Module 7 Visual Thinking Strategies

Candy Holley-Hawkins

Visual Media Literacy Technology

Dr. D’Alba

April 9, 2023
Title & Authors

Digital Images to the Rescue of Academics as Knowledge Resources for Educating Curriculum

Studies Students by Simon Bhekumuzi Khoza

Description

This study explores the usage of digital images as resources for teachers studying the

content of education/curriculum. It is about the students using pictures to understand who they

are, as people, through usage of pictures. The article explores digital images used to educate

curriculum studies teachers/students. It also discusses how academics use digital images to teach

curriculum studies to teachers/students. Lastly, it discusses why academics use digital images in

certain ways. This study concluded that pictures help teachers to educate their students about

understanding their personal strengths and weaknesses. The students along with teachers were

made more aware of varying types of curriculum. The teachers were able to understand how

images affect the content to be mastered by the students. They were also able to understand the

differences between performance-based, competence based and pragmatic curricula and when to

make application of each.

Summary of the Review of Literature.

The researcher, Khoza, defined the differences between vertical and horizontal

curriculums. Khoza felt that the curriculum students would learn best from are dependent upon

the desired outcome. He did note that neither of the two helped kids to be 100% proficient and

that this demonstrates that neither of the two represent objective realities for the kids. In other

words, they could not make what they were learning relevant to their home life or to their

experiences; hence, no significant learning occurred. Khoza’s research supports the idea that

digital images are needed to produce more meaningful thoughts and engage students to ensure
long term memory. Reasoning skills and becoming more aware of their identity through the

study of images were also increased.

Analysis of Methodology

Khoza’s methods of analysis were participatory action research and content analysis.

According to his article, “the content analysis method was used for data analysis in this study to

combine themes generated from the NIF with other themes generated from the data” (Khoza,

2022). He included both qualitative and quantitative questioning. He asked questions like which,

how and why. He also did direct observations of the participants using Zoom. He conducted

focus groups and semi-structured interviews. The study also used convenience sampling to select

participants. Ten of fourteen academies invited to participate, did so. They were selected because

they were more readily accessible and used digital images to educate curriculum studies students.

The study was conducted at universities in South Africa.

Summary of Results

The findings of this article are that we can teach students to understand pictures.

Although students had difficulty making real-life applications to things they saw in pictures or to

their school work, with more practice they were eventually able to overcome most of the

challenges. Additional research was done because of this. Students can be trained to look at

pictures and identify more and more objects with increased viewing of pictures. In other words,

the more they are exposed to pictures and asked what they see, the more they are able to see. The

more they reviewed images the easier interpreting what they saw became.

My Opinion About the Research & What I Learned From the Study

Many teachers don’t understand the power of images in their instruction and if they do,
they are not sure how to apply it to their subject. We have to be taught to do this in our teacher

preparation classes. I liked that this research broke down vertical and horizontal curriculum and

why each one is used. I learned that incorporating pictures into my lessons is the best way to help

my students to make real-life applications to the material I am teaching. The more pictures I

expose them to the more they will retain. I learned how vital it is to allow students to come to

their own conclusions about things and to gently guide them using images and then adding in

words. While words are important, pictures are equally important if not more important. In the

digital age that we live in we have to capture our kids and meet them where they are if we want

them to be successful.
 References

Khoza, S. B. (2022). Digital Images to the Rescue of Academics as Knowledge Resources for

Educating Curriculum Studies Students. Knowledge, 2(4), 663–681.

https://doi.org/10.3390/knowledge2040038

Title & Authors

Students’ Immersive Experience in Initial Teacher Training in a Virtual World (VW) to Promote

Sustainable Education: Interactivity, Presence, and Flow by María Graciela Badilla-Quintana,

and Francisco Javier Sandoval-Henríquez

Description
 This study was conducted to determine how students in their initial teacher training felt

regarding interactivity, sense of presence and flow state when they worked in a virtually

simulated classroom. The study accepted the use of VW as an acceptable and effective method of

teaching teachers. Teachers/students positively related being interactive with VW avatars as

feeling present in a room. The teachers/students felt their presence was acknowledged by their

mentors and virtual students taught in their classrooms. Teachers/students were able to put

themselves into realistic experiences, by means of their avatar, which allowed them to

concentrate better and connect with the activity they were engaged in. The study did not clearly

indicate whether men have an advantage over women with usage of the VW in the simulated

classroom setting.

Summary of the Review of Literature

Allowing teachers to simulate classroom learning through experience with VW could

strengthen their technical teaching skills. It would be like a teacher having a virtual student

teaching classroom experience, similar to in person student teaching. Teachers would be able to

see the outcome of actions they take with their students before working with actual kids. This

would be great! It would eliminate a lot of trial and error and allow teachers to see what works

and what does not work. Hopefully the reaction of the students in the simulation would be

accurate and relatable to those possibly experienced in a brick and mortar classroom. Teachers

would also be able to see how students would feel if taking their course in person and adapt their

teaching to accommodate their desired learning preferences.

Analysis of Methodology

103 pedagogy students who were enrolled in educational technology courses participated

in the study. These students were prospective/future teachers. Research was conducted at two
universities in Chile, one in Brazil, and one in Honduras. Research focused on how certain parts

of the virtual world (VW) coincide with effective learning. Research also focused on exploring

the pros and cons of VW as a resource for teaching and learning from both the teacher and

student perspective. Data was collected through recorded sessions of students interacting in the

VW simulated classroom. Engineers simulated a 3D university campus classroom using the

OpenSim platform. Teachers were able to interact as themselves, with their moderator and

students, using an avatar. They were able to communicate using voice and text/chat and phone

calls. The immersive technology TINMER questionnaire was used. This questionnaire was

administered after an educational intervention. The educational intervention included lesson

objectives (given by moderators). The student teachers then created lesson plans and delivered

the lesson. Feedback from their moderators was provided to them regarding the lesson. The

quantitative and pre-experimental design methods, with a group of people, were also used.

Summary of Results

Student teachers participating in the study strongly favored feeling immersed into the

environment of the simulation. They often lost track of time. They felt at peace and found

enjoyment. They were able to “feel” objects in the “classroom” that appeared to be very real.

They felt they were able to escape the real world. The study found there to be no gender

differences with interactivity and sense of presence between participants.

My Opinion & What I Learned

I think the usage of various data and simulations to observe as well as the educational

interventions that were done were great! I would have appreciated one of these during my

journey to becoming a teacher. I think collecting data using various methods was important to

determining if the hypotheses were correct or incorrect. I believe that having moderators to
observe each simulation was great for delivering feedback and molding teachers' experiences. It

would be a great way to train teachers to ensure they do not develop the sometimes poor habits

of their mentor teacher. Consistency with training teachers would result because the simulation

will yield the same results for the same actions each time. The downside to the simulation

instead of a live classroom is that teachers might get a false sense of peace and lose track of time.

This does not always happen in real classrooms. We definitely cannot afford to lose track of time

and with the world we live in we cannot feel a sense of peace and security in any

classroom/school environment. The classroom is the real world. There is no escape, like in the

VW. I believe these aspects of the simulation would lead to wishful thinking. It does have many

positive aspects and can be useful as long as the correct expectations are set about actual versus

simulated classroom behavior and reactions.

I learned that it is possible to learn to be a teacher using simulations. I learned that using

an avatar makes teachers and students alike feel more comfortable with the learning process and

the environment. It was reinforced to me that students feel more connected when they enjoy

learning and feel like they are a part of their surroundings. Including simulations could allow

students to perform better because they do not feel as though they are stuck in a traditional

classroom. I also learned that even in a virtual classroom feeling present, acknowledged and

engaged are as important as in a regular classroom.

Quintana, M. G. B., & Sandoval-Henríquez, F. J. (2021). Students’ Immersive Experience in

Initial Teacher Training in a Virtual World to Promote Sustainable Education:

Interactivity, Presence, and Flow. Sustainability, 13(22), 12780.

https://doi.org/10.3390/su132212780
Title & Authors

Visual Literacy Intervention for Improving Undergraduate Student Critical Thinking of Global

Sustainability Issues by Sarah E. Krejci ,Shirma Ramroop-Butts, Hector N. Torres, and Raphael

D. Isokpehi
Summary of the Review of Literature

The study completed an intervention with undergraduate students to test and improve

their visual literacy critical thinking skills at elementary, intermediate and advanced levels. The

goal was to improve their critical thinking, as it relates to global sustainability issues, but with

pictures. Other goals of the study were to promote insightful problem solving and determine if

any changes in visual literacy happened after the intervention. Another goal of the study was to

track changes in visual literacy at midterms by way of a standardized test. The study appeared to

suggest that student’s critical thinking and problem solving skills were noticeably improved

when they interacted in a face-to-face setting versus an online/virtual classroom and visual

literacy was reinforced.

Analysis of Methodology

Undergraduate students were the participants of this study. Pre-tests, post-tests, and a

homework assignment were used to collect data at each level. The study was conducted in face-

to-face honors and online Introduction to Environmental Science courses. Metacognitive-focused

group discussions were conducted in person/face-to-face. Students were asked to explain how

they came to their conclusion after reading their visuals. Students were supported to reach the

right conclusion by their peers and their instructor. The NOVIS model was also used with

assistance of the classroom instructor. Both groups were assessed using the same methods for pre

and post tests. Self-examinations, corrections and explanations were made by each student to

assess their visual literacy.

Summary of Results

Lectures introduced both sections of students to the importance of visuals and defined

shape, connection, one-dimensional, two-dimensional and map visuals. Recorded asynchronous

and virtual sections of the class showed great differences in being able to answer elementary and

advanced visual literacy questions on both the pre-test and post-test. Both groups of students

struggled with advanced level questions while they did about the same on the elementary and

intermediate questions. Students in the face-to-face course, with a visual literacy intervention,

had much higher exam and median assessment scores when compared to the virtual sections with

no visual literacy intervention. While this was not the case in the current study, face to face

results were compared with the previous year’s results to determine that scores with visual

literacy intervention were better. The virtual section showed no significant improvements in

visual literacy or academic success because instructors did not reinforce visual literacy following

the initial intervention. The study seems to suggest that student’s critical thinking and problem

solving skills were noticeably improved when they interacted in a face-to-face setting versus an

online/virtual classroom and visual literacy was reinforced. The overall conclusion of the study is

that more focus on visual literacy in Science classes is necessary.

My Opinion About the Research & What I Learned From the Study

The portion of the study conducted in the virtual setting could have been improved by

putting the content into a digital Q&A platform like Edpuzzle, Nearpod or Quizizz. Participation

would have been guaranteed and the study would have captured more information from the

target population. Some kind of incentive could have also been offered to improve participation

percentage from virtual students. I think the study failed to do a good job with capturing data

from each person and section in their participant groups. The authors would like to move the post

test to the end of the semester so that students can actually obtain more skills to be demonstrated.

I agree as this would allow the students to obtain some skills after the pretest and demonstrate
what they have learned on the post-test. The authors also noted that a larger sample size was

needed to confirm their results. The number of students in each class was relatively small. I agree

and would remedy this by enlisting more participants and ensuring their participation through

interactive platforms as mentioned above.

This study reinforced to me that you can come up with inconclusive results if your

sample size is not large enough or if everyone selected does not participate in the studies. I

learned that visuals can be effective in both face to face and online instruction. I learned that

students sometimes learn more when they have intervention from a teacher or from peers. This

ensures their understanding of things learned and gives them a sense of having a helping hand. I

learned that more research is needed on the impact of visual literacy as it relates to improving

critical thinking, especially in more subject areas.

References

Krejci, S. E., Ramroop-Butts, S., Torres, H. N., & Isokpehi, R. D. (2020). Visual Literacy

Intervention for Improving Undergraduate Student Critical Thinking of Global

Sustainability Issues. Sustainability, 12(23), 10209. https://doi.org/10.3390/su122310209

This assignment was challenging. The instructions were unclear and they did not really

coincide with the actual expectations of the work. I thought I was to review the

literature/references of the authors and write about those. At first, I was so confused. I was

challenged in finding articles that were related to the topic. It was also challenging because I had

to read the selected articles many times to make sense of them. I am still not 100% sure I did
that. I feel that I would have retained more had I written a traditional research paper or done a

presentation. I would like to have written this paper on things I learned about visual thinking

strategies through my research. I think that would have stuck with me.