Visualizing Data

There are many ways teachers can help students develop the ability to visually represent information and data.  Web 2.0 tools such as infographics are a fantastic way to do this.  When i think about data, it reminds me of how graphing looks at various grade levels.  For instance, preschool and kindergarten students may graph their birthday, favorite color or favorite fruit.  However, middle school students' graphing may be displaying their finding during their science fair project.  

Infographics  are graphic visual representations of information, data or knowledge intended to present complex information quickly and clearly. They can improve cognition by utilizing graphics to enhance the human visual system’s ability to see patterns and trends. 
The process of creating infographics can be referred to as data visualization, information design, or information architecture.

Infographics are used for the following reasons:

·         To communicate a message,

·         To present a lot of data or information in a way that is compact and easy to comprehend,

·         To analyze data in order to discover cause-and-effect relationships,

·         To periodically monitor the route of certain parameters.

Infographics are composed of three important elements:

1.       Visual Elements

·         Color coding

·         Graphics

·         Reference icons

2.     Content Elements

·         Time frames

·         Statistics

·         References

3.     Knowledge Elements

·         Facts

Here is an example of an infographic: 

InstantShift.  2015.  Retrieved from http://www.instantshift.com/2011/03/25/what-are-infographics-and-why-are-they-important/.