Why Infographics Can Encourage Critical Thinking
In a world with immediate gratification and kids wanting things as quickly and simply as possible, infographics can be viewed as very useful when used correctly. After reading Stephen Noonoo’s (2023) article on media literacy, I was struck by his argument that infographics demand critical thinking from students. He makes the case that students should not only learn how to read infographics but also how to design them—an idea I think is worth considering.
Noonoo shares several articles and studies that explore common problems: students often misread infographics, which leads to confusion and misinterpretation of information(Noonoo, 2023). This issue is much bigger than the misunderstanding of one graphic; it could be an indication of a much larger literacy problem. If students can’t correctly interpret a graphic, they may misunderstand data, miss important content, or even form incorrect conclusions. Teaching students to read visuals, just as we teach them to read a text, is just as important in an age where much of the information they come in contact with is visual.
It seems, based on conversations with teachers, that high school students who can interpret charts, graphs, and other visual representations are more successful in other academic areas like math and science. This skill becomes even more important as students prepare for standardized tests like the ACT, which often presents data in chart or table form. Helping students get comfortable with interpreting these types of visuals helps them in a variety of ways.
But Noonoo (2023) also mentions that students should have experience creating infographics. I agree that there is great value in being able to put together an infographic for many reasons. To build an infographic, students must gather information from multiple sources, summarize it, identify key facts, and present it clearly.
There’s also an element to infographics that helps them truly reflect on their social media presence and posts. In essence, creating infographics fosters not just comprehension but communication, and in today’s world, that’s an important skill.
Incorporating infographic analysis and design into classrooms could boost literacy and thinking. Whether they’re comparing climate data in science class, presenting historical trends in social studies, or sharing research in English, students benefit from learning how to communicate with both words and visuals.
In a world where educators are constantly thinking about creative ways of asking students to show what they know, infographics are a good way to do that.
Resources
Lawrence, D. (2022). Digital writing: A guide to writing for social media and the web. Ontario, Canada: Broadview Press
Noonoo, S. (2023, January 20). Using infographics to build media literacy and higher‑order thinking skills. Edutopia. https://www.edutopia.org/article/infographics-media-literacy-skills/
Ashley,
ReplyDeleteYou did a really nice job of explaining why educators need to be teaching students to analyze and even create infographics. You mentioned that much of the content they encounter is visual. I assumed this was true, but I was surprised to learn “that infographics are liked and shared three times more than other content online” (National Geographic Learning, 2023, para. 4). With the growing use of social media (and at seemingly younger ages), this means that our students’ exposure to this medium is constant. If we can teach them the skills they need to stay informed, rather than be manipulated, this could be a positive. After all, as noted by National Geographic Learning (2023), infographics are “ideal for students with limited vocabulary and grammar. The more accessible the information, the more engaged the students, and the more likely they’ll be able to retain the information” (para. 5). This has inspired me to try to implement infographics more frequently in my classroom.
I especially like the design of your visual. By applying the CARP framework as described by Lawrence (2022), you created an infographic that is aesthetically pleasing, easy to interpret, and informative. I like that all four sections follow the same format: heading, visual, and explanation. The design is balanced and symmetrical, which makes it easy to read.
References
Lawrence, D. (2022). Digital writing: A guide to writing for social media and the web. Broadview Press.
National Geographic Learning. (2023, December 15). Engage, educate, empower: Maximizing learning with infographics. National Geographic Learning: In Focus. https://infocus.eltngl.com/2023/11/13/engage-educate-empower-maximizing-learning-with-infographics/
Ashley, great post on the importance of infographics in developing both comprehension and communication skills, and I especially agree with your point about the value of having students CREATE infographics as opposed to just reading them. From a Bloom’s Taxonomy perspective, “create” represents the highest level of thinking, so when students design an infographic, they must synthesize information from multiple sources, evaluate what’s most important, and present it clearly and purposefully. Kalaf-Hughes (2023) emphasizes that this kind of task builds both information and visual literacy while allowing students to make meaningful contributions to conversations in the classroom. But I would also say that it also goes deeper, because creating infographics allows students to consider how they use and transmit language with intention: Lawrence (2022) says in our course text that expert writers understand that language is a tool for play, invention, and expression. When students create, they’re not just organizing facts; rather, they’re learning how to shape meaning through words and visuals. This kind of creativity in language usage is central to developing strong communicators and is why creation-based tasks like infographics are so powerful in building both literacy and higher-order thinking skills.
ReplyDelete(It’s worth noting that Kalaf-Hughes is a professor of Political Science, which makes it even more powerful that infographic creation boosted students’ reasoning skills in areas like math and science. Yet another reminder that social studies is essential across disciplines, but that is also a blog post for another day!)
References
Kalaf-Hughes, N. (2022). Promoting information literacy and visual literacy skills in undergraduate students using infographics. PS: Political Science & Politics, 56(2), 1–7. https://doi.org/10.1017/s1049096522001214
Lawrence, D. (2022). Digital writing : a guide to writing for social media and the web. Broadview Press.