As a science teacher, I am all too aware of how frustrating looking at large amounts of data can be. I teach high school freshmen, and a large part of freshmen year is devoted to teaching kids how to analyze data that is presented in various forms. I also spend time teaching them how to create tables and represent data in meaningful forms. I think it is important for students to realize the impact that visually appealing data can have. Whenever students are presenting information in my class, there is a good chance that they are being graded on its ability to engage the reader. I think there are a couple of different ways that students are better able to do that using technology today.
First, as a scientist and a teacher, I think it is important that there are programs out there that will arrange data for me. Google Forms is an easy way for students to create a survey and then be able to view their data immediately in the form of graphs. For a student doing their own research, they would be able to simply copy and paste this data into a document to share with their peers. Google Sheets and Google Docs also have the ability to produce graphs and charts with data input. I think using these programs just to generate data is a good start. But there are now various programs available that make the presentation of this data more appealing.
Infographics have changed the way that people view information. We live in a society where massive amounts of information are thrown at us each day.
When people view an information graphic (infographic) they are viewing a very concise version of a huge topic. I think infographics reinforce the “Magic Number 7” theory proposed by psychologist George Miller. This idea states that our short term memory is capable of holding only 7 pieces of information (plus or minus two) (McLeod, 2009). This doesn’t really sound like a lot, but “ if we can “chunk” information together we can store a lot more information in our short term memory” (McLeod, 2009). I think we can really use this with infographics. I could definitely see using this rule of 7 to have students create an infographic study guide for their test.
The choice of statistics used in the infographic can create a powerful argument for its subject. Scientists are required to be able to interpret data effectively while evaluating the credibility of its source. With a well researched infographic, succinct information can be shown using only the most credible sources. The whole point of an infographic is to make sure that you present the most powerful information quickly and effectively. I think it’s important to note that the most powerful information that you can use is generally quantitative in nature. I would argue that it’s just a poster and not an infographic if you are not presenting quantitative data.
There are several tools available to students today to create infographics. Piktochart is one of my favorites. It gives you various templates in which you can present your information and it’s pretty user friendly if you pay attention to the tour when you sign up. This article provides a list of tools that you can use to create an infographic. It is interesting because about four years ago, the only tool I knew of to create an infographic was Piktochart. This article talks about what infographics are in general, why we would use them, and how to create them. Furthermore, it introduces the readers to different types of infographics that exist. Finally, I have included an article that discusses some innovative ways to use infographics in the classroom.
Reference
McLeod, S. A. (2009). Short Term Memory. Retrieved from www.simplypsychology.org/short-term-memory.html
