Infographic Learning Tool Reflection

As a preface, I love Infographics. I have always thought they are a great way to break down complex ideas into simpler, easy to manage components. And - there are pictures and colors!

I have been wanting to incorporate infographics into my department's communication flow for a while, but the wheels of progress do not always move quickly.

I chose to experiment with Piktochart. http://piktochart.com/

I didn't find it to be super user friendly, and was frustrated at times. I did resist the urge to switch over to good old Photoshop, although I know I could have produced a better project and faster.

Creating an account was easy. There are some free, stock templates and photos in the system, but you have to upgrade to a paid program for more choices. You have to upload all of the graphics that you want to use - there is no drag and drop functionality. Besides Infographics, you can create presentations, and flyers suitable for print. The default download is a .png file. I converted mine to a .jpeg using Paint.

For my learning project I knew I wanted to focus on financial aid as my topic. It's such an important part of the graduate school process, but everyone's eyes tend to glaze over when reading about it. An infographic would never be the only source of information, but could be effective as a quick glance information sheet that might prompt further questions or discussion.

Here's what I created:

The value for classroom use is pretty limitless. As people learning in a digital age, we are more drawn to visual images that give a quick snap shot of information. Infographics keep that information organized.  They would be great for providing step by step instructions or for a visual representation of an historical timeline of events. As creators, they make us review all of the material, so that we can pull out and highlight the most relevant. This makes it makes an effective tool for students to then create their own to demonstrate their understanding of a topic and the points that were the most significant for them. When each is shared in class, the students can compare and contrast those points, leading to further discussion and deeper learner.

The Piktochart program is appropriate for adult educators, but I feel that it would be a challenge for use with younger students.