Infographics are presentations of data or information that use parts of designs to show the content. They articulate complex messages to the reader in a way that improves their understanding. Usually, a written article when additionally presented with images works like an extension to the article itself. Infographics, on the other hand, put across a self-enclosed message or a principle.
For example, when we read a road sign, it has to have a simple and accurate message if it will have too much information we won’t read it. But when the same information is presented in a compressed manner and displayed in a form that it is appealing, drivers will surely go through them once.
Although the thought of Infographics seems to be very new but in reality, it has been here for quite a long time. Recently their use has been increased as a number of free tools, and infographics templates that are available online have made it accessible to people all over the world. Their use has improved as the attention span of people is decreasing day by day. We can see them all around us, but we hardly give a thought over it. Like newspapers use them to show the weather forecast and in maps, graphs, and various data summaries. The maps that we use today use infographic templates to make sure that a variety of information is integrated like the concept meant for presentation.
Infographics can be made by hand using simple tools like pencils, graph paper, and rulers. But in today's world, it is more commonly made by using computer software and methods that make it easier and way more innovative than the formerly used versions.
What are infographics?
When information that is difficult to understand or complex has to be described in a quick, precise, and clear manner, it is better to express it using infographics. Infographics are usually used for signs, data presentations, and maps as well. Most of the infographic presentations are used for putting across information and are widely used by Scientists, Technical writers, educators, and mathematicians so that they can easily develop, organize, and read the data.
Easy to create Infographics
Infographics compress long lessons into compact graphics. They are easy to prepare. They provide an audio-visual platform for learning.
Some of the best sites for creating them are:
-Piktochart
-inFoto
-Dipity
-Visual.ly
-Venngage
-Easel.ly
-Canva
All these sites have customizable templates. You can use them to create your own shapes or use the ones of the template.
They may also have a community platform where you can share these graphics on social media.
Infographics are used to:
- Put across a message.
- Present information in the form that is easy and to understand.
- To study the reason and effect relationships and analyze the data for it.
- Some of the parameters can be monitored periodically.
Effects of Infographics in the field of education:
Academics is one of the most crucial and evolving aspects of today’s world. Today there are a number of seminars, books, and classes that help in improving the teaching methods and the attitude in the class in general but all the information cannot be understood or explained well.
It is a very well known fact for teachers who have an experience of teaching for years that the students are becoming smart and can always find innovative ways by which they can surprise the educator. The teacher must always keep in mind that the development of technology has a great impact on the younger generations.
Because the children already are very aware it is becoming difficult each day to make them grasp various concepts by traditional teaching methods. Even if they hear about a new term it's super easy for them to look it on the internet and get the answers in seconds. So how can information be presented to such students in a way that sparks their interest and make them wonder?
You can use infographics in the following areas of education.
Creating Class Syllabus
Teachers can create an overview of the syllabus for the upcoming semester. The topics she will cover can be depicted using infographics. A brief note on each topic will help students prepare themselves beforehand and plan.
Turn Strategies into Infographics
Each student needs a different strategy to learn. Teachers can use infographics to help students with different needs. An audio-visual medium is interesting.
Rules, Regulations, and procedures - Classroom agenda
At the start of the semester, students may not know what to expect in class. Teachers can use infographics to establish the rules. This would make it fun for the students. They would also be compelled to follow them.
End of year reflection
Infographics can also be used as an End of year reflection statement. It can compare the performances of students at the start and the end stages. Educators could balance compare the performance of this batch with the previous batches.
Uses in Flipped classrooms
Flipped classrooms are a new concept in Education. They are quite different from traditional lessons. In flipped classrooms, students listen to lectures via videos at home. They attend the class for discussions and doing projects based on video lectures. Infographics may be ideal aids to make the flipped classroom concept a success.
Encouragement
Educational aids like Study Infographics can be used to encourage and motivate students to do better.
Here are a few points that can be of great advantage for implementing study infographics:
Improving infographic methods:
It is very important that the entire school system has improved technology incorporated into their teaching. Another important factor is that these technologies must be introduced one by one and not all of them together. There has to be a way that provokes curiosity in the students. This will keep them engaged and will help them store information in their long-term memory.
Study Infographics is an important learning tool:
There are so many tools that can be used to teach students one of the important ones is the use of Infographics. Visual teaching aids have a more profound effect on students, and they respond well to them. Infographics that use a number of colors, fonts, and creative shapes will help the student to learn facts. This way educators can easily keep the students' attention on the topic at hand and no extra time and energy are wasted in re-establishing the classroom. Infographics are also processed very fast in the brain when compared to textual learning.
It helps the teacher to make lessons planned around the main image, which is going to keep the class focussed as the teacher speaks. Also, it keeps them free from checking the notes again and again as they won’t forget anything.
Use of Infographics to add humor:
Every student loves good humor in the class. The teacher can make infographics that can make the topic interesting by adding more intellectual humor to it. This will be one of the fun ways that will make the children remember classes better. This is why infographics are also one of the perfect methods for it. Teachers can add funny pictures and drawings or maybe play with words. Make sure that the core concept is not affected and put forward in the way the subject demands.
Using Infographics in the classroom:
So now that we know that including Infographics is one of the best things to be incorporated in the education system, but it can be surely a tricky thing to do. But that is not something to be worried about as there are so many options of infographics that are easily available online. If you want to make your own, it is easy as well. These are a beautiful blend of design, information, arts, and statistics.
The focus of the middle school students is hard to keep up. Teachers have to constantly offer study tips to maintain their concentration and enthusiasm. But with the help of the visual tools difficult topics and complex information can be condensed in an engaging way.
Teachers can make the infographics that can be shared easily, are engaging, and eye-catching. Infographics can be made on any subject be it science, math, history, arts, literature, and any language from around the world.
Following are the ways by which you can use
Infographics in lessons:
- They can be used in the form of visual aids.
- They can be discussion beginners.
- These become perfect when data has to be visualized for teaching and clearing concepts.
Most of the students nowadays like learning outside of the school and have a preference for using technology as an education tool for an effective studying strategy.
Here are some of the effective ways that teachers can use infographics in their everyday classrooms:
Use Infographics for debates:
Infographics can be very effective in information dissemination. They can be used to compare the data and will help encourage students to debate on various topics. The infographics can be divided into two parts, each one representing a certain thought that differs from the one next to it.
Use Infographics to encourage creativity:
Every teacher can make students create their own infographics about various topics. It can be their hobbies, their own career interests, etc. This is going to develop the computer skills of the children and will also encourage them to explore their creativity and enhance their critical thinking.
One of the recent reports had shown that almost about half of the teachers had been using web-based and interactive infographics that will give the students the control to modify the results if needed.
Infographics can be used as visual aids:
One of the most common parts of learning is through images. So when a teacher uses infographics in teaching, they will be able to express so much more and show more as well. They present the already available online information in a way that it keeps the interest of the students spiced up.
Encourage students with creating visual essays:
Infographics can be used in a different manner then the traditional way of essay writing, it had turned out to be good. The creative infographics can be even displayed in the school hallways.
Infographics must be given as homework:
Students can also be given infographics as homework. The teacher needs to make sure that the topics given can be a bit controversial as well like for example issues in public health, obesity as an epidemic, and also the environmental impact of these. Such topics are more interesting to work on and this way the home assignments won’t be a burden to students.
Giving such topics will make sure that students have an in-depth knowledge of such issues and how the situations can be improved.
Using infographics in presentations:
Whenever a student has to give a presentation, encourage them to use infographics in them. This will keep the fellow classmates focussed while the presentation is going to be more interesting.
And will also be beneficial for the student to give the presentation as they will enjoy explaining something creative. Also, students will have to study well while making them which will make them experts on a given topic.
Using Infographics as reporting tools:
Students must use infographics in reporting. It should also be made sure that the students share the infographics locally, and globally also.
Infographics for an improved teaching
Sooner or later schools and colleges have to undergo a technological makeover. It is better to be prepared for the transformation by incorporating certain features well in advance so that the change doesn't seem overwhelming later. Schools can implement the use of infographics either as a substitute for traditional teaching methods or as a complementary method for some added benefits. Students best engage in discussions related to academics when something sparks their interest in a way that has never happened before.
In this age of rapid advancement in technology, it is important for schools to apply these modifications to their teaching methods to keep on par with the rest of the world. When it comes to gaining in-depth knowledge, it all narrows down to curiosity and the retention capacity of mind. Visual aids spark interest and help remember a particular piece of information for a longer duration. Different fonts, colors, and states activate certain portions of our mind that help us to the information fresh for a longer duration.
A wide array of possibilities
When it comes to implementing infographics in academics, the possibilities and scope are never-ending. Anything you think about can be converted in the form of visual aid. It provides an opportunity for teachers to explore various ways of teaching a subject and also look at the same concept from more interesting points of view. Any concept is easily understood when it is supplemented with an example. And when the example is visually appealing, it makes the classroom atmosphere to a whole new level.
Students can also express different perspectives and thoughts on a particular topic in a better way by using a color-coding scheme. Suppose if a student has understood a math problem with the help of visual aids. While writing in exams, the student can easily convert that data into a numerical or a theoretical form without having to cram through various textbooks right before the exam.
Conclusion:
Infographics have become an important tool for the delivery of online information. Due to the increased grasping power they provide, the popularity of infographics is on the rise. It's a fact that it can be a very effective and powerful teaching tool. It is a faster and more effective method of transferring knowledge more effectively and faster than the textbook knowledge that we all have been used to for such a long time.
It must always be kept in mind that an effective infographic depends completely on the quality of the data and its presentation. Teachers have to be creative and use their own style and objectives that will be the key to any of the lesson plans that incorporate infographics.