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New accountMOOC: Visual Literacies: Exploring educational practices and technologies
Meet other educators and explore how you can make your teaching more visual.
Weekly Webinars with Academics
Join us to explore how educators are making teaching and learning more visual with new technologies like infographics, comics, holograms, virtual and augmented reality.
Introduction
Hi, my name is Julie-Ann and welcome to this MOOC on visual literacies where we will be exploring the educational practices and technologies associated with visual communication and visual thinking.
In this course you will find out about the transformative power of photos, mind maps, comics, infographics and data visualization; how educators use video and animation and why it works; game-based learning, augmented reality, virtual and mixed reality; and synchronous video communication and holography. Chryssa and I will show you examples of how educators are using visual technologies in their teaching. These examples have been gathered from the interviews that we have carried out with top researchers and educators asking them to share their knowledge and experience with us.
Who are the tutors? Meet the professionals
Julie-Ann Sime
Lancaster UniversityJulie-Ann is an educational researcher and a pioneer of online distance learning who has been teaching online for 25 years. She also has 30-year experience of researching into the use of new technologies in training and education, including: use of video for reflection, game-based learning and virtual worlds for training professionals. She is co-editor of a new book on Networked Learning: Reflections and Challenges (2018).
Chryssa Themelis
Lancaster UniversityChryssa is an educational researcher focusing on research that changes practice and thinking, teaching that transforms people’s lives and engages actively with students, businesses and communities. She has 20-year experience of teaching face to face classes, blended learning courses and vocational workshops in e-research and technology enhanced learning. As research assessor, she evaluates UKERI proposals for the British council and European Union proposals for H2020 FET Innovation Launchpad Calls.
Who are the webinar presenters? Meet the professionals
Prof. Kirk St. Amant
Louisiana Tech University, USA & University of Limerick, IrelandCognition, Recognition, and Visual Design.
25th October 12 pm (UK time)
The webinar examines how the cognitive concepts of schemas, prototypes, and scripts and our perceptions of designs influence how individuals perceive, understand, and respond to different designs.
Prof. Lesley Farmer
California State University, USAComics Art & Information Architecture
12th October 2pm (UK time)
This session explains information architecture, focusing on comic arts’ features for representing and structuring knowledge, noting visual literacy.
Prof. Avgoustos A. Tsinakos
Technological Educational Institute of Kavala, GreeceARTutor
23rd October 1pm (UK time)
ARTutor is an Augmented Reality educational platform which consists of a web-based authoring tool and a mobile application.
Prof. Vanessa Dennen
Florida State University, USAWho is my teacher? The visual development of online instructor identity and presence
8th November 2pm (UK time)
The webinar explains how various instructor identity is communicated (or not) via their social presence in a course as well as online more generally, and the role that a wide variety of visual elements play in communicating identity.
Prof. Matthew Morena
Christopher Newport University, USAVideo for Calculus
1st November 2pm (UK time)
This session explains how these video assignments align well with what recent studies have identified as effective homework practices.
Viola Rühse
Danube University, AustriaVisual Competencies through Image Science
16th October 1pm (UK time)
This presentation will walk participants through a process of deeply analyzing images with Image Science methods, pointing out along the way the possible connections to visual competencies for a variety of observers.
Wendy Coones
Danube University, AustriaVisual Competencies through Image Science
16th October 1pm (UK time)
This presentation will walk participants through a process of deeply analyzing images with Image Science methods, pointing out along the way the possible connections to visual competencies for a variety of observers.
Dr Chryssa Themelis
Lancaster University, UKTele-proximity: Tele-community of Inquiry Model. Facial Cues for Social, Cognitive, and Teacher Presence in Distance Education
30th October 5pm (UK time)
Tele-proximity is defined as online embodiment that explains how instructors and students are connected in synchronous networked environment via tele-operations. SVC creates a sense of place or a stage where online identities perform and highlights recent research on audio-visual signals in communication and team work.
Danny Stefanic
LearnBrite, Phoenix USAWhy VR eLearning isn't what you need next
26th October 2pm (UK time)
Danny Stefanic explores why VR eLearning isn't what you need next. A sanity check on the benefits of VR and where and how to deploy it for best results.
What topics will we cover?
This MOOC provides an overview of how static, dynamic and interactive technologies are impacting teaching and learning practice. We will explore and share resources and learning materials including practical guidelines and case studies. Topics include: the transformative power of photos, mind maps, comics, infographics and data visualization; how educators use video and animation and why it works; game-based learning, augmented reality, virtual and mixed reality; and synchronous video communication and holography. Webinars with guest tutors, will be available each week.
- The transformative power of static images
- Dynamic visuals: films/video and animation
- Interactive tools- part A: Game-based learning, Augmented reality, VR, Mixed reality
- Interactive tools part B: Video conferencing and holographic teleportation
- The role of visuals for online identity
- Weekly Webinars with academics
Who should take this course?
This course is for educators seeking to improve their knowledge and understanding of visual communications and visual thinking strategies, and those interested in finding out about the latest technologies being used by leading educators.
What will I learn on this course?
The content of this course has been derived from interviews with 21 experienced educators, researchers and visual communicators so that the content reflects real examples of the use of new visual technologies in authentic settings. This course includes guidelines for use of visual communication methods and techniques and does not focus on teaching you how to use a particular technology. This is not a “how to” course but an exploration of the possibilities of new technologies to raise your awareness of tools and techniques for visual communication and teaching.
How will I learn?
The aim is to get you thinking about how you can improve your teaching and make it more visual.
Who has developed the course?
This course has been developed by a collaboration between Lancaster University (UK), CARDET (CY), Danube University Krems (AT) and WIDE Services (GR) with partial funding from the ERASMUS+ Programme of the European Union. The infographics were developed by the art studio of Louisiana Tech University (USA).
Ideas Worth Spreading
ViLi Project connects you to ideas, educators and technologies at the forefront of teaching practice.
Download the Project Brochure Download Infographic Registration
