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An agreed definition of Visual Literacy

Our research started about clarification of Visual Literacy concept. This is justified because there is not a common nor an agreement of what is Visual Literacy.  In the literature review, we identified a plenty of VL definitions. Maria Avgerinou, an important researcher in Visual Literacy, concluded that there were as many definitions as Visual Literacy authors (Avgerinou, 2003).  This lack of an agreed definition of Visual Literacy means a difficulty for researchers, as indicated Braden (1996, cited by Avgerinou, 2011).

Definitions evolved from simple to more detailed, in order to take into account the complexity of the concept of Visual Literacy, as well as the continuous innovation on Visual resources, such as digital media. 

Therefore, definitions described a set of skills or abilities, which were more or less broad, depending on the specialist or the organization who proposed it. An analysis by Arslan (2014) showed a list of VL definitions by different authors which mentions different skills each one. He concluded the difficulty to englobe in one definition all skills related to Visual Literacy. It shows that a common VL definition cannot enumerate and describe skills or abilities, doing that better in a framework. 

Other question is where these skills or abilities are expressed or perceived. Many definitions mentioned the term “images”. As it could be valid for the early definitions, the innovation on visual resources demands to take into account a broader term. In that sense, other definitions applies  “visuals”, “visual media” or “visual materials” (Brown, 2015). 

In her analysis of VL definitions, Maria Avgerinou indicated that the terms “skill”,  “ability” and “competency” are applied as they had the same meaning. Most recent definitions uses the term “ability”, such as  proposed by the ACRL and the “operational definition” by Maria Avgerinou (2007):

“In the context of human, intentional visual communication, visual literacy refers to a group of largely acquired abilities, i.e. the abilities to understand (read), and to use (write) images, as well as to think and learn in terms of images.”

Since the term “ability” is adequate in the academic context, according to our project goals, we shall use “competence”.

Finally, the subject of VL is treated in most of the cases around communication. In other cases, It appears thinking processes, as well as learning (Debes, 1968). The studies of VL by Maria Avgerinou (2003) indicated that Visual Literacy is clearly linked to communication, thinking and learning.

In conclusion, a common and valuable in time definition of Visual Literacy must be concise but precise in the terms, mentioning the cognitive proceses involved  but not in detail, and to be about Visual Materials in order to englobe images, pictures, mockups, digital visuals and other resources which are to be developed in the future).

By reviewing Averignou’s operative definition of VL (Avgerinou, 2007),  we propose that:

Visual Literacy means the competences to understand (read) to create (write) as well as to think and learn using images, pictures, graphics or any kind of Visual Materials.