How do we use visuals to make meaning?

Pictures are useful for meaning making because they don’t carry the explicit assumption of clarity that we make with our words. So while we assume that people understand what we say (even when they don’t), we are often ready for a conversation about ‘what does this mean” when we share an image. Images stimulate useful meaning making conversations that can open learning up beyond simple ideas.

This challenge offers a quick, easy opportunity to see how others interpret an image.

1. Find a picture on the web that conveys a key concept, question or challenge for one of your courses. For example, you may want to use an image to stimulate a conversation, help explain a concept or trigger a certain emotional state in your students. You can use Google Image search, http://www.flickr.com or use a photo or image of your own.
2. Make a note of the url and if there is any citation or license on the image. You will need this information later.
3. Save a copy on your iPad by holding your finger on the image. This saves it to your Photos. You need to be able to show this image to colleagues on your ipad.
4. If you don’t have the url for the image, you will need to upload it to our Agora Image bank so you have the image URL for your challenge response. Go into your Photos app. Find the picture. Touch the picture. Look for the box with the up arrow. (Lower right) and choose email. Email the photo to collector@theagoraonline.net and then wait a minute and you will find the photo (and it’s URL to share) at http://www.udg.theagoraonline.net. Alternatively, you can go to the collector page on our Agora site and upload it there directly.
5. Prepare for your test. Develop a simple form for capturing feedback. For example, On a scale of -2 (not at all) to +2 (very much so)  is the image clear? Will it help you achieve your goal? Is it memorable? Is it provocative? You can use the ranking sheet/feedback form (click “copy” and a copy will be deposited in your Google drive), or develop 2-3 questions on a piece of paper. Feel free to skip any of the questions that are not relevant. Or use your own way to get feedback.
6. Find a colleague. Briefly describe your intended use for the image to a colleague, and ask them for their feedback on how well that image achieves your goal. Capture the feedback.
7. Repeat with 3-5  colleagues.  If you are doing this online, you can send the form and picture to a colleague.
8. Along with the ranking sheet, take notes of any conversational remarks. This is where you might find prompts for a deeper learning conversations. Images can often be great conversational triggers. Write a short summary of what you learned.
9. Share your feedback and insights along with the URL of the image in the response area of this challenge. You have a world full of options for capturing and sharing the feedback. You can use https://www.educreations.com/ to create a response building on the form and sharing a link to the image. You can take a picture of the completed feedback form and share it along with a link to the image any notes on the challenge page or in an online space of your choice, along with any reflections you have about the similarities or differences of your peers’ feedback. You can probably invent other ways. If you do, be sure to share them as additional resources here on the Challenge page.
10. Share the link and/or direct feedback here  as a response on the challenge page. In addition you may tweet the url with the hashtags #UdGAgora

This challenge was inspired by : http://vizhall.visual-literacy.org/user/user.php?page=assignment&cid=16&aid=33

Example for "How do we use visuals to make meaning?":
https://www.educreations.com/lesson/view/challenge/32444670/?s=VHpX7i&ref=app