Mini Assignment 4:
Data Visualization

Mini Assignment 4 Objectives

Students will be able to:

- Construct meaning regarding the value and importance of data collection and assessment as it relates to graphic representations(s).

- Analyze and design select data and constructs into graphic, or visual representations by designing an infographic.

- Reflect on the use of a new tool and share how a tool(s) is utilized in the classroom, administratively, or in other roles within a sector of the market.

Background

Wow, data visualization. What does that even mean? Data visualization can easily be digested if we break the terminology or unpack the words. What does data mean? What does visualization mean? Now, that wasn't so bad, right? But going beyond the terminology, you may be asking, "What does this have to do with this course and moreover, my students?"

As education moves more and more toward data-based decision-making (Who is tired of that terminology?), we have to be realistic and realize that this is just part of education now, as it has been in the business world forever. Maybe we should consider more "data-informed decision-making." Let me state that I am not saying that students and their education are all about the all-mighty test scores or GPA', but what I am saying is that the choices we make today for our students have to be based on good data (what we can collect) that helps us make choices about what, how, why, etc. we teach our students. For instance, when students enter our classroom and we want to teach them about XYZ, how do we know their proficiency at XYZ if we don't gain a bit of data about the student beforehand? We commonly think about this as pre-test data or a pre-assessment. Teachers collect data all the time regarding their students; they don't think about it in such scientific terms, as we tend to think this makes the classroom less human. However, as educators, we know that to build on what students know or scaffold the learning, we need to know what knowledge they have concerning XYZ, so we can build on it, add to it, expand on it, etc.! Even when we have the data, it still requires teachers to pre-teach XYZ to catch students up! This helps to ensure that learners are on the same page and building knowledge regarding XYZ. The XYZ knowledge or skill(s) that we are teaching them link to a Program or State standard(s), that is also linked to overarching objectives that teachers, stakeholders, parents, the workforce, etc., think our students need to be successful in today's world (e.g., 21st Century Learning Skills). As the semester or the school year ends, we do a post-test or re-test on XYZ to show growth in knowledge, application, etc. This data about each student can tell us as educators and parents what the student essentially learned (know/do) (Popham, 2016). Okay, so yes, data is everywhere, even when we aren't thinking of it in terms of data. Apply this XYZ idea to something you're familiar with, as putting it into your context can be helpful.

Visualization is a basic term to think about: "It's what we see." But, as we just discussed, if we looked at all of your students' scores regarding XYZ at the beginning of the year, that wouldn't let us "see" what they know about them, nor set us up to see the students' growth over time. We would have to dig deeper into areas like multiple assessments, time in class, student interactions, application of the idea(s), etc. However, once we can document these class interactions, plus have the data (pre-/post-assessments), we can paint a picture or visualize what the student learned over a period of time. This could be a month, a semester, or an entire school year. It's much like a process of collecting, analyzing, and reporting what our students know and can do concerning the XYZ content, but on a larger scale.

As educators, we aim to take one student's record, or piece of information, and show how it changes over time to parents/guardians/grown-ups. Meaning, that we could look at a standardized assessment as a "snapshot" of how a student performed on the day of the State Math assessments, but what does that really tell us about the learner? What does the test score tell me, as a teacher, to improve upon in my classroom, or what to offer the student(s) to help them improve? What does the snapshot (a read-out for a standardized test) do to help me explain to a parent/guardian how their child is doing in Math, let's say? A visual snapshot, putting your own stories of their trials and errors in the class (day in and day out) is a powerful tool. Again, let's talk about how visuals help us, our students, or clients, and parents/stakeholders understand a bit more.

References

Davis, G. (2004). Creativity is Forever (5th Ed). Dubuque, Iowa: Kendall/Hunt.

Popham, W. J. (2016). Classroom assessment: What teachers need to know (8th ed.). Boston: Pearson.

Mini Assignment #4:

This is a two-part assignment. Google Doc write-up covering Parts 1-3 and the designing of an infographic.

Part 1 - The Three-part Document

Part 1.) Find terminology that you are unfamiliar with and put it into context for understanding. Address the following: What does infographic mean? Can you find examples online? Why are forms of graphic representation, such as infographics or charts, useful? Do you currently use visual tools in your current job? How might your students' research, design, and development of an infographic be of value in the classroom?

Part 2.) Connect the activity to two of your State Standards and/or ISTE standards that support digital literacy in your content area. Align your project to the readings/research from the course or other research you have found concerning digital literacy regarding your assignment. There are details in the next column under Part 2.

Part 3.) Please briefly describe how you could use visual tools, or even more specifically, data-based visual tools, in your teaching/current setting. Also, discuss how your activity teaches your students/co-workers a digital literacy skill or concept, including higher-order thinking, problem solving, creativity, etc. Could you see utilizing more visual tools in your classroom and/or with your learners? If so, how?

Additionally, share more concerning what tool(s) you explored, what you used, why, and if you would use it again. There are more details and support in the third column labeled Part 3.

_______________________

HINT: Label your Google Doc. in three parts - Part 1-3, then add subtitles to Part 1-3 as you write so that you can position the reader for each area of your project/assignment.

Need help regarding higher-order thinking? Search the terms: "Webb's Depth of Knowledge" or "Beyond Blooms"

Part 2 - Creation of an Infographic

To get started on your infographic creation, consider creating a concept map or using a piece of paper to conceptualize your idea(s). Sometimes, brainstorming makes it easier to conceptualize our ideas and consider where an infographic might be helpful in our current setting. This action (e.g., creative doodling and writing down quick ideas/thoughts) gets the creative juices flowing concerning content and allows you to write down whatever comes to mind. Remember, in a creative process, you shouldn't judge your ideas. To be creative, you cannot judge (ideas) and generate (ideas) at the same time (Davis, 2004). Please remember, your ideas are all good and should be considered. There are no wrong or right answers in brainstorming.

Think about your brainstorm, who your audience might be (students? coworkers?), and where a visualization tool, like an infographic, could be helpful to support your teaching or training(s). What data and/or information would you need to collect, and how would it be effectively displayed to make it interesting, useful, digestible, supportive, etc., to your learner? What background information must you know before fully encompassing your infographic idea/design and message? Who is your intended audience? When designing for this audience, what should you consider regarding overall design, word choice, graphics, color choices, etc.? How does the use of commercial tools, such as Canva, help support the design process and best practices in design (e.g., UDL)?

Regarding our learners, how do visual literacy skills help support aspects of learning in the classroom or work environment, as cited by the National Council of Teachers of English (Minor, 2021)? What research would support your statements and ideas concerning visual learning (Kendra & Zakeviciute, 2019)?

Share your insight and support your ideas/insights with research in Part 2 of your document.

Also, realize that when information and creativity collide, content pieces will organically arise while creating the infographic, but at least go into the process with a bit of a plan regarding who your target audience is and what the overall learning objective(s) is before you begin creating.

_______________________

References

Davis, G. (2004). Creativity is Forever (5th Ed). Dubuque, Iowa: Kendall/Hunt. (Link)*

Kendra, J. & Zakeviciute, R. (2019, March 26). Visual literacy practices in higher education: what, why and how?, Journal of Visual Literacy, 38:(1-2), 1-7, DOI: 10.1080/1051144X.2019.1580438

Minor, D. (2021, January 1). Visual Literacy is Critical for 21st Century Learners. NCTE Blog. https://ncte.org/blog/2021/01/visual-literacy-critical-21st-century-learners/

Venngage. (2023, March 8). How to Source and Cite Inforgraphics: A Complete Guide. Venngage Blog/Infographics. https://venngage.com/blog/how-to-cite-an-infographic/

*DAVIS'S WORK IS ONE OF MY FAVORITE BOOKS FROM A MASTER'S LEVEL GRADUATE COURSE @ KU ON CREATIVITY! JUST THE LAYOUT OF THE BOOK IS LIKE NO OTHER!

Part 3 - Assignment Particulars

Post your document to our Engage Community and embed the Infographic in Part 3 of your document (one page only) concerning yourself as the creator. Place the actual link to the infographic inside the References section on the last page of your document. Venngage has a tidy webpage on how to source and cite infographics that align nicely with digital and media literacy (Venngage, 2023).

Think about utilizing one of these tools to create your infographic:
Canva

Venngage

Piktochart

or research/locate your own online tool to create an infographic.

Explore and then utilize what suits you and your content/overarching goal(s) the best. Common Sense Media has also developed a nice list of digital tools and their reviews, too.

IDEAS?? So many choices, choice...what goes into an infographic?

1.) Visually represent a simple poll taken in your classroom, school, or community. (This may be stats you've taken from within your school or a newspaper. If so, please cite.)

2.) Visually represent a process your students/co-workers utilize daily (e.g., steps to solve a Math equation),

3.) Visually represent your choice of concept comparisons (i.e., compare and contrast) and turn in the resulting infographic.

_______________________

Mini Assignment #4 Evaluation/Points:

Google Doc APA formatted with three parts - 40 points

Infographic w/ information on the tool used, how it worked, etc. in your write-up - 35 points

Rubrics for MIT 813 (Yes, this includes taking time to engage with peers - you could even comment directly on their document.)

More information needed to Cite and Reference yourself?

Typically there are no URLs or hyperlinks in formal writing - APA 7 in this case. As the creator and the writer, you would discuss the media/tool, cite it (Jones, 2020), then list the source and the link to the infographic in your References section. Here is more regarding this topic that I found helpful as we cite and reference Electronic Sources.

APA 7 TEMPLATE AND OTHER HELPERS FOR THIS ASSIGNMENT:

JONES APA 7 TEMPLATE (LITERALLY GO TO FILE, MAKE A COPY AND USE THIS TOOL)- HTTPS://DOCS.GOOGLE.COM/DOCUMENT/D/1TBDYGVLQN_KWEBC61AGCVSQ3C2A849KZUFF5QPNUULK/EDIT?USP=SHARING

Mini Assignment 4: Data Visualization

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