Two Sides of Visual Literacy

The underlying theme of this semester has been the increased need for visual literacy. However, the definitions of visual literacy have varied from location to location. This has also been an opportune time because I am getting a SMARTboard within a few weeks. I did find one article that gave me a definition that I liked. In the article, “Visual Literacy in teaching and Learning: A Literature Perspective”, Suzanne Stokes contends that in order to teach students visual literacy we need to not only teach decoding of visual messages, but also the encoding of visuals as well. Just as we do with written language, we not only teach how to decode (read), but we also teach how to encode (write). When dealing with visual literacy the teacher must be able to convey that a message can be created by analyzing the visual, that images must be derived. Not only do the students need to be able to figure out how to analyze pictures, but also be able to use the tools of visual rhetoric. With the increased use of digital media there is a call for more teaching visual literacy. The best way to do so is by teaching them not only to consume, but to create.