Visual Literacy
San José State University
Copyright 2003
What is visual literacy?
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Nonverbal communication.
The use of visual media to facilitate
communication of ideas.
The use of a visual language to
accompany written and oral
communication.
The use of pictures, graphic images,
and verbal symbols to convey meaning.
Petroglyphs are visual symbols
Lesh’s Multiple Modes of Knowledge
Representation
Written words
Spoken words
Realia or real world objects
Symbols
Icons
Flory’s Visual Literacy Theory
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A visual language exists.
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People can and do think visually.
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People can and do learn visually.
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People can and should express
themselves visually.
Whorf-Sapir Hypothesis
(Faieta, 1983)
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Thoughts are determined by language.
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Behavior is determined by language.
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Language is strongly related to the culture in
which that language is spoken and reflects
that culture’s values.
Language serves as a filter for how one
views the world. Language is an important
element of the frame of reference.
Firth’s Roles of Symbols
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Communication - allowing people to share
ideas and concepts - ex. No Smoking sign
Instruments of Expression - religious and
political symbols - ex. flags, crests, dress,
and art.
Knowledge - reveal elements of reality that
even the symbol user may not recognize ex. books as symbols of knowledge,
machines as symbols of technology.
Wiley’s Hierarchy
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The more unusual an object, the greater the
need for illustration.
As the number of words needed to describe
an object increases, so does the need to
illustrate it.
As the number of points of similarly with a
commonly known object increase, the need
to illustrate decreases.
If the appearance of an object is important,
the need for illustrating increases.
If you instincts tell you to illustrate - illustrate.
Think Visually