Abstract
Individual Abstract
VISUAL LITERACY IN BIOLOGY EDUCATION
Elisabeth Scheicher 1, Iris Schiffl 1
Paris Lodron University1
We are used to an important part of information in science being represented with various kinds of visuals. With focus on biology, different application areas and various picture types are common, and some concepts would be much harder to understand, were it not for helpful visualizations. Consequently, visual representations are of great importance in biology education learning materials. For competent use of learning material, reading skills are needed – and, additionally, competencies for the de-coding, understanding, use and production of visual representations (Visual Literacy) are needed as well. Despite continuous exposure to an abundance of pictures in everyday life and in school, students can not be expected to understand the quite specific pictures of biology just by looking at them, and studies prove that they do not. This article presents a survey regarding the significance and application of visual literacy (VL) competences in biology education. In a first step, the current situation in schoolbooks was investigated - to get an insight into the types of pictured used in the recent Austrian biology textbooks. In exemplary chapters of schoolbooks, 151 pictures have been analyzed formally and quantitatively. It has been found that the use of pictures differs in function, informational value and further criteria discussed in the text. The results show that some picture are more likely to be used for learning than others, due to their information value, associated tasks and function in a textbook. Furthermore, a considerable percentage of pictures show little informational value and very few associated tasks. Against this background, it is important to note that cited studies have shown how teachers and textbook authors alike tend to overestimate pupils de-coding abilities, as tests have revealed that students frequently show bad results when tested for their VL-competencies.
VISUAL LITERACY IN BIOLOGY EDUCATION
Elisabeth Scheicher 1, Iris Schiffl 1
Paris Lodron University1
We are used to an important part of information in science being represented with various kinds of visuals. With focus on biology, different application areas and various picture types are common, and some concepts would be much harder to understand, were it not for helpful visualizations. Consequently, visual representations are of great importance in biology education learning materials. For competent use of learning material, reading skills are needed – and, additionally, competencies for the de-coding, understanding, use and production of visual representations (Visual Literacy) are needed as well. Despite continuous exposure to an abundance of pictures in everyday life and in school, students can not be expected to understand the quite specific pictures of biology just by looking at them, and studies prove that they do not. This article presents a survey regarding the significance and application of visual literacy (VL) competences in biology education. In a first step, the current situation in schoolbooks was investigated - to get an insight into the types of pictured used in the recent Austrian biology textbooks. In exemplary chapters of schoolbooks, 151 pictures have been analyzed formally and quantitatively. It has been found that the use of pictures differs in function, informational value and further criteria discussed in the text. The results show that some picture are more likely to be used for learning than others, due to their information value, associated tasks and function in a textbook. Furthermore, a considerable percentage of pictures show little informational value and very few associated tasks. Against this background, it is important to note that cited studies have shown how teachers and textbook authors alike tend to overestimate pupils de-coding abilities, as tests have revealed that students frequently show bad results when tested for their VL-competencies.
| Originalsprache | Englisch |
|---|---|
| Publikationsstatus | Veröffentlicht - 26 Aug. 2019 |
Systematik der Wissenschaftszweige 2012
- 107 Andere Naturwissenschaften