticipantsforamoreholistic
43
understandingoftheissuesbeingstudied.Onlyfourparticipantsfullycompletedallfour
phasesofthestudy,sotheirworkandresponseswereinvestigatedthroughoutthisthesis.
Theresultsofdatacollectionwillbediscussedwithregardstoeachindividualparticipant
andwillbesharedthroughtheirpersonalcasestudiesastheyprogressedthroughthefour
researchphases.
4.2 Phase One: Pre-Research Questionnaire
Thepre-researchquestionnairewasmadeupofacombinationofquantitativeLikert-
stylequestionsaswellasseveralqualitativeopen-endedquestions.FortheLikert-style
questions,participantsprovidedresponsestoquestionsabouttechnologyuseandtheir
understandingofliteracyeducationonascalefromonetoseven,onebeingnot-at-all,and
sevenmeaningverymuchso.Theopen-endedquestionsprovidedmorein-depth
responsesfortheresearchertobetterunderstandtheirviewpoints.Allquestionscanbe
foundinAppendixB.Thisphaseofthestudywascompletedbyalloftheinitialparticipant
volunteers.Thougheachparticipantcameintothestudywithadifferentacademic
backgroundandexperiences,theyallidentifiedascomfortablewithusingdigital
technologiesintheirclassrooms,with33.3%ofrespondentsclassifyingthemselvesas
incrediblyconfidentinthepre-researchquestionnaire.
44
Howeverstrongtheparticipantsfeltthattheywerewithrespecttodigital
technologies,theydidnotallidentifythesameconfidencewithinfographicproduction.
Twenty-twopercentofparticipantsclaimedtobeonlymoderatelyconfidentintheirability
tocommunicatethroughaninfographic.Additionally,allnineparticipantsrespondedthat
theyhadsomepreviousexperienceusinginfographicsintheirlearningjourney,mostly
acknowledgingthattheywerecompletedintheformofanassignmentduringtheir
BachelorofEducationcoursework.Onlytwoparticipantsoftheninementionedusing
infographicsintheirpracticumteachingexperiencespriortothebeginningofthestudy.
Whenaskedwhetherornottheyfeltstudentsenjoyedbeingtaughtliteracythroughmore
traditionalmethods,theanswersvariedbetweenparticipants(Figure11)withmost
responsescominginaroundtheneutralzone(3-5).
Figure 10. Confidence levels using technology in teaching
45
Figure 11. Student engagement in traditional literacy education
Regardlessofthefactthattheliteraturehasshownthattraditional,text-basedliteracy
educationandassessmentsmaynotbeeffectiveforallstudents(Buckingham,2007a;
Philip&Garcia,2013;Fullan&Langworthy,2014;Henthorn&Cammack,2017),the
teachercandidatepre-surveyresponsesshowedthattheyremainedunsureofwhetheror
notstudentsenjoyedthosemethodologies.Theteachercandidatesseemedreluctanttorely
ontheirpersonalexperienceswiththistypeofteachingandpreferredtofallbacktowhat
pedagogiesandpracticeswereusedonthemwhentheywerestudentsintheK-12system.
4.2.1 Phillip
Phillipcameintotheresearchstudywithabackgroundinthefieldofbusiness,with
hisshiftintoteachingbeinghissecondcareer.HisstudiesfocusedonthePrimary/Junior
46
divisionsofeducation.Heacknowledgedthatsharinginformationinadigitalformatwas
somethingthathewascomfortablewithandaskillthathehadreliedonduringhisinitial
careerinbusiness.Withthisbackground,Phillipwasclearinhissupportfortheuseofthis
typeofcommunicationtoolintheclassroomashefeltitalignedwithmanyoftheskillshe
sawintheworkplacethathewouldbeeducatingstudentstomovetowards.Most
importantly,inthepre-researchquestionnairehefeltthatinfographicsofferedteachersthe
opportunitytoreachawiderrangeofstudentsduetothemultimodalnatureofthetoolit
wouldappealtomorelearningstylesandpreferencesthantextbasedcommunication.
Withregardstohisownunderstanding,Phillipfoundinfographicstobeanappealing
communicationmediumbecausetheyare“easiertoreadandunderstand”thanmore
traditionalhandoutsorpresentations.Herankedhimselfasconfidentwithregardstohis
understandingofdigitalliteraciesandinfographicsasatoolforhiscommunication.
4.2.2 Luke
LukecameintothestudyasaBachelorofEducationcandidatefreshoutofhis
undergraduatestudies.Hewasamemberoftheconsecutiveeducationprogramwitha
focusonPrimary/Junioreducation.Lukecommentedthatdigitalliteraciesandtwenty-first
centuryskillsshouldnotbetaughtinthesamefashionascurricularcontent;ratherthey
shouldbefosteredthroughoutastudent’seducationaljourney.Hefeltthateducators
shouldconsiderdigitalliteraciesandtwenty-firstcenturycompetenciesasmorethanjust
anadd-ontolearning;theyshouldbefundamentalandconstantlyunderlinedinthe
classroom.Lukeidentifiedashavingusedinfographicsforseveralpurposes,bothwithin
andoutsideofthelearningenvironment.Priortobeginningthisstudy,Lukewasalready
47
utilizinginfographicsinhispracticumplacementswithstudentsasyoungasgradeone.He
mentionedthathisstudentscreatedinfographicsintheirscienceclassto“highlightthe
functionsofselectedorgansinthehumanbody.”
Whenaskedtodefinedigitalliteracies,Lukementionedtheimportanceofexercising
twenty-firstcenturycompetencies,andthatitwascrucialasaneweducatortoremain
currentintechnologyintegrationaswellastobeabletorelayinformationefficientlyand
effectivelytobothstudentsandcolleagues.Lukeemphasizedthatinfographicsencourage
studentstocommunicateusingpictures,symbols,andwords,whichwasaskillthatis
usefulforstudentsorlearnersatanygradelevel,includingthoseengaginginprofessional
development.
4.2.3 Eric
LikeLuke,EricwasacceptedtotheBachelorofEducationprogramrightafter
completinghisundergraduatestudies.Hewaspartoftheconsecutiveeducationprogram
withafocusinprimary/junioreducation.Ericidentifiedhimselfasbeingproficientwith
technology,sayinginthepre-researchquestionnaire“otherscometomeforhelpwhenit
comestotechnicaldifficulties.”Likehiscolleagues,hehadalsousedinfographicsbefore
enteringthisstudy,butunlikehispeers,hefoundthetasktobechallengingfroma
communicationstandpoint.Hewascreatingitforamathclass,andfoundthat“tryingto
findawaytobeconcisebutalsoexpansive”madeforaverydifficulttask,especiallyin
mathematics.However,healsoacknowledgedthathisonlyexperiencewithinfographics
wasasastudentandthathehadnothadtheopportunityyettousethemasateacher.Eric
wasclearinhisopinionthat“infographicshelpinlearningaboutatopicbymakingthedata
48
easytoextractandinterestingtothereader/viewer.”Hefurtherexpressedthat
infographicscouldbeanincrediblybeneficiallearningtoolastheycanactasa“great
steppingstoneforotherstogaininterestandknowledgeaboutatopic,”whichisimportant
forteachersintheclassroomsetting.
4.2.4 Jake
Jakeidentifiedhimselfasamemberoftheconcurrenteducationprogram,focusingon
Intermediate/SenioreducationinBiologyandChemistry.Unlikehispeers,hedidnot
immediatelyrecognizehimselfascompletelydigitallyliterate.Hisunderstandingofthe
definitionofdigitalliteracymeantthatanindividualmustbeabletousetheinformation
theyarefinding.Itwasnotenoughtosimplybeabletolocateitintheonlinerealm.
Accordingtohispre-researchquestionnaire,hefeltthathisskillsetwashighlydependent
ontheinformationthathewasworkingwithandthatitwasadefiniteareaofimprovement
forhimasbothalearnerandaneducator.Similartohiscolleagues,hehadused
infographicspriortothisresearchstudy,buthadverylimitedexperience,onlyhaving
createdonehimselfasaprojectduringhisBachelorofEducationstudies.Whenaskedin
thepre-researchquestionnaireabouttheprocessofcreatingtheinfographic,hesaid,“the
firsttimewasmoretimeconsuming”;however,healsorecognizedthatwithmorepractice
“theprocessbecomesmorenatural.”Thisbeingsaid,Jakebelievedthattheknowledgehe
hadindigitalliteracieswouldofferhimauniqueperspectivetodesigningandsharinghis
infographicartifactinthelaterphasesoftheresearch.
49
4.3 Phase Two: One-on-one Interviews & Infographic Sorting
Task
Thesecondphaseoftheresearchprojectfocusedonallowingtheteachercandidates
toexpandonorclarifysomeoftheresponsesthattheygaveduringthefirstphase.This
wasdonefollowingthesortingtask.Thesortingtaskrequiredstudentstorankandassess
threeinfographicsprovidedbytheresearcher.Initiallyquestionswereaskedtothe
participantsduringthesortingtasktohelptheresearcherdevelopabaselineof
understandingforwhentheteachercandidatesmovedontothethirdphasewherethey
weregoingtocreatetheirowninfographicartifact.Theresponsestheygaveallowedthe
researchertomakeamendmentsandadjustmentstothematrixthatwouldbeusedinthe
analysisofthephasethreeartifacts.Forexample,afterphasetwo,theparticipants
mentionedtheimportanceofpresentinginformationinorderofimportance,likestatedin
thematrix,buttheyemphasizedthattheuseofmultimodalitywaskeyforsuccessful
communication.Thispromptedtheresearchertorewordthedescriptionofthe‘hierarchy
ofinformation’sectionofthematrixtoreflecttheneedformorethansolelytext-based
explanations.
Theparticipantswerealsotaskedwithaninfographicsortingactivity,usingthe
infographicsfoundinAppendixD.Duringthistasktheteachercandidateswereaskedto
ranktheinfographicsfrommosteffectivetoleasteffectiveandthenprovideaclear
explanationforwhytheymadethedecisionstheydid.Theseresponseswerethenused
duringphasethreeasapointforcomparisontotheartifactsthattheycreatedtosee
whetherornottheparticipantsfollowedthroughonimprovingontheparticipant
50
perceivedshortcomingsoftheinfographics,iftheyemployedtheelementstheyfeltwere
successfulinthisphase,oriftheydisregardedthementirely.
4.3.1 Phillip
Duringthesortingtask,Phillipdescribedhismethodforrankingtheinfographics
revolvedaround“easeofreading.”WiththisinmindheorderedthemAbeingthebest,B
havingsomeroomforimprovement,andCbeingtheworstoption.Comingfromthe
businesssector,heacknowledgedhisfamiliaritywithspreadsheets,andthatwhenhewas
presentedwithaninfographicinthelandscapeformat,likeinfographicA,hefeltmore
comfortableandthatitwasmoreeffective.Healsostatedthatculturaldifferencescould
influencehowpeoplereadaninfographic,whetherreadingfromlefttorightortopto
bottom,sothiswassomethingthathewouldhavetoconsiderashemovedintohis
professionalpractice.WhenitcametoinfographicB,herecognizedthattheuseofbright
coloursandcartoongraphicsstoodoutanddrewhimtolookatthatinfographic.Hesaida
downsidetothisinfographicwasthebackgroundcolour.Henoted,“thebackground,being
almostpeachcoloured,andthenthecoralandpinkshades,couldbetoomuchforsomeone
whoiscolour-blind.Hefeltthatthisdisabilitywassomethingthatmaybeoverlookedand
wasimportanttoacknowledgeandmakehisstudentsawareofiftheyweretocreate
infographicsorotherdigitalpresentations.Finally,henotedthatinfographicCwassimply
toobusyandoverwhelmingtolookat.
Inthephasetwointerview,Phillipnotedthatanelementofinfographiccreation
thatstoodouttohimwastheopportunityforthecreatortoengageinthedesignprocess.
Hecommunicatedthateaseofreadingofthefinalproductaswellasaestheticappealwere
51
criticalelementstotheoverallsuccessofaninfographic.Additionally,hefeltakeyareaof
infographicsuccesswasintheauthor’sabilitytokeeptheoveralldesignassimpleas
possible.Phillipmentionedthathewasreallyoverwhelmedbytheclutterthatappearedin
infographicC.HepreferredinfographicAbecauseitwas“reallychunkedout,everythingis
niceandclearandneat,nothingblendsinorbleedsintoeachother…itisveryeasyto
navigate.”Healludedtothemultimodalnatureoftheinfographicandthattherewasaneed
tolettheelementsoftheinfographicdothetalking,whetheritwasthroughgraphics,
charts,orothervisualcomponents.
AmajorconstraintthatPhillipacknowledgedwasthelackofopportunitiesfor
infographicuseduringhisownschoolingexperience.Hementionedtryingtousethemin
hisclassroompracticumexperiences,butusuallywasdoingsointheformofa
consolidationpiece.Hewastheonecreatingtheinfographics,nothisstudents.So,he
statedthathewouldliketoexplorethisasastudent-drivenactivity,ratherthansimply
anotherarticleforstudentconsumption.Moreover,hefoundthattherewasnotenough
guidanceonthecreationofhisinfographics:“thefirstinfographicswerejustreamsand
reamsofinformation,”but,throughreflectingonhiswork,hewasabletoimprovehis
abilitytocondensebutstillclearlycommunicateinformation.Hisonlyreportedexperience
involvingtheuseofinfographicsinhisBachelorofEducationcourseworkwasduringone
BachelorofEducationcourseassignment.
4.3.2 Luke
LukedifferedfromPhillipinhisopinionsduringthesortingtask,optingtorankthe
infographicsintheorderofB,A,C.Whiletheybothsharedsimilarfeelingstowards
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infographicC,Luke’sperspectivedifferedwithregardstotheothertwoinfographic
products.ConcerninginfographicB,Lukeappreciatedthemaincentralimagewithbreak
offpointscomingfromthatimage,makingitveryeasytonavigatewithoutbeing
overwhelming.HedidnotappreciatethenumericfocusofinfographicA,maintainingthat
itwashardtoidentifywhatthenumbersweretryingtotellhim.Additionally,thebase
colourwasdifficultforhim.Theresearcherlaterfoundoutthathewasred-greencolour
blind,andfeltthatmighthaveimpactedhisreception.Finally,likePhillip,hefelt
infographicCwastoomessyandconfusing.Fromthefontsizingtothecoloursinthe
legendbeingverysimilar,hewasleftunabletodecodeinfographicC.
Lukeacknowledgedthathispreferenceforinfographicsasacommunicationtoolin
theclassroomstemmedfromhisdesiretoteachandworkwithEnglishLanguageLearners
(ELLs).Hefeltthatinfographicswerenotonlymoreengagingforthispopulationof
studentsbutofferedmoreopportunitiesfortheselearnerstomakeconnectionstothe
materialbeingtaughtthroughtheuseofamoreuniversallyacceptedlanguagelikeicons,
andimages.Heoutlinedthatthemultimodalnatureoftheinfographicenableditto
“summarizeallofthosefindingsintosomethingthatisbothvisuallyappealingand
providesinformation”workingtotietheseelementstogetherforamoreholisticlearning
experience.AsLukeprogressedthroughthestudy,hecontinuedtouseinfographicsinhis
courseworkaswellaspracticumclassrooms.Hesawthepotentialgrowthopportunities
forhisstudents’twenty-firstcenturycompetenciesanddigitalliteraciesskills,especially
forthosewhodidnothaveEnglishastheirfirstlanguage.Heclosedwiththisfinalthought:
“Ithinkthere’smoreofareachwhenyou’reusinginfographicsthanimagesandwords
alone.”
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AmaindrawbacktoinfographicuseforLukewasthedifficultythatheforesawwith
properlysourcingthedatabeingusedinthefinalproduct.AsaPrimary/Juniorteacher,he
feltthatthismightbeaskillthatwastooadvancedforhisprospectivestudents.Whilehe
feltthattheycouldcompletetheotheraspectsofinfographiccreation,hefeltthatthe
referencingandethicalconsiderationsforthistypeoftaskmightbetoocomplex.In
additiontocreatingthecitationsbeingdifficult,hefeltthathisstudentswouldbe
challengedwhenitcametonarrowingdown“avastamountofsources”andhowto
“communicatethingsinasuccinctway.”Healsopointedouttheneedforstudentstoreflect
ontheworktheywereproducingandtrytoensurethat“theywerenotoverlapping
information”becausetheyweretryingtousedatathattheycollectedfromtwodifferent
sources.
4.3.3 Eric
EricchosetoranktheinfographicsinthesortingtaskinthesameorderasLuke,B,
A,C.HefeltthatinfographicBwasveryclear,usingafewlinestodrawthereader’seyeto
thedifferentinformation.Hesaid,“asateacherIlikethisonethemost,becauseithasallof
thevisualthings,itmakesiteasierforchildrentobeatleastinterestedinlookingatitin
thefirstplace.”Byvisualthings,Ericexpandedtomeanthemaincentralimage,clearlylaid
outbannerwiththetitleoftheinfographic,andlinestoleadthereadertovarioustextual
explanations.Herecognizedtheimportanceoftheaestheticsoftheinfographicandused
thatasapointforcommentingontheothertwoinfographicsaswell.Whenconsidering
infographicA,henotedthatasamath-mindedindividual,hefeltthisoneappealedtohis
learningpreferencethemost.Healsomentionedhisdistasteforthewordcloudbecausehe
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feltitwasmessyandineffectiveasavisualtool.HeimmediatelyidentifiedinfographicC,as
“theoneIhatethemost.”Ericwasquicklyoverwhelmedbytheamountofdatapresentin
theinfographicandfeltthattherewasalmostnoattemptmadebytheauthortocondense
theinformationintoamanageableamountforthereader.Heemphasizedtheimportance
ofnotoverloadingthereaderandhefeltthatinfographicCfailedinthatrespect.
Whenitcametoidentifyingtheaffordancesofinfographics,hereallyemphasized
theengagementlevelofinfographics.Duringthephasetwointerviews,Ericmentionedthe
potentialforengagingstudentsandauthorsthroughinfographicsasacommunicationtool.
Henoted,“youhavetocapturetheaudience’sattention…ifyouhaveaspecificaudiencein
mind,appealtothem.”Throughtheplanningprocess,herecognizedthatitwasnotonly
aboutcreatingsomethingthatwasmeaningfultohimselfasanauthor,butthatcaptures
theattentionandinterestoftheaudiencethattheinfographicisbeingsharedwith.He
thoughtitwasimportanttoteachstudentstobeawareofthepotentialpowerofnotonly
theinformationthattheyaresharing,butalsothewaythattheychosetodisplaythedata
wasjustasimportantasthecontentitself.Moreover,infographicsofferedteachersthe
abilitytoscaffoldlearningfortheirstudents.Herecognizedthatthoughinfographicsmay
workforsomestudentseasily,thereis“differentiation,somestudentsmightunderstand
andrelatetoinfographicsmorethanothers,”soitofferedanopportunityforstudentsto
collaborateandbuildtheirskillsasateam.Itallowedforstudentstohighlightdifferent
personalstrengthsorshortcomings,andworktogethertocreateaproductthatfulfilledthe
goalsthattheywerestrivingfor,whileworkingtowardsdevelopingalloftheirtwenty-first
centurycompetencies.
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Whencriticallyreflectingoninfographicsasateachingtool,Ericfeltthatthebiggest
constraintwastherequirementforstudentstocondenseandpresentcontentinthis
medium.Hisexperienceshowedhimthatwithstudents“there’seither,it’stoofocusedon
something,wheretheyaren’texpandingoninformation…orit’stoogiant,wherethereis
toomuchinformation.”AsaPrimary/Juniorteachercandidate,he,likeLuke,feltthiswould
beanareaofdifficultyforthestudentshehopedtoteachoneday.However,hesaidhe
wouldworkthroughthisbyprovidinghisstudentswithmoreexplicitguidelinestotryand
helpthemworkthroughtheresearchanddesignprocesses.
4.3.4 Jake
Jakecametothisphaseoftheresearchwithadifferentperspectivefromhispeersas
hewasateachercandidateintheIntermediate/Seniordivision,sohisperspectivereflected
theneedsofthatolderstudentpopulation.HeorderedtheminthesamewaythatPhillip
did,infographicA,B,C.HenotedthatinfographicAwastheclearestandmostneatly
organizedofthegroup.Jakelikedthattherewasanicebalanceofgraphicsandwordsto
effectivelycommunicateitsmessage.Whilehefeltthevisualappealwastherefor
infographicB,hedidnotlikehowitreliedsolelyontexttopropagateitsmessage.Hefelt
thattheinfographiccouldbenefitfrommorethoughtfuluseofpicturesorgraphstodisplay
thedatathatwasbeingshared.ForinfographicC,hestruggledtofindanymeaningor
purposetotheinfographic.Jakewasnotwillingtospendthetimetotryanddissectand
decodetheinfographic.Hefeltthatdefeatedthepurposebehindtheuseofthistypeof
communicativetool.
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AmainaffordancethatJakementionedwastheabilityforinfographicstoreinforce
digitalliteraciesskilldevelopmentnotonlyforstudents,butalsoforhimasateacheras
well.Heidentifiedthat“creatinganinfographicrequiredtheuseofresearchedand/or
priorknowledgetoconstructavisualthatcreatedanewperspectivetoconsiderthesame
topic,ornewapproachestosummarizeit.”Hefeltthatinfographicsallowedforthe
wideningofperspectives,bothfortheauthorandaudienceofthefinalartifact.Hefurther
wentontoexplainthatinfographics“allowstudentstoconstructknowledgeanditplaces
theinformationinthehandsofthestudentsallowingthemtousetheirownknowledge,
researchedknowledgeandareasofinteresttocreateauniquerepresentationofthetopic
athand.”Additionally,Jakenotedthatthroughtheuseofthesedifferentknowledgebanks,
authorsandconsumersareoftenmoreengaged,whichwouldlikelyincreasethecapacity
forlearning.
AnotherclearbenefitforJakewasthatthroughprojectsinvolvinginfographics,
teacherswereencouragingthedevelopmentofcriticalthinking,innovation,andcreativity
skills,whichwereallidentifiedbyJakeastwenty-firstcenturycompetenciestobetaughtin
theclassroom.Duringthephasetwointerviews,hestated,“creativity,innovation,where
theyaskyounotjustwhatisthetopic,buthowcouldyouorganizeitorhowcouldyou
classifyittomakeithavesomesortofmeaningbehindit.”Atthistime,Jakealsonotedthat
theseskillswereinherentintheuseofinfographics,whetherstudentswerecreatingthem
personallyorsimplyconsuminginformationfromthem.Hefeltthatstudentswouldbe
forcedtodrawontheirmetacognitiveskillsandreflectnotonlyontheworkstheywere
creating,butalsopotentiallyonthefinalproductsbeingpresentedtothem.
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InJake’sopinion,thebiggestconstraintforinfographicuseintheclassroomwas
accesstotechnology.LikeEric,henotedthathehadmorecontroloverthisissueduring
classroomhoursbut,whenconsideringaninfographicasastudytoolorhomework
assignment,hewasnotalwaysawareofwhetherornothisstudentswouldhaveequal
opportunitytoaccessthesetoolsathome.Additionally,sincenotallstudentshavethe
sameaccesstodigitaltools,hewonderedaboutwhethertherewouldbegapsin
technologicalunderstandingthatwouldrenderinfographicsuselesstosomestudents.
4.4 Phase Three: Teacher Candidate Created Infographic
Artifacts
Phasethreeoftheresearchstudywascompletedindependentlyoftheresearcher.
Theteachercandidateswereabletochooseatopicthatwasofinteresttothemandcreate
aninfographicforwhateverpurposethattheysawfit.Therewerefewguidelinessetbythe
researcherduringthisphaseinordertogivetheparticipantsfreereignonwhatthey
wouldproduce.Thiswasdoneinhopesofelicitingamoreauthenticandpurposefulfinal
productratherthanonethatwasprescriptive,liketheteachercandidatesmayhave
previouslyexperiencedduringtheirBachelorofEducationcoursework.Allofthe
participantswereencouragedtousetheonlinefreewarePiktochart(Piktochart,2018)for
thecreationoftheirinfographicartifacts.TheywereassessedagainsttheInfographic
Matrix(Figure9)createdbytheresearcher.
4.4.1 Phillip
Phillipchosetofocushisinfographiconencouragingchildren,specificallystudents,
tospendmoretimeoutside.Hisprojectwastitled,“TakeMeOutside”anditopensby
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askingthereader“doyourememberplayingoutsideuntilthesunset?”Hethenfollowsthis
withsomeveryeasytoabsorbstatisticsthatofferedsomeshockvaluetoelicitfurther
interestfromthereader(Figure12).
Figure 12. Screen grab of upper section of Phillip’s Infographic
PhillipcontinuedhisinfographicbyexplainingNatureDeficitDisorder,byoutliningthe
causesandeffectsthatthishasonchildren.Tofurtherdrivethisideahome,hethenlisted
tenreasonskidsneedfreshair.Whenconsideringthedesignportionoftheinfographic
matrix,hecreatedhisinfographicintheportraitlayout,allowingthereadertofollowhis
ideasinalogicalprogressiondownthepage.Phillipusedheadingstohelporganizehis
informationandprovideclarityofconceptsforhisreaders.Eachofthepanelsalternated
betweenanimageinvolvingtheoutdoors,liketreeswithabicycle(Figure12)orchildren
playingoutside,andeitherasoliddarkblueorwhitebackground,helpingtokeepthe
infographiclookingorganized.Phillipalsotriedtoappealtotheyoungergeneration
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throughage-relevanticons,liketheemojisusedbelowinFigure13.Theseemojishelpto
supportthetextbelowthembyprefacingtheemotiontobespokenaboutbeneath.
Figure 13. Screen grab of middle section of Phillip’s infographic
Whenconsideringtheutilityofhisinfographic,hechoseaclearcommunicative
approach,inthathewantedtotellareaderastoryabouttheissuehewaspresenting.Not
onlydidthesectionsofhisinfographicprovideconsumerswithastrongtakeaway
message,theyalsoinspiredfurtherconsiderationsforthereadertoreflectupon.Hispoint
ofviewwasclearinthechoiceshemade,bothwithtextualandimagechoices.Froman
ethicalperspective,Philliplistedthewebsitesheusedatthebottomoftheinfographicfor
readerstoinvestigatefurtheriftheysodesired.
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AttheconclusionofPhillip’sinfographicproject,thereaderhadbeenexposedtothe
ideasofwhychildrenshouldspendtimeoutside,whatandhowriskyplayimpactstheir
development,andPhillip’sideasforhowthismightimpactchildreninthefuture.Heclosed
offhisinfographicwithalistofthewebsiteswherehefoundhisinformation.Therewere
nogrammaticalorspellingerrorsfoundinPhillip’sinfographic.
4.4.2 Luke
Asaself-proclaimednatureenthusiastandTorontonative,Lukefocusedhis
infographicongrowingToronto’surbanforest.SimilartoPhillip,Lukedecidedthathis
infographicwouldbemosteffectivelysharedintheportraitlayout,wheretheinformation
wasreadfromtoptothebottom.Hisinformationwaspresentedinorderofimportance,
allowingthereadertofollowalongwhilemaintainingastrongunderstandingofthe
contentbeingshared.Hechosecoloursthatwereappealingtolookat,fontsthatwereeasy
toread,andmadegooduseofwhitespacethroughoutthedocument.Additionally,Luke
presentedinformationinsuchawaythatitguidedtheconsumer’seyethroughthe
infographicinawaythatensuredthereaderwasgettinginformationintheproperorderto
bebestunderstood.Additionally,thegraphicsthatLukeusedwererelevanttothetopic
beingcoveredandwellchosentoservethepurposesoftheinfographic.
ThetitleofLuke’sinfographicwas“EveryTreeCounts:GrowingToronto’sUrban
Forest.”Hisinfographicopenswithsomekeyfindingsaboutthecitycentreanditstree
populations,aswellassomegoalsthatwereoutlinedbythecitywithregardstogrowing
theirurbanforest(Figure14).
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Figure 14. Screen grab of upper half of Luke’s infographic
Followingthesestatisticsandthegoalsdeterminedbythecity,Lukeusedthelatterhalfof
hisinfographictooutlinetheimportanceofthistypeofdevelopmentinthecityforthe
Torontonianinhabitants.Hediscussedcombatingclimatechange,potentialhealthbenefits,
aswellassocialwealth.
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ItwasclearthroughouttheinfographicthatLukewasaddressingTorontonians,
includingparentsandeducators.ThisnarrativewaswellthoughtoutandLuke’spointof
viewwasclearandconsistentfromstarttofinish.Healsoboldedthemainpointsforease
ofreadership.Lastly,hechoseimagesandgraphicsthatworkedwithhisoverallcolour
story,anddistributedthemwellthroughoutthedocumenttoprovidetheconsumerwith
breaksfromthetext.
Figure 15. Screen grab of lower half of Luke’s infographic
InaccordancetotheethicalsectionoftheMatrix,Luke’sinfographicendedwiththe
URLforthewebsiteusedinthecuratingofinformationthatwassharedintheinfographic
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artifact(Figure15).Additionally,therewasonlyoneerrorfoundwithintheinfographic,
whichcouldhavebeeneditedpriortosubmission.
4.4.3 Eric
Eric’sinfographicwascreatedbasedonhisinterestsintheworldofgaming.His
infographicwasentitled,“YouareInvitedtoPlaySomeBoardGames.”Ericwastheonly
teachercandidatetochoosetousealandscapelayoutinthedesignofhisinfographic
artifact,andcontinuedwithhisthemebysettingupthegraphicasaboardgameforthe
readertomovethrough(Figure16).Althoughhisdesignwasvisuallyappealing,theoverall
intentionwassomewhatuncleartoreaders.Theinformationdidnotexhibitanyrealorder
ofimportanceandtheoveralltitledidnotreallyacttoclarifythisforreaderseither.
Figure 16. Eric’s infographic
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Eric’sinfographicusedbothimagesandwordstotryandcommunicatewiththereader,as
wellascolourtotryanddifferentiatethepiecesoftheboard.Aesthetically,thelayout
choicewaseffectiveandthetextwaseasytoreadonthebackgroundcolourheselected.
Ericoutlinedseveraldifferentfactsaboutboardgamesaswellaspointingreaders
towardsotherresources,likeboardgamecafes,toexploreiftheywishtobecomemore
involvedintheboardgamecommunity.Thoughtheoverallobjectiveoftheinfographicwas
somewhatunclear,hischunkingofinformationdidmakeiteasytoread.However,since
thepointofviewisvague,readerswereleftwonderingwhytheinformationwasimportant
forthemtoknow.Finally,asforutility,Ericchosenottoaddanysortofreferencelistor
citationstohisinfographicandsomeerrorswerefoundinthetext.
4.4.4 Jake
Jakechosetocreateamoreteacher-targetedresourcethatwouldhelphiscolleagues
andothereducatorstobetterunderstandthepsychologybehindlearning.Hisinfographic
employedaportraitlayout,andwastitled,“CrackingtheLearningCode:TheMeaning
Network.”Jake’sinfographicaimedtotakemorecomplexpsychologicalconcepts,thatmay
havebeentaughtinundergraduatepsychologycourses,whichhefeltmanyteachersmay
nothavehadexperiencedintheireducationaljourney.Jakerecognizedtheneedtopresent
theinformationinafriendlyandvisuallyappealingway,throughtheuseofclearly
identifiabletitles,whilealsousinglanguagethatthelaypersonwouldunderstand.This
challengedhimtoevaluateandreevaluatetheterminologyhewasusingaswellasthebest
waytopresentthedatasohewouldnotoverwhelmhisaudience.Hisdataappearedtoflow
fromthemostimportantnearthetopoftheinfographic,throughtotheinformationthat
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mightbelessessentialforreaderstounderstandimmediately.Alongwithconsideringthe
useoffont,colour,useofwhitespace,andotherbasicdesignprinciplesoutlinedinthe
InfographicMatrix,Jakeutilizedlinestohelpbreakuptextandguidethereader.
Figure 17. Screen grab of upper section of Jake’s infographic
Hisinfographicfollowedaspecificcolourschemeaswellasusednumberstohelpleadthe
readerthroughtheinfographicinameaningfulorder.
Jake’sinfographicwasefficientinitsabilitytoclearlyoutlinethepurpose.Itopened
withasmallexplanationofwhatconsumerscouldexpecttolearnfromtheinfographic,to
enticereadersrightawayandgivethemaclearunderstandingofwhattheywereaboutto
read(Figure17).Thetextwasbrokendownintosmallchunksorparagraphs,sothatthe
readerwasabletoquicklyscanthroughtheinformationwithoutbecomingoverwhelmed
byquantity.Eachchunkoftextworkedtoexpandonthelastonetoprovideconsumers
withastrongerandmorecompleteunderstandingofthecontent.Additionally,Jakemadeit
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easytoidentifythemainpointsfromtherestofthetextasheboldedthemforeaseof
reading.
Jakeoutlinedtwoofthemainfunctionsofthebrain,attributesofthemeaning
network,adescriptionofwhatthemeaningnetworkwas,andfinally,howitrelatedtothe
fieldofeducationandeducators(Figure18).Whileheexplainedthesecomplex
psychologicalconcepts,Jakeutilizedlanguagethatwouldbeeasytounderstandforany
laypersonwithlittle-to-noexperienceworkingwithpsychologyterminology.The
informationwaswelldistributedthroughouttheinfographicandthepurposewasclearly
supportedbythetextandvisuals.
Figure 18. Screen grab of middle section of Jake’s infographic
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Jakeclosedhisinfographicoffwithalistofthewebsitesandorganizationsthathe
usedtofindtheinformationhesharedintheinfographic.Hedidnotformallycitethe
informationinhisinfographic,butmadetheresourcesavailableforconsumerswhowished
tofindmoreinformationonthetopic.Additionally,therewerenoerrorsfoundinthetext
inhisinfographic.
4.5 Phase Four: Post-Research Interviews & Online
Questionnaire
Forthefinalphaseofthestudy,theparticipantsreturnedtotheresearchlabwiththe
researchertoparticipateinafinalone-on-oneinterview.Thefirsteightquestionsforthis
interviewwerethesameforeveryparticipant.Thefinalquestionsvariedbasedonthe
responsesgivenduringphasetwoaswellasaftercontentanalysiswascompletedonthe
infographicartifactsthatweresubmittedtotheresearcher.Bothsetsofquestionsare
foundinAppendixG.Thiswasdonetogainamorecompleteunderstandingofthe
decisionsthattheauthorsmadewhilecreatingtheirinfographic.
Lastly,theteachercandidateswereaskedtofilloutanonlinequestionnairethat
focusedonasimilarsetofopen-endedquestionstothephaseonepre-research
questionnaire.Thisallowedtheresearchertocomparetheopinionsandgrowthforeachof
theparticipantsfromthebeginningofthestudytoitsconclusion.
4.5.1 Phillip
Inthepost-researchinterviewandquestionnaire,Phillip’sopinionsoftheefficacyof
infographicusedidnotreallychange.Hestated,“Istillthinkthatinfographicsarevery
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importantintermsofbeingabletodisplayinformationandhittingmultiplelearnersat
multiplestages.”Hisfocusremainedonthemultimodalnatureofinfographicsasastrength
oftheircommunicativepotentialintheclassroomenvironment.Henotonlyfeltthatthis
toolwasapotentialbenefitforlearners,hesawitasanevolutionofthecurrentcurricular
content,stating,“it’sanaturalextensionofalotoftheprojectsthatexistinalotof
curricula,whichisto‘createaposter’.”Hesawthisasawaytomeaningfullyutilize
technologytofacilitatelearning,notjustasawaytopushtechnologyintoexisting
educationalprogramming.
Phillipalsomentionedthathisexperienceintheinfographiccreationinthisstudy
forcedhimtodevelophispersonaldigitalliteraciesskills,includinghowto“focuson
contentandbeingconciseinmymessage.”Alongwithdevelopinghisdigitalliteracies
skills,hewasabletoseeanimpactonhistwenty-firstcenturycompetenciesaswell.He
said“italsohelpedmetobemorecreativewiththeoutput,”whichpushedhimoutofhis
comfortzonewithmoretraditionalcommunicationtools.Additionally,Phillipfeltthat
throughinfographiccreation,studentscouldbebetterencouragedtobesubjectiveand
considertheaudiencetheyareproducingtheinfographicfor.Thusitelicitedtheabilityto
seethroughothersperspectivesinawaythatPhillipdidnotthinktraditionalliteracy
assignmentsnecessarilydid.
Heexpressedthattheonlyconstrainttoeducatorengagementininfographicswere
“onlywhattheeducatorplacesontothemselves.”Phillipemphasizedthatregardlessofthe
studentlevel,grade,orsubjectbeingtaught,teacherscouldcraftanyassignment,whether
duringthelearningprocessorasconsolidation,intoaninfographic.Hefeltthatthelevelof
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complexityorlackofbuy-inforthetoolwasmorethefaultoftheteacherthanthe
infographic.
4.5.2 Luke
Inthepost-studyquestionnaire,Lukeacknowledgedthatwhilehisopinionsofusing
infographicsintheclassroomhadnotchanged,hefeltthatthroughtheresearchstudyhis
understandingofdigitalliteraciesandcommunicationthroughinfographicsimproved.
Specifically,henotedthatthroughtheinfographiccreationprocess,hefoundthatthe
activitychallengedhimtobetterlocateandsynthesizeinformation.Lukecommented,“I
thinkbuildingthatskillofsynthesizinginformationoraddingyourownspintothe
research,yourcreativeelements,itbuildsthoseskillsthatyouwanttoseeinyour
classroom,inyourstudents.”Heemphasizedthat,throughthistool,authorsareforcedto
reallydissecttheinformationthattheyarepresentingandworkwithittofindawayto
ensurethemostclearandeffectivecommunicationwiththeaudience.Ascommunicationis
atwenty-firstcenturyskilltobedevelopedintheclassroom,Lukesawinfographicsasa
seamlesswaytoencouragethisproficiencyfromhisstudentsinawaythatwasnon-
threateningtothestudents,especiallytheEnglishLanguageLearnerpopulation.
Secondly,Lukerecognizedthepotentialasaneducatortoemploytheprinciplesof
UniversalDesignforLearningthroughinfographics.Hefeltthatinfographicsoffered
studentsalevelofflexibilitythatmaynottraditionallybefoundintext-based
communicationtoolsinliteracyassignments.Hestatedthatinfographicscould“tievisuals
andtexttogether”inawaythatwasmoreaccessibletoawiderrangeofstudents.Healso
alludedtohowgoodchildren’sauthorsusedpicturesandwordstocommunicatewiththe
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learnerpopulation.Hementioned,thatlikewithpicturebooks,imagesandtextworkto
“incitecuriosityforfurtherlearning,”whichwasatwenty-firstcenturyskillthateducators
shouldstrivetoencouragefromstudentsregardlessofthesubjectbeingcovered.
Amaindrawbacktoinfographics,inLuke’sopinion,wasthathenoticedhewould
moreoftentakeaninfographicatfacevalue.Whethertheinfographichadreferencesor
not,hedidnotfeeltheneedtodelvedeeperintothesubjectthroughthesourcesprovided
atthebottom.Heclaimed,“I’mgoingtoconsumeitasvalid,notreallylookingintothe
backgroundofit,theresearchbehindit.”
Anotherconstraintthatheoutlinedinhispost-researchquestionnairewasthe
potentiallackofaccessthathisfuturestudentsmighthavetotechnology.Whilehecould
attempttoprovideequalaccesstotechnologywithinthefourwallsofhisclassroom,once
thestudentsleave,thiswouldbeoutofhiscontrol.Therewereoftencomputersavailable
duringschoolhours,whetherinthelearningcommonsoracomputerlab;hequestioned
whetherornottheaccesswouldbethesameoncetheschooldayends.Basedonthe
technologicalnatureoftheinfographicandtheneedforcomputerorInternetaccess,hefelt
thatthismightlimittheeffectivenessofthistoolintheclassroom,regardlessofwhetherit
wasforproductionorconsumptionpurposes.
4.5.3 Eric
Ericbeganbyillustratingtheabilityofinfographicstoencouragecriticalthinking
andproblemsolvingfromtheauthoraswellastheaudience.Fromacreator’spointof
view,hefeltitwasreallyimportanttoreflectonwhatwasbeingsharedandthemethods
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bywhichthedatawascollected.Hefoundhimselfreflectingduringthecreationprocessby
asking,“whichinformationisrelevant?HowdoIfindthatdata?”Hewouldthenreworkthe
informationhehadcollectedorhewouldsearchformore.Thisnavigationoftheweb
involvedcriticalthinkinganddigitalliteraciesskillsthathefeltwereunderlinedinthe
infographiccreationprocess.Hedidnotneedtoexplicitlybetaughttheseskills,orhaveit
pointedoutthesethatcriticalthinkingordigitalliteraciesskillswerebeingused,itwas
inherentinthecreationofhisphasethreeinfographic.Withthisinmind,heacknowledged
thathewouldprobablyuseinfographicsforevidenceoflearningfromhisstudentsbecause
therewereclearmetacognitiveopportunitiesforstudentstoexpresstheirknowledge.
Fromanaudience’sperspective,therewasananalysisthatmustbecompletedwhen
readingorconsuminganinfographic.Hesaidthatreadersshouldlookforelementslike
referencing,andmorespecificallywhatwasbeingreferenced,beforetrulyacceptingthe
informationbeingpresented.
Ontheotherhand,oneofthemainconstraintsthatstruckEricwasthepotential
ethicalimplicationoftakingimagesandgraphsoffoftheweb.Whileheacknowledgedthat
throughproperreferencing,theauthorwasattributingtheinformationtoitssource,he
questionedwhetherornotthatwasstillsufficientforsomethingthatwascopyrighted.
Withthatinmind,Ericfeltthatthestudentswouldneedsomeproficiencyinonlinedesign
softwareorwithtraditionalvisualartsskillstocreatethevisualelementsthatwouldbe
usedintheinfographic,whichmaybetoofarbeyondthegradelevelsofthestudentshe
wouldlikelybeteaching.
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4.5.4 Jake
WhileJakefeltthatthisresearchstudywasagoodopportunitytotrytodevelopsome
newskillsetswhileinhisstudies,headmittedtonotreallyventuringtoofaroutofhis
comfortzonewhenitcametocreatinghisfinalinfographicartifact.Duetothetime
constraintsandrequirementsofhisBachelorofEducationcoursework,hestucktousing
toolsandsubjectmatterthatwerefamiliartohim.Jakeacknowledgedthatheusedalotof
resourcesthatwerebuilt-intotheinfographictoolPiktochart(Piktochart,2018)anddid
notreallysearchveryfarpastwhatwasimmediatelyavailablethroughthatsiteaswellas
thesearchengineGoogle.
ThemainbenefitthatJaketookawayfromhisparticipationinthisresearchwasthe
potentialforthistooltoengagelearnersinanon-traditionalliteracy-basedtask.Hefelt
thatinfographicsprovideda“uniquewayforstudentstobringinformationtogether”while
meaningfullyincorporatingtechnologyintothelearningprocess.Heassertedthatthrough
infographiccreation,studentswerelearningdigitalliteraciesskills–includingcritical
thinking,innovation,andproblemsolving–inordertocreatethebestfinalproductthat
theycould.Throughtheprocessofgatheringandsortingofdata,studentswereengagingin
thesecriticalcognitivethinkingtasksthatencouragedeeperlearningofthecontent.They
thenhadtotakewhattheyhadlearnedanddisplayitinacreativeandmeaningfulwaythat
areaderwouldbeinterestedinconsuming.
However,Jakewastheonlyparticipanttoacknowledgethathefeltinfographicswere
notthe“bealltoendall”toolforcreatingandthinkingaboutinformation.Unlikehispeers
whoweremorereadytoimmediatelyengageintheuseofinfographicsinthelearning
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environment,Jakerecognizedthatinfographicsare“atypeofdigitaltechnologythat
studentscanusetocreativelybringtheirinformationtogetherinawaythat’smore
engagingorvisuallyappealing,”buthealsobelievedthattherewereothertoolsinan
educator’srepertoirethatcouldperformsimilarfunctions.Jakerecognizedtheeducational
potentialforthetoolthoughandassertsthathemayofferitasanoptionforstudentsto
chooseforthesubmissionofcourseprojects.Thisway,studentswhoareinterestedinthe
communicationmediumareofferedtheopportunitytoexplorethem,butiftheyaremore
interestedinanothermodality,hewouldbewillingtolettheminvestigateandcreatethat
instead.
4.6 Chapter Summary
Thischapterservedasacompilationoftheresearchresultsthatwerefound
throughoutthefourphasesofthestudy.Analysisofthepre-studyquestionnaire,the
videosoftheinfographicsortingtask,thetranscriptionsfromtheone-on-oneinterviews,
andtheteachercandidatecreatedinfographicartifacts,wereallincludedasuseabledata.
Thedatafromeachphaseoftheresearchactedtoexploretheresearchquestionsproposed
atthebeginningofthechapter,todeepertheunderstandingofthepotentialfor
infographicsasacommunicationtooltobeusedbytheteachercandidatesintheirfuture
practice.Throughin-depthcasestudyanalysis,participantvoicescouldbeexploredand
theirgrowthandperspectiveshiftswereevidentthroughouttheirparticipationinthe
study.Inthefollowingchapter,theresultswillbediscussedingreaterdetail.
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5 Discussion
5.1 Overview
Thepurposeofthisresearchstudywastoexaminetheimpactoftheuseof
infographicsasanalternativecommunicationtoolforteachercandidatestoconsiderfor
useintheirfutureclassrooms.Ashighlightedintheliteraturereview,therehadbeenlittle
researchintotheaffordancesandconstraintsforuseofinfographicsinkindergartento
gradetwelveclassrooms;therehadbeenresearchconductedthroughseveralpost-
secondarystudies(Vanichvasin,2013;Matrix&Hodson,2014;Sudakov,etal.,2014;
Mendenhall&Summers,2015;Lyra,etal.,2016;Ozdamli,etal.,2016).Thisstudyinvolved
participantsfromaBachelorofEducationprograminSouthernOntario,andexploredtheir
opinionsandparticipationinrelationtoinfographicuseintheirfutureteaching.Four
researchquestionswereaddressed:
1. Whataffordancesandconstraintsexistforteachercandidateswhoengageinthe
consumptionandproductionofinfographics?
2. Howdoesthereadingandwritingofinfographicshelpteachercandidatesdevelop
theirdigitalliteraciesskills?
3. Howdoesthecreationofinfographicsintersectwiththedevelopmentoftwenty-
firstcenturycompetencies,suchasmultimodalcommunication,creativeandcritical
thinking,collaboration,problemsolving,andculturalandglobalcitizenship?
4. Inwhatwaysdoteachercandidatesenvisionusinginfographicsintheirown
teaching?
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Thischapterwilldiscussthefindingsofthisstudyastheyrelatetotheresearch
questions,andwithinthecontextoftheresearchcollectedfortheliteraturereview.
Specifically,thediscussionwillfocusontheresearchconcepts:1)Engaginginthe
consumptionandproductionofinfographics;2)readingandwritingofinfographicsto
developdigitalliteraciesskills;3)creationofinfographicsandtheintersectionwith
twenty-firstcenturycompetencies;and4)teachercandidatesfurtheruseofinfographics.
Thediscussionwillalsoaddresstheeducationalimplications,limitationsofthisstudy,and
potentialconsiderationsforfutureresearch.
5.2 Engaging in the Consumption and Production of Infographics
Theteachercandidatesreportedbothaffordancesandconstraintsofengaginginthe
consumptionandproductionofinfographics.Whiletheyfoundmanybenefitstotheiruse
intheclassroom,(i.e.higherlevelsofengagement,meaningfultechnologyintegrationinto
literacy-basedsubjects,andthereinforcingofbothtwenty-firstcenturyanddigital
literaciesskills),theyalsoacknowledgedsomeveryimportantdrawbacks.Themain
constraintofinfographicusewasbasedonaperceivedlackofmeaningfulprofessional
developmentwiththeuseofdigitaltoolsintheclassroom.
Theteachercandidateswereallquicktoidentifythefactthatstudentstendtobe
moreengagedintheclassroomwhentherewasmeaningfulincorporationoftechnology
intothelearningexperience.Thisfindingalignedwellwiththeresearchbeingconducted
withregardstostudentengagementintheclassroom.Theliteraturemadeitclearthat
therewasarelationshipthatexistedbetweenstudentacademicsuccessandtheir
engagementlevelsintheclassroom(NelsonLaird&Kuh,2005;Robinson&Hullinger,
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2000;Chen,Lambert&Guidry,2010).However,theliteraturedidnotstopatjustbasic
engagementlevels.Sadik(2008)reinforcedthatwhentechnologywasusedeffectively
duringthelearningtasks,studentengagementwasalsoincreased.Liketheparticipants
mentioned,theywereabletoseethattheirstudentsweremoreinterestedintask
completion,andinLuke’scase,studentswerecompletingextra-curricularresearchand
presentingitintheformofaninfographicbecausetheirinterestslayoutsideofsimply
whatwasbeingcoveredintheclassroom.Thisbehaviouralengagement(Fredricks,etal.,
2004;Henrie,Halverson&Graham,2015),moreeasilyunderstoodasobservablestudent
activity,appearedtotheteachercandidatesasbeingincreasedthroughtheuseofthis
learningandcommunicationtool.
Inadditiontothepotentialgainsinengagementlevelsthrougheffectivetechnological
useintheclassroom,theteachercandidatesmostlyagreedthattheuseofinfographics
throughthisresearchstudyhelpedthemtofurtherdeveloptheirprofessionalpractice.
Theyviewedtheconsumptionandproductionofinfographicsasawaytochallengetheir
understandingofeducation-relatedtechnologytools,aswellaskeeptheirtwenty-first
centuryskillsup-to-date.Theresearchhighlightedthatstudentswereconsistentlyfinding
novelwaystointeractwithandleveragetechnologiestosuittheirinterestsandneeds
(Eshet-Alkali,2004;Knobel&Lankshear,2007;Alverman,2008;Moje,etal,2008;Jones&
Hafner,2012;Jocius,2013;Barton&Baguley,2014),sothenextlogicalstepwouldbeto
haveteachersdothesame.Sincestudentsareexpandingtheirunderstandingofthe
technologicalworld,teachersshouldbesimilarlyencouragedtoensurethattheyarealso
remainingcurrentandeffectiveintheirpractice.
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Theresearchalsoshowsthateventhoughstudentsareexploringthesetoolsand
developingthesecompetencies,theyareunderutilizingthisknowledgeandunderstanding
whentheystepintotheclassroom(Alvermann,2002;Gee,2003;Kress,2003;Hughes,
2009).Thiswasamajorconstraintfortheparticipantsbecausetheycouldseethe
educationalbenefitofthesedigitaltools,likeinfographics,intheclassroom,butfeltthat
teachersdidnotreceiveenoughprofessionaldevelopmenttofeelcomfortableusingthem
intheirdailypractice.So,whilethereissomeexplorationofthesetypesoftoolsinthe
BachelorofEducationprogram,itseemedthattheteachercandidatesinthisproject
wantedmoreopportunitiestoutilizethesetoolsduringtheirtimeasstudentsinteacher
education.Theteachercandidatesmentionedbeingshownthesetypesoftoolsduringtheir
timeintheprogram,buttheydesiredmoreopportunitiestocreatedigitalartifactsand
meaningfullyinteractwiththetoolsbeingpresentedtothem.Allbutoneparticipanthad
onlyusedaninfographicforoneassignment,inoneclassasapartoftheirlearning,and
manyidentifiedtheneedformoreexposureandtimetoinvestigatethesetoolsfor
themselvesandtheirstudents.
Teachers’currentcomfortwithusingtraditionalteachingmethodsalsocameupasa
topicfordiscussioninthisresearch.Theteachercandidatesrecognized,likeKos&Sims
(2014),thattherearemanyunderlyingsimilaritiesbetweenaninfographicandother
formsofcommunication,suchasessays.Infographicshavethepotentialtoofferstudentsa
morediverseandexcitingwaytopresentinformationinawaythatissimplynotpossible
withamoretraditionalfive-paragraphessay(Kos&Sims,2014).Phillipagreedwiththis
notionwhenhesaid,“anessayisreallyboilingdownsomeone’sthoughtsintoaslittleas
threeparagraphs,withanopeningandconcludingstatementbeingmade.Aninfographic,
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it’sthesamething,youaretakingaperson’sideabutnowrepresentingitmultimodally.”
Heemphasizedtheneedtobetterunderstandthemessagetheauthoristryingtogetacross
andcommunicateitinawaythatismoreengagingforthereaderthantextalone.Lukealso
agreednoting,“we[theauthor]haveathesis,whichistheideawewanttogetacross…then
you[theauthor]haveyourmainpoints,whichhavesub-pointswithintheirsubheadings
andthosecanbedemonstratedthroughpicturesandwords.”Herecognizedthatthereis
stillamainidea[thethesis]thatneedstobesupportedbytheinformationprovided
throughouttheinfographic.Thedataisjustbeingpresentedinawaythat“makesitmore
engagingandaccessibletoEnglishLanguageLearnersandmorestudents.”Jakealsoagreed
thatthereweresimilaritiesbetweenthecommunicationtools.Hearticulatedthat,“an
infographicallowsstudentstotakethatsortingandclassifyingofinformationevenfurther
thananessaywouldbecauseyouforcethemawayfromthefive-paragraphstructureand
towardsdifferentwaysofpresentinginformation.”Asascienceeducator,hesawthe
benefitofteachingstudentstocommunicateandexploreideasinamultitudeofformats.
Eric,however,didnotagreewithhispeers.Hefelt,“thereisabigdifferencebetweenan
essayandaninfographic,it’sinthewayyoucondenseyourinformation.”Hefeltthatthere
wasmoreroomforstudentstoelaborateandexplaintheirthoughtsthroughanessay
formatratherthanthroughaninfographic.Ericbelievedthatinfographicswerebetterused
tohighlightkeypointsaboutatopic,whereasessaysweremoreeffectiveinallowing
studentstoreallyexplaintheirunderstandingofatopic.
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5.3 Reading and Writing of Infographics to Develop Digital
Literacies Skills
Theteachercandidateswereunanimousinidentifyingthatmultimodalityand,more
broadly,digitalliteraciesskillsdevelopment,werekeytakeawaysfromthisresearchstudy.
Theyalsorecognizedthatorganizationandethicswerecriticalabilitiestoconsideranduse
intheirpracticumplacementsandfutureprofessionalpractice.Throughtheinterviews
thattheyparticipatedinandtheinfographicartifactstheysubmitted,itwasclearthattheir
opinionsdidnotalwaysmatchwhattheparticipantsactuallyputintopractice.
Thebenefitsofusingmultimodalworksintheclassroomhavebeenextensively
researchedinthefieldofeducation(NewLondonGroup,1996;Lankshear&Knobel,1998;
Cope&Kalantzis,2000;Kress,2000,2003;Knobel&Lankshear,2007;Hughes2009),so
thefactthattheteachercandidatesrecognizeditsimportanceisnotsurprising.The
participantsfeltthattheycouldinvestigatedifferenttopicsonadeeperlevelwhenthey
wereabletoexplorethemthroughnotonlywords,butalsoimages,videos,graphicdata
representation,andaudio(Mills,2010;Walsh,2010;Jocius,2013;O’Byrne,2014).Mostly,
theyagreedwiththeliteratureinthatthroughmultimodalrepresentation,thestudents,
andtheythemselves,wouldbebetterpreparedfortherequirementsoftoday’sworkforce
(Dusenberry,Hutter&Robinson,2015)byengagingindeeperlearningofthecontentbeing
presentedinthismultimodalfashion(Gee,1996;Kress,2003;Buckingham,2007b;Jewitt,
2008;Mills,2010;Jocius,2013;Williams,2014;Dusenberry,Hutter&Robinson,2015;
Matrix&Hodson,2017).Moreover,throughmultimodaleducationandcommunication,
teachersareencouragingstudentstodevelopintobettercommunicators(Jewitt,2008;
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Binkley,etal.,2012),whichwasanideathatalloftheparticipantsagreeduponand
mentioned.Alloftheteachercandidateswereclearintheirsupportoftheimportanceof
multimodalcommunication,whichalignedwiththeliterature(NewLondonGroup,1996;
Kress,2000,2003;Nixon,2003;Alvermann,2009;Albers&Sanders,2010;Hughes&
Tolley,2010;Jocius,2013;Eteokleous&Pavlou,2015)aswellaswhattheywerebeing
taughtintheirteachereducationprogram.
Moreinterestinglywasthateventhoughtheteachercandidatesallidentifiedboth
ethicsandthecondensingofinformationasimportantconsiderationsfordigitalliteracies
educationandinfographiccreation,thiswastheareathattheyseemedtostrugglewith
mostwhenitcametoputtingtheoryintopractice.Twooftheparticipantsadmittedthat
thefinalinfographicthattheycreatedprobablycontainedtoomuchinformationforthe
laypersontowanttoconsume.Whiletheyusedappropriatelanguageandvisualsin
attemptstoreachawideraudience,assuggestedbyLyra,etal.(2016),theamountofdata
waspotentiallygoingtoappearoverwhelmingtoareader.Furthermore,theparticipants
emphasizedtheimportanceofnotmisrepresentingdatathroughthewaytheauthor
choosestopresentit,whichalignednicelywiththeresearchconductedbyEshet-Alkali&
Amichai-Hamburger(2004)withregardstomanipulationofinformationtosuitaspecific
purpose.
Fromadigitalliteraciesstandpoint,theteachercandidatesallidentifiedproper
attributionofinformationandreferencingashighlyimportantskillstoreinforceinthe
classroom.Theimportanceofteachingstudentstheabilitytoidentifyfalse,biased,and
irrelevantdataandbeabletoeliminatethoseassourcesforknowledgesharingintheir
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infographicswasclear(Eshet-Alkali&Amichai-Hamburger,2004).Regardlessofthis,the
participantsadmittedtosometimesacceptinginfographicsastrueatfacevalueandnot
investigatingdeeperintothevalidityoftheinformation.Anotherareaofcontentionforthe
participantswaswhetherornotimagesshouldbesourcedattheelementaryschoollevel.
However,likeKafai&PeppleralludetointheirDIYProductionFramework(2011),
referencingalloriginalworksbyproperlycitingthecreator,regardlessofwhetheritistext,
videogames,cartoons,etc.,isanimportantpractice(Perkel,2008).So,whiletheteacher
candidates’intentionswerenottoplagiarizeoriginalworks,itseemstoremainacommon
misconceptionthatonlytextualworksmustbereferenced.Thiswasafindingthatrevealed
itselfduringtheclosinginterviews,astheparticipantsacknowledgedtheiroversightinthis
area,butalsorecognizedthattheyfeltthatitwasagreyareaasfarastheirunderstanding
ofacademicethicswereconcerned.Lukementioned,“forthepurposesIusedreferencing
for,Ithinkthatit[listingwebsiteURLs]wouldbeenough”,whileEricsaid,“IthinkIcould
havebeenmoreformalinmycitations.”Whiletheinstinctsandpreviouseducationofthe
teachercandidatesallowedthemtorecognizetheimportanceofreferencingintheir
projects,itwasinterestingtoseehowtheirresultsdidnotlineupwiththeseethicalbeliefs.
5.4 Creation of Infographics and the Intersection with Twenty-first
Century Competencies
Theliteraturethatiscurrentlyavailableclearlyhighlightstheimportanceof
developingstudents’twenty-firstcenturyskills(Jenkins,etal.,2009;Silva,2009;
Partnershipfor21stCenturySkills,2011;NationalResearchCounciloftheNational
Academics,2012;OntarioMinistryofEducation,2017),throughmeaningfuluseof
technologyintheclassroom(Sadik,2008;Fullan&Langworthy,2014).Theteacher
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candidatesbelievedthatcommunication,criticalthinking,creativity,andinnovationwere
thecompetenciesthatweremoststronglyreinforcedthroughtheproductionand
consumptionofinfographics.
Themosteasilyidentifiabletwenty-firstcenturyskillthatcanbetaughtthrough
infographicconsumptionandproduction,asacknowledgedbytheparticipants,was
communication.Infographicsofferstudentstheopportunitytomakecomplexinformation
approachable,interesting,andmeaningfultoaudiences(Smiciklas,2012;Toth,2013;Lyra,
etal.,2016;Ozdamli,etal.,2016),whichtheteachercandidateparticipantsfeltwas
accuratelyrepresentedthroughtheirexperienceswithinfographicsasatoolfor
communication.Throughthecreationofaninfographic,authorsarerequiredtoconsider
notonlywhatinformationisbeingpresented,butalsohowtodosointhemost
aestheticallypleasingway.Theparticipantsrecognizedthatsincestudentsspendsomuch
oftheirlivesintheonlineworld,itwasimportantforeducatorstoacknowledgethe
opportunitythatdigitaltoolsofferformoreeffectivecommunication,whichissupported
byresearchconductedbyAlvermann(2009).Finally,theparticipantsaswellasthe
literature(Belk,2014),mentionedhowmasssharingofinformation,whetherasaphoto,
textualpost,orinfographic,hasbecomeaculturalnormformanystudents.Withthisin
mind,teachersshouldbeteachingstudentshowtodecodemultimodallysothattheyare
preparedtonavigatetoday’sonlinecommunicativeenvironment(Kereluik,etal.,2013).
Thenextcompetencythatwascleartoteachercandidateswastheneedforauthors
andaudiencesaliketoengageincriticalthinkingskills.Individualswhoarecreating
infographicsneedtocriticallyanalyzetheinformationthattheywantpresentedsothat
theycanrepresentthoseconceptsinamultimodalway(Matrix&Hodson,2017).Thiswas
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anelementofinfographicproductionthatalloftheparticipantsidentifiedassomething
thatmaybedifficultfortheirstudents.Phillipacknowledged,“itisreallyabout
understandingtheimpactonnon-verbalorvisualcontentontheirinfographics,notputting
picturesforthesakeofputtingpictures.Thereneedstobeameaningbehindit,a
purposefulconnection.”Ericidentifiedhowstudentsneedto,“makesurethatthe
informationyou[thestudent]hasisconciseandrelevantandpin-pointedtoacertain
materialthatyouwanttoshow.”Theteachercandidatesrecognizedtheneedsfortheir
studentstohavestrongcriticalthinkingskills,andnotedhowitextendspastsimply
readingtextoffofapage.However,theartifactsprovidedinphasethreeoftheresearch
showedthatitwasanelementofdifficultyforsomeoftheparticipantsaswell.Luke
mentionedhiswillingnesstotakeaninfographicatfacevalue,recognizingthathewasnot
puttinghiscriticalthinkingskillstouse.Thiswassomethingthathebecamemoreawareof
throughthephasesofthisstudyandidentifiedasapersonalareaforgrowthbytheendof
hisparticipationinthethesis.Researchshowsthatmultimodalityencouragesthe
developmentofthesetypesofcriticalthinkingskills(Albers&Harste,2007),butthe
participantsoutlinedthisasapotentialareaformoreeducationtobeprovidedtoteachers
sothattheycanbebetterpreparedtoassisttheirstudents.Theyacknowledgedtheneed
formeaningfulselectionofmodalitiestoconveymeaning,whichisalsosupportedby
research(Walsh,2010;Jocius,2013;Barton&Baguley,2014).
5.5 Teacher Candidates Future Use of Infographics
Theideathatthroughengagingwithinfographicsasacommunicationtool,they
wouldbepotentiallyreachingawidervarietyofstudentsresonatedwiththeparticipants
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inthisstudy.Throughthemultimodalnatureofthetool,theteachercandidatesfeltthatthe
useofimages,text,video,audio,andothermodalitieswouldappealtothestudents’varying
learningpreferences,andthuswouldprovideamoremeaningfullearningexperience.Eric
noted,“asateacherevaluatinganinfographic,yougetanideaofwhatstudentsvaluethe
most…theygettochoosewhattheypresent,”whichmaygivestudentsagreaterfeelingof
autonomyintheirlearning.Researchineducationandliteracyhasextensivelyshownthat
theconnectionofrepresentationalsystemsaidsinthemeaningmakingprocess(Gee,1996;
Kress,2003;Buckingham,2007b;Mills,2010;Jocius,2013).Byencouragingourstudents
toengageintheseprocessesatayoungerage,andprovidingthemwithchancestodevelop
andusetheseskillsintheirlearning,weareworkingtoimprovetheirunderstandingof
literacyasitextendsbeyondsimplyreadingandwritingtraditionalprinttext.
Anotheraffordancethattheteachercandidateswerequicktoacknowledgewasthe
potentialforinfographicstoencourageSTEAMeducationintheclassroom.Whether
workingfromamultimodalitystandpointorencouragingstudentstousethedesign
processwhileworking,theyarebeingtaughttoengageintheirliteracyeducationinaway
thatissometimesabsentfromthetraditionallearningenvironment.STEMeducatorsare
oftentaskedwithprovidingtheirstudentswithampleamountsofdata,sobyempowering
themtoaddresstheA[arts]inSTEAMeducation,theyarebetterabletotacklecross-
curricularteachingwhilealsosupportingliteracydevelopmentfortheirstudents.By
elicitingthisdesignthinkinginsubjectsthatarenottypicallylinkedtoengineering,
studentsarebeingtaughttoutilizethetwenty-firstcenturycompetenciesthatweare
teachinginwaysthatareeffectiveforlearning.Theseskillscanalsobereimaginedtobe
moreindustryrelevantandspecificlateronintheircareers.
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Aninterestingwaythattheteachercandidatesenvisionedusinginfographicswasfor
evidenceaslearningandevidenceoflearning.PhillipandJakerecognizedtheeducational
potentialfortheuseofinfographicsasaconsolidationtool,whetherasastudytoolfor
studentstouseorasasummaryattheconclusionofaunit.Theybothacknowledged
havingusedinfographicsforthispurposepreviously,andfeltthatthiswasanapplicable
andefficientwayofnotonlyusingthistoolintheirclassroom,butalsotointroducetheir
studentstomultimodalcommunicationforcreationlateronintheirlearning.LukeandEric
ontheotherhandsawinfographicsasatooltogaugewherestudentswereinthelearning
process.Theyrecognizedtheaffordancesthatthismultimodalcommunicationtoolcould
offereducatorsinrelationtokeepingtrackofstudentunderstandingandprogress
throughoutaunitofstudy.
Alloftheteachercandidatesemphasizedthattheywouldbeusinginfographicsin
somefashionintheirfutureclassrooms.LukeandPhillipnotedthattheywerecurrently
usingthemasacommunicationtoolintheirteaching.Ericcommentedthathefeltthat
infographicswouldbeagoodalternativewayforstudentstoshowtheirlearningof
curricularcontent.Finally,Jakebelievedthatinfographicscouldbebeneficialwhenpaired
withalargerresearchproject,orasadirectteachingtooltointroduceconceptsinhis
scienceclassroom.
5.6 Educational Implications
Infographicshavepotentialasacommunicativetoolinkindergartentogradetwelve
classrooms.Infographicssupportdigitalliteracieseducation,twenty-firstcentury
competenciesdevelopment,multimodalthinkinganddesign(Lankow,Ritchie&Crooks,
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2012;Siricharoen,2013;Lazard&Atkinson,2015;Polman&Gebre,2015;Thompson,
2015).Theyleveragestudents’interests,andcapitalizeontheeffectiveuseoftechnologyin
theclassroomenvironment.Infographicsareabletoteachaplethoraofskillstostudents,
butwithoutteacherswhoarewillingtoengagewithandlearnhowtoleveragethesetools,
studentswillbelimitedtoonlyafewwaysofcommunicatingtheirlearningand
understanding.Educationwillcontinuetorelyontraditionalassessmenttoolslikeessays,
tests,andfinalexaminations,which,asresearchhasshown,arenotthemosteffectiveor
authenticmethodsofcommunicatingunderstandingandknowledgeacquisition
(Buckingham,2007a;Philip&Garcia,2013;Fullan&Langworthy,2014;Henthorn&
Cammack,2017).
However,whiletheyareaneffectivetoolforliteracyengagementand
communication,infographicscannotentirelyreplaceotherteachingtechniquesand
pedagogicalstrategies.Forexample,whileinfographicsinherentlyteachsimilarskillsasa
traditionalessay,learninghowtowriteaproperessayiscurrentlyarequirementofpost-
secondaryinstitutions,maintainingitsrelevanceinthekindergartenthroughgradetwelve
classrooms.Thoughthisnecessitystillexists,theteachercandidatesacknowledgedthe
potentialimpactthatinfographicscouldhaveonstudentengagementandtheirabilityto
communicateinformation.Unlikewithanessay,wherestudentswriteforsomeonewhois
familiarwiththecontent,aninfographiccanbeaneffectivecommunicationtoolfor
someonewithabsolutelynoexperiencewiththeinformationbeingpresented.Thisforces
studentstoreallyreconsiderhowtheyaresharinginformationwithaconsumer,andwhat
isthemosteffectivemodalitybywhichtosharethisinformation.
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Lastly,technologyintegrationisapedagogicalconceptthatisembeddedintothe
teachereducationaccreditationguidelinesinaccordancewiththeOntarioCollegeof
Teachers(OCT).AccordingtotheAccreditationResourceGuide(2017),toteacheffectively
withtechnology,teachercandidatesneedtonotonlyunderstandhowtorepresentideas
andcurricularcontent,butalsohowtoleveragethetoolstoimproveandfacilitatethe
learningprocess.Throughearlyintroductiontotechnologytools,likeinfographics,teacher
educationprogramscouldbetterprepareteachercandidatesfortheirfuturepractice.
5.7 Limitations and Future Research
5.7.1 Overview
Whileeveryeffortwasmadetoensurethatthisstudywascompletedinanethically
soundandvalidstudy,therewereafewlimitationstotheresearchthatwererecognized.
Futureresearchshouldconsiderhowandwhentobetterengagewiththeteacher
candidatepopulations.Consideringthisstudytookplacewhiletheteachercandidateswere
currentlycompletedtheirin-classlecturesandassignments,theirattentionwasmore
focusedontheircoursework.Inadditiontothis,theparticipantshadlimitedtimetogain
experiencewiththeonlineinfographiccreationplatformastheyhaddeadlinestomeetfor
theirBachelorofEducationstudies.Lastly,thecurrentlevelofacceptanceandutilizationof
infographicsintheclassroommadepracticaluseofinfographicsdifficultfortheteacher
candidates.Regardlessofwhetherornottheywantedtousethesetoolsintheirpractice,
theywererequiredtofollowtheleadoftheirassociateteacherswhomayhavebeenless
willingtowelcomenewtechnologiesandpedagogiesintotheirclassrooms.These
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limitationsallaffectedtheoutcomesofthisstudyandshouldbeconsideredforfuture
researchpertainingtothispopulationorsubjectofstudy.
5.7.2 Limited Participant Population
Asthisstudytookplacewhiletheteachercandidateparticipantswerecurrently
enrolledintheirteachereducationprogram,thetimecommitmenttotheresearchstudy
becameasecondaryconcern.Asaresult,thestudylostsixparticipantsbythetimethefinal
phaseofdatacollectioncame.Thoughthedatacollectedfromthefourfinalparticipants,
theadditionalperspectivesfromtheotherteachercandidateswouldhaveledtoricherdata
analysisandcomparison.Additionally,itisimportanttonotethattheonlyparticipantsto
finishthestudyweremale.Theselectionofonlymenforcasestudycomparisonwasnot
intentional,andwasthusnotrepresentativeoftheentireteachercandidatepopulationin
thiscohort.Giventhesampleforthisstudywasteachercandidatesinateachingrole,the
resultscannotbegeneralizedforitssuitabilitywithyounger,lessexperiencedstudents.
Additionalresearchwouldberequiredtotakeplacewithintheclassroomenvironmentto
testthevalidityandefficacyofinfographictoolswiththestudentpopulation.
5.7.3 Time Constraints
Anotherconstraintfortheteachercandidatesinthisstudywastheamountoftime
thattheyhadtodedicatetothedifferentphasesoftheresearch.Participantsreported
duringthepre-andpost-studyquestionnairesthattheyhadlittlefamiliaritywiththe
infographictoolPiktochart(Piktochart,2018).Theywereinvitedtofindaninfographic
creationplatformthattheyweremorefamiliarwith,buttheyallchosetousePiktochart
(Piktochart,2018),astheyfelttheydidnothavethetimetodedicatetolocatingand
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learninganewtool.Withmoretime,theparticipantsmayhavebenefitedfromtinkering
morewithPiktochart(Piktochart,2018)orbeinggivensomeprofessionaldevelopmenton
thebestpracticesforuseofthisfreewareplatform.Sincetheparticipantshadboth
courseworkandpracticumplacementsthroughoutthecourseofthestudy,theyhadto
dividetheirattentionandfocusontheirstudies,ratherthanfullyattendtoparticipatingin
thestudy.Theresearcherworkedtoensurethattheteachercandidatesfeltthattheyhad
theappropriateamountoftimetoproducetheirbestinfographic,whichdidprolongthe
completionoftheproject.
5.7.4 Infographics in the Mainstream Education System
Anothersignificantlimitationtothisresearchisthecurrentacceptabilityand
usabilityofinfographicsinthemainstreamclassroom.Sincethereisstillaplethoraof
researchbeingconductedintheareasofmultimodaltechniques,newliteraciesand
assessmentofthesetypesofdigitalcommunicationmethodologies,teachersmaynotbe
currentlywillingtoengagewiththistypeofliterarypractice.Sincethisstudyreliedonthe
useofteachercandidatesasparticipants,theydidnothavefullautonomouscontrolover
howtheywereteachingandassessingtheirlessonsintheclassroom.Withthisinmind,
severalteachercandidateswereencouragedtousemoretraditional,paper-based
assessmentandcommunicationtoolsintheirpracticumplacements.
5.7.5 Future Research Considerations
Futureresearchshouldconsidertheimportanceofmultimodalityandinteractive
mediaasatoolforclassroomuse.Bygivingstudents,andteachers,theopportunitiesto
presentinformationinawaythatisnotonlyinformative,butvisuallyappealingwillmake
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theconsumptionofinformationmoreengagingforaudiences,regardlessoftheirprior
knowledgeonthesubject.Withincreasedattentiontotheuseofthesetypesoftoolsinthe
learningenvironment,wearebetterabletoprepareourstudentswiththeskillsthatare
requiredinthetwenty-firstcenturyworkforceaswellasthewidercommunity.
Additionally,reachingouttotheassociateteachers(AT)thatareoverseeingthe
teachercandidateparticipantsandincludingthemintheresearchcouldbebeneficial.This
maygivetheteachercandidatesmorefreedomtoexploretheuseofthesemultimodaltools
intheclassroom.Byincludingtheassociateteachers,they[theATs]wouldpotentiallyfeel
betterpreparedtohavethesetoolsutilizedwithintheclassroom,empoweringtheteacher
candidatestoexplorethetoolsmoredeeply,providingricherdataandpracticum
classroomexamplesfortheteachercandidatestoreport.
Finally,futureresearchshouldconsideremployingasimilarinterventionin
kindergartentogradetwelveclassrooms.Whilethisstudyprovidedsomeinsightsinto
teachercandidates’opinionsontheaffordancesandconstraintsofinfographics,employing
themwithastudentpopulationmayprovideinterestingandpotentiallypedagogically
impactfulresults.Throughresearchwiththeteachercandidates,itseemsthatinfographics
wouldbeanincrediblyusefultooltouseintheclassroom,butgettingactualkindergarten
throughgradetwelve-studentfeedbackwouldbeanimportantperspectivetoconsideras
well.
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5.8 Conclusion
Thepurposeofthisstudywastoexploretheaffordancesandconstraintsof
infographicsuseasitpertainedteachercandidatesandtheirfutureclassroompractice.
Thiswasaccomplishedthroughasmall-scale,casestudyprojectinvolvingfourteacher
candidatesduringtheirtimeintheirBachelorofEducationprogram.Throughthetime
spentcompletingthefourphasesofthisresearchstudy,teachercandidateswereableto
exploretheirperceptionsofinfographicsasacommunicationtoolandtheirpotential
futureuseintheclassroomenvironment.
Thisresearchstudyencouragedteachercandidatestoparticipateintheinvestigation
andcreationofinfographicstoexploreatopicofinteresttothem.Theresearch
emphasizedtheimportanceofstudentsdevelopingtheirdigitalliteraciesskills(New
LondonGroup,1996;Lankshear&Knobel,1998;Cope&Kalantzis,2000;Kress,2000,
2003;Knobel&Lanskhear,2007;Hughes,2009),twenty-firstcenturycompetencies
(Jenkins,etal.,2009;Silva,2009;Partnershipfor21stCenturySkills,2011;National
ResearchCounciloftheNationalAcademics,2012;OntarioMinistryofEducation,2017),
andpointstotheadvantagesofinfographicsasacommunicationtool(Clark&Mayer,
2011;Krauss,2012;Lankow,Ritchie&Crooks,2012;Smiciklas,2012;Siricharoen,2013;
Kos&Sims,2014).So,thisstudyexploredthoseconceptsastheyrelatedtoinfographics
usewithprospectiveteachers.
Attheconclusionofthisstudy,itisproposedthatinfographicscouldhelpteacher
candidatestobettereducatetheirstudentswithregardstodigitalliteracies,multimodality,
andtwenty-firstcenturycompetencies.Interactionwithinfographicsduringtheirpre-
92
serviceteachereducationprogramprovidedtheteachercandidateswithadditionalinsight
intopedagogicallyimpactfulwaysofincorporatingtechnologyintotheirpractice.
Additionally,throughtheuseoftheresearchercreatedInfographicsMatrix,itishoped
thatin-serviceteacherswillbegintorecognizethepotentialofthiscommunicationtool.By
startingwiththeMatrix,teacherscoulddeveloprubricsorotherassessmentmethodsthat
wouldallowtheirstudentstouseandlearnwithinfographics.Byoutliningthekeyfeatures
foreducatorstolookfor,theInfographicMatrixactstobridgethegapinin-serviceteacher
understandingofinfographics,andencouragetheirexplorationanduseasatoolinthe
classroom.
Itcanbesuggestedthattheuseofinfographicsasatoolforcommunicationisa
pedagogicalstrategythatisworthfurtherinvestigation.Astheshiftcontinuestowards
technologyuseandmultiliteraciesdevelopmentinthekindergartentogradetwelveschool
system,itisimportantthatresearcherscontinuetoinvestigatepedagogicallymeaningful
andacademicallyengagingwaystoimplementthesetoolsintheclassroom.Digital
technologiesofferopportunitiesforteacherstoreimaginetheirteachingandlearning
environments.Throughacceptanceandinvestigationofthesetoolsduringteacher
candidates’timeinpre-serviceeducation,itishopedthattheywilladoptandsharetheir
pedagogicalknowledgewiththeirpeers,colleagues,andfuturestudents.Thisway,
educatorsarebetterabletoencouragerelevantskilldevelopmentintheirstudentsto
preparethemfortheworldtheywillenterwhentheygraduatefromtheK-12education
system.
93
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Appendix A: Letter of Introduction & Consent Forms
LETTER OF INTRODUCTION
My name is Lauren Fridman, and I am a graduate student at the Faculty of Education at
the University of Ontario Institute of Technology (UOIT). With the approval of the UOIT
Research Ethics Board [REB #14131, approved on February 2, 2017], I am about to begin my
thesis research. The focus of this project is to investigate the impact of reading and creating
infographics with beginning teacher candidates (TCs). Information graphics, referred to more
commonly as infographics are a type of visual that blends data and design, which helps
individuals, groups, and organizations more clearly communicate complex messages to their
target audiences (Smiciklas, 2012). The primary goal is to explore the affordances and
constraints of both consuming and producing infographics and determining whether/how these
TCs might use this relatively new form of multimodal communication/expression with their future
pupils. Infographics allow students/creators to express their understanding through multimodal
methods, allowing the development of a wide array of skills including traditional literacy as well
as 21st century competencies such as digital literacies.
It is projected that the information that comes from this research will be used for the
development of future lessons, which may raise the awareness and increase the likelihood of
implementation of infographics and similar communication tools in Ontario classrooms. Data
results will also be presented as a graduate level thesis.
I invite you to participate in this study. All participants will be able to explore this
relatively new communication tool. Participants will also be required to create a project that
exhibits their understanding of an issue of personal importance to them (e.g. Mental Health, The
Truth and Reconciliation Commission, etc.) in the form of an infographic. Your participation
would involve the following: (1) completion of a 15-20 minute online pre-survey; (2) a ranking
activity at the Faculty of Education of pre-created infographics; (3) submission of your own
infographic artifact based off of your topic of interest to the primary investigator; and (4) a 15-20
minute 1-on-1 interview with the primary investigator following the submission and analysis of
the participant-made infographic. Data will be collected at different times throughout the course
of the study. However, data collected will only be used for analysis and reporting from those
participants who have provided consent. The primary investigator will take unobtrusive
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observation notes during the sessions. These notes will be shared with the participant prior to
any publication to ensure accuracy of information.
Participation in this research project is completely optional and there will be no academic
penalty for not participating. The following methods will be used for data collection:
• Participants will complete a pre-study questionnaire to assess their understanding and engagement with current digital tools as well as infographics more generally. The questionnaire will take roughly between 15-20 minutes to complete. Analysis will be conducted based on the responses provided by participants, and the findings will be used for discussion purposes later on. These responses will also be used as a baseline for tracking participants’ views of infographics and 21st century competencies change and/or develop over the course of the study.
• The PI will collect participant data through observation notes and audio/video recording. • The PI will collect data through 1-on-1 interviews with selected participants at the
beginning and conclusion of the study to track any changes in perspective as well as to gain a better understanding of those perspectives identified through observation. Interviews will take place in the UOIT Faculty of Education.
There are very limited risks for participating in this study. Participants may be standing or
sitting for extended periods of time. To mitigate this risk, frequent breaks are suggested.
Participants may withdraw from the study at any time without penalty and can choose
not to answer specific questions by saying, “pass” in any interview setting. If, during any of the
above activities, you decide not to participate, you can stop the activity by approaching the
researcher and indicating that you wish to withdraw from the study. You will be notified if any
activity or discussion is being taped and will have the opportunity to object. The information
provided will be accessible only to the researcher and her supervisor. Each participant will be
assigned a pseudonym once the data has been collected and any images or videos where the
participants are visible will be altered to obscure the faces. Any names present on participant
work will be removed prior to publication.
The tapes and transcripts, as well as all other data collected will be stored securely with
the researcher. By consenting to participate, the participant does not waive any normal legal
rights or recourse.
Your signature on the consent form indicates that you have read this letter, understand
its contents, and agree to participate in this research study. If you have any questions regarding
the study or experience any discomfort related to the study, please contact the researcher
Lauren Fridman at [email protected].
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Any questions regarding your rights as a participant, complaints or adverse events may
be addressed to the Research Ethics Broach through the Ethics and Compliance Officer –
[email protected] or 905.721.8668 ext. 3693.
Thank you for considering participation in this research study.
Lauren Fridman
CONSENT FORM
Participant Concerns and Reporting:
If you have any questions regarding the study or experience any discomfort related to the study,
please contact the researcher Lauren Fridman at [email protected].
Any questions regarding your rights as a participant, complaints or adverse events may be
addressed to Research Ethics Board through the Ethics and Compliance Officer –
[email protected] or 905.721.8668 x. 3693.
This study has been approved by the UOIT Research Ethics Board REB #14131 on February 2,
2017.
Participant:
I have read the Letter of Introduction – Request for Consent relating to the above titled project, I
understand the proposed research and my questions must be answered to my satisfaction.
I understand and consent to the following (please check each item you understand and agree
to):
¨ I have the right to withdraw from the study at any time if I do not feel comfortable and I understand that the information collected is for research purposes only and no personal identifiers will be used.
¨ If I withdraw, my information will not be used in the research and will be destroyed. ¨ Participation is entirely voluntary and that choosing to participate or choosing to
withdraw from the study will have no negative consequences for me. ¨ Data will be collected through field notes and audio/visual/photo recordings. All notes
and interview transcripts will be shared with participants for verification before any findings are analyzed and disseminated. I can choose to withdraw my contributions or clarify items with no negative consequences.
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¨ I understand that there are limited physical risks involved in this study. ¨ I understand that I will be instructed through each step of the research project and that I
have the right to pass and not share one or all of the projects I create. There will be no negative consequences if I choose not to share.
By signing below, I give my consent for participation in the research study.
I give consent to be recorded (audio/video/photo):
I give consent to be audio-recorded only:
I give consent to be video-recorded only:
I give consent to be photographed only:
I give consent to the secondary use of data:
I give consent to participate in the focus groups:
I give consent to participate in the interviews:
Full Name (please print): _____________________________
Signature: _____________________________
Date: _____________________________
Email: __________________________________________________________
Note: Please return this document to Lauren Fridman in the STEAM 3D Makerspace
Lab (room 415) by March 31, 2017. If you cannot make it to the lab to return the
document, please arrange a meeting with Lauren through [email protected]. A
photocopy of this document will be made so that you can retain a copy for your records.
Researchers Name: Lauren Fridman
Signature: _____________________________________
Date: ________________________________
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Appendix B: Pre-Research Questionnaire
1. Whatdoestheterm“Literacy”meantoyou?Howwouldyoudefineit?
2. Whatdoestheterm“DigitalLiteracy”meaninyourownwords?
3. Wouldyouconsideryourselfdigitallyliterate?Explain.
4. Whatdoyouidentifyas“21stcenturycompetencies”thatshouldbetaughtinthe
classroom?Howcanyoubesurethattheseareaddressedinyourfutureclassroom?
5. Haveyoueverusedaninfographicbefore? Yes/No
a. Ifyouansweredyestotheabovequestion,whatwasthecontext?
b. Whatwastheprocesslikeforyou?
c. Haveyoueverusedtheminaneducationalsetting?(i.e.readingone,
critiquingone,creatingone).
6. Howmightaninfographicfitintothedigitalliteracydefinitionyouusedabove?
7. Howmightaninfographicencourageliteracydevelopmentinschool?Howmight
infographicsenhancetheteaching/learningprocess?
8. Howconfidentdoyoufeelinyourabilitieswithinfographicsandrelatedtools?How
doyoufeelyoucurrentunderstandingofdigitalliteracieswillimpactyour
successesinthetasksinvolvedinthisstudy?
LikertScaleQuestions
Iamconfidentusingdigitaltechnologyinmyteaching1234567
Iamdigitallyliterate1234567
Myteachingpracticeincludes21stcenturycompetencies1234567
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Studentsenjoylearningliteracywithtraditionalmethods1234567
Multiplecommunicationmethodsareavailableforstudentstoexpresstheirunderstanding
inliteracyclassrooms1234567
Iamcomfortableusinginfographics1234567
Ienjoyusinginfographicsinmyteaching1234567
Infographicscouldbeusedtoteachliteracytostudents1234567
Ifyouhaveanyquestions,commentsorconcerns,pleaseoutlinethemhere.
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Appendix C: One-on-One Interview Questions
Thankyouforparticipatinginmystudyandforagreeingtoparticipateinthis
interview.Justtoremindyouofafewthings--youmaywithdrawfromthestudyatany
timewithoutpenaltyandyoucanchoosenottoanswerspecificquestionsbysaying,“pass”.
Ifyoudecideyoudonotwanttoparticipate,youcanstopme(theinterviewer)byletting
me(theinterviewer)knowyoudonotwishtoparticipateanylonger.Youcanchoosewhat,
ifany,oftheinterviewyouwouldliketobeincludedinthestudy/datacollection.Any
informationyouindicatecanbeincludedwillbeaccessibletotheresearchteam(myself
andmysupervisor)onlyandkeptinasecurelocation(withtheprimaryinvestigator).
Pseudonymswillbeassignedtoeveryparticipant.
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Intheinterviews,Iwillfollowupwithparticipantsonimportantandnote-worthyitems
thathaveemergedintherankingactivityandfromthepre-surveyquestionnaire.ItemsI
anticipateexpandingoninclude:
• Individualtechnologyuse/21stcenturycompetenciesand/orskillsgained
• Lessonslearnedfromtheinfographicmakingprocess(intra-personallessons
learned,subject-specificlessonslearned,etc.)
• Specificexamples/detailsregardinghowinfographicsmightbenefitlearningand/or
encourageengagementintheliteracylearningprocess
• Subject-specificexamplesofhowonecouldintegratetechnology,infographics
and/or21stcenturycompetenciesinhis/hercurrentorfutureclassroom(s)
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Appendix D: Infographics for Ranking Activity
Infographic A
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Infographic B
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InfographicC
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Appendix E: Infographic Ranking Questions
1. Why did you rank the infographics in the order you did?
2. What stood out to you about infographic A?
3. What stood out to you about infographic B?
4. What stood out to you about infographic C?
5. What would you say are the most important things to consider when creating or sharing
an infographic?
6. How would you improve the infographic you ranked lowest?
7. What are some areas of infographic creation that you think students will have trouble
with?
8. What are some areas of infographic creation that you think students will enjoy or thrive
at?
9. How do you think infographics encourage the development of digital literacies skills?
10. How do you think creating infographics intersect with the development of 21st century
competencies (collaboration, communication, inquiry skills, problem solving, etc.)
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Appendix F: Teacher Candidate Created Infographics
Phillip
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Luke
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Jake
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Eric
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Appendix G: Post-Study Interview Questions
General Questions:
1. Has your opinion of using infographics changed over the course of this study? 2. What affordances do you perceive for the use of infographic production and
consumption? 3. What constraints do you perceive for the use of infographic production and consumption? 4. How do you think creating infographics help to encourage digital literacy skill
development? What about learning from them? 5. Do you believe that infographic creation encourages 21st century skill development
(multimodal communication, creative and critical thinking, collaboration, problem solving and cultural and global citizenship)? If so, how?
a) What specific skills do you think students gain through the production and consumption of infographics?
6. How do you see yourself using infographics in your own teaching? Have you used them in your teaching since beginning this study?
7. Do you feel that the infographic teaches similar skills as a traditional essay? If so, how?
Individual Questions:
Phillip 1. In our initial interview, you mentioned the importance of referencing data. I notice that
you listed the websites at the bottom of the infographic, do you think that is enough? a) Should you be using proper APA/MLA style referencing? What about in-text
citations? 2. You mentioned in our interview that the length could be a factor for readers continuing or
skipping your infographic, do you think that your infographic was an appropriate length? 3. Do you feel that you had too much text in your infographic?
Luke:
1. In our initial interview, you mentioned the importance of referencing data. I notice that you listed the websites at the bottom of the infographic, do you think that is enough?
a) Should you be using proper APA/MLA style referencing? What about in-text citations?
2. Do you feel that you had too much text in your infographic? b) Could you have better spread out or broken down the text too make it easier to
absorb?
Eric:
1. Do you feel that your text to image/graphic ratio was appropriate? 2. Who was the target audience for your infographic? Do you feel there was a way you may
have been able to clarify this further?
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3. What was the purpose of the infographic you created? Do you think this was clear based on the information you presented?
4. In our initial interview you mentioned the importance of legitimate data, why do you feel this way?
a) I noticed that you did not make any references in your infographic, was all the information from memory or should you have sourced the material in the infographic?
b) Do you feel that images should be sourced as well? 5. Do you think that collaboration can only exist person-to-person, or is there an element of
collaboration that exists person-to-technology? Explain. Jake
1. We discussed digital citizenship as a key 21st century skill to be developed by students, part of that includes sourcing data. Do you think it is important to use APA/MLA citations in an infographic? What about in-text citations?
a. What about in-text citations? 2. Do you think the length of your infographic was appropriate? Why or why not.
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Appendix H: Post-Study Questionnaire
1. Whatdoestheterm“literacy”meantoyou?Howwouldyoudefineit?
2. Whatdoestheterm“digitalliteracy”meaninyourownwords?
3. Hasyouropinionofusinginfographicsintheclassroomchangedoverthecourseof
thisstudy?
4. Howmightaninfographicencourageliteracydevelopmentinschool?
5. Howmightinfographicsenhancetheteaching/learningprocess?
6. Whatbenefitsdoyouseeintheuseofinfographicsintheclassroom?
7. Whatconstraintsdoyouseeintheuseofinfographicsintheclassroom?
8. Howdidcreatinganinfographichelpyoudevelopyourdigitalliteraciesskills?
9. Doyoubelievethatcreatinginfographicsinvolvestheuseof21stcenturyskills?If
so,how?(Pleasebeasspecificasyoucan).
10. Howdoyouthinkyouwilluseinfographicsinyourfutureteaching?
11. Hasyouropinionofthiscommunicationtoolchangedatalloverthecourseofthis
study?Ifso,how?
12. Isthereanyfurtherinformationyouwouldliketosharewithmeaboutthestudy?
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Appendix I : Written Thank You Letter (Email)
Dear_________________________,
Iwouldliketothankyouforparticipatinginmystudy.ThroughyourparticipationIhave
learnedalotaboutinfographics,theiruseineducationandhow21stcenturycompetenciesarepresentinourfutureteachers.Theaggregateinformationcollectedmaybeusedinfutureinfographicresearch,andIwillbecompletingmythesiswiththisinformation.
SinceItoldyouatthebeginningofthestudythatyouwouldbeabletoreadalltheinformationcollectedonyouduringthestudy,pleasefindacopyofallthesedocumentsattached.Theinformationinthetranscriptisverbatim,withtheonlychangesbeingthatyournamehasbeenremovedandreplacedwithapseudonym,ashaseverythingelsethatmightidentifyyou.Ifthereisanythinginthetranscriptthatyoubelieveisincorrectorifyoumayhaveadditionalcommentstomake,pleasesendbackarevisedcopyofthetranscript.
Ifyouhaveanyfurtherquestions,concernsorcommentsaboutthedatacollectedorhowitwillbeused,[email protected].
Anyquestionsregardingyourrightsasaparticipant,complaints,oradverseeventsmaybeaddressedtotheResearchEthicsBoard,UOIT,throughtheResearchEthicsCoordinator-researchethics@uoit.caor905.721.8668x.3693".
Thankyouagainforyourtimeandparticipation,
LaurenFridman
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Appendix J: Teacher Candidate Recruitment Email
My name is Lauren Fridman, and I am a graduate student at the Faculty of Education at
the University of Ontario Institute of Technology (UOIT). With the approval of the UOIT
Research Ethics Board [REB #, approved on **** date], I am about to begin my thesis research.
The focus of this project is to investigate the impact of reading and creating infographics with
beginning teacher candidates (TCs). The primary goal is to explore the affordances and
constraints of both consuming and producing infographics and determining whether/how these
TCs might use this relatively new form of multimodal communication/expression with their future
pupils.
I invite you to participate in this study. All participants will be able to explore this
relatively new communication tool. Participants will also be required to create a project that
exhibits their understanding of an issue of personal importance to them (e.g. Mental Health, The
Truth and Reconciliation Commission, etc.) in the form of an infographic.
Your participation would involve the following:
1. Completion of a 15-20 minute online pre-survey; 2. A ranking activity at the Faculty of Education of pre-created infographics; 3. Submission of your own infographic artifact based off of your topic of interest to the
primary investigator; and 4. A 15-20 minute 1-on-1 interview with the primary investigator following the
submission and analysis of the participant-made infographic.
The tapes and transcripts, as well as all other data collected will be stored securely with the
researcher. By consenting to participate, the participant does not waive any normal legal rights
or recourse.
If you are interested in participating in this research study, please email [email protected]
with your name and whether you are a P/J or I/S Candidate.
Thank you,
Lauren Fridman
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Appendix K: Research Ethics Board (REB) Approval
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Appendix L: Research Ethics Board (REB) Renewal
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Appendix M: Tri-Council Policy Statement on Ethics
(TCPS2: Core)