Digital knowledge mapping as an instructional strategy to promote visual literacy: A case study

Abstract

This case study discusses the effectiveness of concept mapping and graphic organizers as an instructional strategy to promote visual literacy in an online graduate-level course. The challenge for teachers is to select instructional strategies that integrate visual literacy into the curriculum. Students utilizing visual thinking strategies to interpret and produce visuals will help foster a higher level of learning. Knowledge mapping as an instructional strategy promotes meaningful learning. Digital knowledge mapping offers the potential to link knowledge of complex theories and concepts to text, images, websites, virtual learning environments, and audio and video resources. Graphic organizers are knowledge visualization tools that support meaningful learning. Gowin’s Knowledge Vee diagram facilitates students’ use of their metacognitive processes to newly acquired information in order to make meaningful connections. In 1984, Novak and Gowin presented two constructivist techniques for learning: concept maps and the Knowledge Vee diagram. The Knowledge Vee enables students not only to understand the structure and meaning of knowledge but also in making important learning connections. A content analysis was used to examine the presence of themes within students’ final digital knowledge map justification assignment that provided insights on students’ thought processes, creation, and justification of concept map topics used to provide evidence of higher thinking levels and visual literacy approaches. The chapter discusses the study results and recommends instructional strategies to promote visual literacy.