Images

Today I performed some research about the use of images in pedagogical design. I think the use of images in the classroom, such as within displays, presentations, activities and resources, contributes enormously to the perception and understanding students have of the activity/display/presentation/resource. For example in displays, if I wanted to create a display on a recent excursion, students would find the display much more meaningful and personal, if I added some pictures of the students, that I had taken on the day, to the display. Also, adding images in this way provides any other viewers, with a background of the scene for the excursion, rather than just reading through pieces of text. In this context, I think images are definitely effectively used.
Within presentations, I think images can be an asset if they are used to supplement the text on the presentation, and hence, provide readers/viewers with more information. I don’t however, think images are effectively used in presentations if they hold no connection to the text or the viewer, and instead, have been used just to make the presentation look “pretty”.
Images can also be effectively used in activities, or resources. Sometimes, particularly in lower grades, students have trouble reading the text for activity instructions and so it can be effective if images are used, to explain the instructions as well. This way, students are able to read the instructions if they are capable, or look at the picture instructions.
Also, I have seen images effectively used to enforce behaviour and classroom rules. The teacher creates a poster with symbols and images expressing the various classroom rules and then when she needs to, she points to the image, and the students automatically know which rule she is referring to.
I think these ideas would be good to use within the classroom, particularly with a younger group where images speak louder than words.