1.2.6: Visual Literacy
- Page ID
- 261310
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Images As Information
Images communicate differently than written or spoken language, but often convey a large amount of information in a compact package. They are a form of nonverbal communication. After all, “a picture is worth a thousand words,” right?
One of the ways sighted people begin learning about the world as infants is through our visual experience, well before we have the ability to learn to read text. For most of us this continues to be a primary way we encounter the world, and how we make sense of it. In fact, visual literacy skills can be extremely helpful for people who have difficulty processing written text. Visual literacy is essential for participating in the current information landscape.
What does visual literacy mean? The 2011 Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL) definition of visual literacy essentially still holds true:
"A set of abilities that enables an individual to effectively find, interpret, evaluate, use, and create images and visual media. Visual literacy skills equip a learner to understand and analyze the contextual, cultural, ethical, aesthetic, intellectual, and technical components involved in the production and use of visual materials. A visually literate individual is both a critical consumer of visual media and a competent contributor to a body of shared knowledge and culture." (ACRL, 2011).
Sources
ACRL. (2011). Visual literacy competency standards for higher education. ACRL.
Image: Visual Literacy Array based on ACRL’s Visual Literacy Standards by D. Hattwig, K. Bussert, and A. Medaille Copyright 2013 The Johns Hopkins University Press. This image first appeared in PORTAL: LIBRARIES AND THE ACADEMY, Volume 13, Issue 1, January 2013, p. 75. (Reprinted in Brown, et al.)