Visual Literacy is a field that encompasses a variety of theoretical constructs and practical considerations relating to communicating with visual signs. The theoretical constructs that influence visual communication primarily fall into two closely interrelated categories: those that relate to the individuals involved in the communication process,…

Psycholinguistics, pathology, and developmental, cognitive, and cross-cultural social psychology are cited to support the argument that the visual literacy construct has not led to useful research and defensible practice. A reconceptualization of the inherent assumptions and implications is proposed. A 68-item reference list is provided.…

Music can exert a positive effect on a reading program both in complementary skill development and as a means of forcing task attention. These positive effects have been documented in research. Both music and reading require skills such as auditory and visual discrimination, reception, and association; eye-motor coordination; interpretation; word…

This study reviews historical thinking about visual literacy, addresses the issue of setting visual literacy's parameters, and provides a philosophy to link individual theories in this multidisciplinary movement. The report examines the roots of the visual literacy movement and the seminal literature in the field. It includes a categorizing of…

This paper briefly reviews some of the literature on the use of visual imagery in the conceptualization and solution of mathematical problems, especially its use in the learning of mathematics by children, and notes that a mutually facilitative effect occurs between mathematics and visual aptitude. A bibliography, a short list of resource…

Discusses three major theoretical approaches in using feature-length films to teach gender roles: semiological analysis, Marxist analysis, and sociological analysis. For each approach, relevant literature is cited and specific examples of films are given to illustrate some applications of that approach to gender role analysis. (MBR)

Examines two issues: whether different modes of presentation used by communication media require their own unique brand of literacy, and whether the consequences of one kind of literacy, e.g., television literacy and all of its skill components, may affect those of another kind. (MBR)

The authors review a body of theory and accumulating evidence which suggests that critical study of the arts facilitates the development of cognitive skills, including those essential to reading. (Author/SJL)

Describes virtual realities as environments in which visual, aural, or other stimuli generate in the mind of the user a sense of navigable, frameless, three-dimensional space, and predicts that the availability of computer technology to create real-time, three-dimensional graphics will bring radical changes in the educational use of visualization…

Research has shown that producers and consumers of television programs are still uncertain about the nature of the "grammar" or "lexicon" that makes up the language of television. Although attempts have been made in experimental television ("video art"), systematic studies on the idiosyncratic nature, unique features,…

Discusses the potential that definitions of visual and television literacy offer for understanding computer literacy. Three areas of visual literacy research covered include visual communication and languaging; visual processing and thinking; and general definitions of visual literacy. Anderson's television literacy objectives are also reviewed.…

Many have tried to define the concept of visual literacy (VL), but so far there is no consensus. Reviews the literature to develop a definition of VL and explores the parameters of VL, the movement and its aims, its educational significance, and the potential benefits of teaching VL. (PEN)

The essence of understanding visual literacy lies in the visually literate exploration of issues process. This understanding must deal with both the processes involved in the creation and interpretation of concrete visual communication. Visual discourses's greatest contribution to human knowledge and thought is not the sequential, linear,…

The concepts of imagery, mathemagenic behaviors, and generative imagery are reviewed; and the learner's use of visual imagery is discussed. Several studies have supported the idea that imagery is an active mental process that gives birth to learning. The concept of mathemagenic control or manipulation is of interest to the instructional designer.…

Communication theorists often make a distinction between two different ways in which a sign or a symbol can evoke meaning. In digital representation, the symbol's domain of reference is conceptually carved up into discrete units represented by purely arbitrary symbols. In analogical representation, the symbol retains a continuous correspondence…