Image from 100 Years of War Casualties
I was recently introduced to infographics by a colleague, and could immediately see their potential for engaging students in the classroom. Most of our students are visual learners, and what better way to encourage them to analyse an issue or topic, than to get them to visually depict that information as an infographic?
Put simply, infographics are detailed posters, either online or printed, showing visual relationships between data and statistics. They allow the viewer to gain an overview of an issue or problem which would be difficult to achieve with text alone, and they can turn potentially boring information into eye-catching charts and posters.
Imagine using infographics in a Geography classroom to challenge students to portray social issues in a new light. Imagine the depth of thought students would have to put in to ‘see’ data in a new way and provoke others to respond to it – for example:
- The global arms trade – http://www.princeton.edu/~ina/infographics/weapons.html
- The great Pacific garbage patch – http://www.flickr.com/photos/metrobest/3486391918/sizes/l/in/set-72157617478192160/
- The environmental impact of cell phones – http://sayiamgreen.com/infographic/environmental-impact-of-cell-phones/
- AIDS: just the facts – http://coedmagazine.com/2010/12/20/aids-infographic-1/
- 100 years of war casualties – http://www.neatorama.com/2011/05/12/100-years-of-war-casualties/
- The pyramid of internet piracy – http://photos1.blogger.com/hello/43/163/1024/the%20pyramid%20of%20internet%20piracy.jpg
So how do you create an infographic? These two sites give ideas for where to start, and Open Clip Art Library can be used for free images.
- How to create outstanding modern infographics – http://vector.tutsplus.com/tutorials/designing/how-to-create-outstanding-modern-infographics/
- 10 Awesome tools for creating infographics – http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/awesome-free-tools-infographics/?asid=c228f21b
Some infographics are dense with information – Red Tape: The Government Grind, and some are clear, simple and extremely effective – Why do freeways come to a stop?
Other examples of infographics can be found at:
- 27+ Beautiful examples of infographics – http://dzineblog.com/2009/10/27-beautiful-examples-of-infographics.html
- 45 Useful and effective infographics – http://www.2expertsdesign.com/graphics/45-useful-and-effective-infographics
- 40 Useful and creative infographics – http://sixrevisions.com/graphics-design/40-useful-and-creative-infographics/
- 10 Eye-opening mobile phone infographics – http://blog.bigtimewireless.com/cell-phone-infographics/
- Edubeacon – Infographics and graphic visualisations – http://edubeacon.com/?p=355
- How infographics make learning interesting – http://educationwebdesign.com/how-infographics-make-learning-interesting/
- HeyJude – QRcodes and Infographics – http://heyjude.wordpress.com/2010/11/17/qr-code-infographic/
- Spruce up your resume – http://mashable.com/2011/07/10/digital-resume/
- How technology is facilitating education http://www.emergingedtech.com/2011/05/infographic-how-technology-is-facilitating-education/
- Developing visual literacy through infograhics http://resourcelinkbce.wordpress.com/2011/07/04/info-what-developing-visual-literacy-through-infographics/