Educational Outcomes
- Students will compose a visual exposition by creating an infographic.
- Students will learn the traditional expository essay mode.
- Students will draw from personal experience for inspiration.
- Students will reflect upon their infographics.
- Students will respond to their classmates’ infographics.
- Students will develop technical skills.
- Students will hone communication skills.
- Students will apply knowledge, skills, and values learned from this project to new situations.
Preparation
- The instructor teaches the traditional expository essay, exposing students to amateur and professional examples.
- The instructor introduces the infographic in light of Mary Hocks’s “hybridity” (631) argument in “Understanding Visual Rhetoric in Digital Writing Environments.”
- The instructor explores the history of infographics so that students appreciate the value of this medium.
- Student experience infographics.
- The instructor introduces the value of infographics and the ethical responsibilities of infographic artists.
Activity
- Students select a concept, principle, or artifact that they would like to explore.
- Students create Piktocharts, illustrating selected topics.
- Students write two-page reflections of their Piktocharts and how they compare to their classmates’ expositions.
- Students give three-minute demonstrations of their Piktocharts in class.
- The instructor facilities discussion/debate in order to identify changes in students’ attitudes, beliefs, and/or behaviors.
Carissa Gray “Love, Shock & Awe” Screenshot