Representing Data Through Infographics
Digital Technologies Challenge 9 required the identification of data sets and exploring the different ways that data can be represented for a specific audience.
What are infographics and why are they important?
Infographics use design to visualise data (Column Five Media, 2012). They enable large quantities of data to be communicated effectively so that the audience can easily ‘make connections and draw conclusions’ (ResourceLink Brisbane Catholic Education, 2011). When used as a teaching aid they can gain students’ attention, condense content to make information easier to understand and retain and encourage critical thinking about concepts (Ojeda, 2013).
Learning to create infographics develops students’ knowledge, understanding and skills to use digital systems to transform data into information and communicate ideas creatively in line with the Aims of the Digital Technologies Curriculum (ACARA, 2018c). It develops their computational thinking skills, processes and techniques using concepts of abstraction, data collection, representation and interpretation (ACARA, 2018d).
Infographics can also provide an engaging way of learning that can be integrated with other curriculum learning areas including English, HASS and Science where students can represent content and show their understanding (Hall & Russac, 2014). Students’ can develop general capabilities including Ethical Understanding (exploring issues related to technologies and developing informed opinions, learning about safe and ethical procedures for investigating data) and ICT Capability (organising, analysing and representing data using digital systems)(ACARA, 2018a).
Infographic Design Challenge
The concept of abstraction underpins all content and particularly data representation content descriptors such as ACTDIK008 for years 3 and 4 of the knowledge and understanding strand (see Table 1)(ACARA, 2018d; ACARA, 2018e). Students need to be taught how to focus on only a manageable number of aspects of an issue and not every detail (ACARA, 2018d). For example, when deciding on my topic question about the issue of the digital divide I chose to focus on data relating to it’s impact on students in Australia. I then collected, managed, analysed and presented data relating to my topic question using online programs Canva and Adobe Spark which relates to content descriptor ACTDIP009 of the processes and production skills strand for years 3 and 4 (see Table 1)(ACARA, 2018e).
Infographic 2: The Digital Divide, Students with No Internet Access at Home created using Adobe Spark.
To make Infographic 1 effective, I chose a Canva template that used harmonious colours and a simple design (Visme, 2017). I strategically arranged the arrow blocks of colour create a journey down the page and provide structure as each section has its own message that flows from the one before (Visme, 2017). I used bar charts to display data and simple related icons throughout (Ojeda, 2013).
For infographic 2, I modified a template in Adobe Spark and accidentally created a ‘house’. I tried to create a visual metaphor by making the ‘I’ in the title words into an antenna that is disconnected from the ‘house’ (Killion, 2021, Slide 27).
Cyber Safety
Students also need to be taught how to identify and manage cyber safety risks when using digital technologies online (ACARA, 2018f). The eSafety Commissioner website provides classroom resources that could be used such as the Being Safe Online Booklet.(eSafety Commissioner, n.d).
Reflection
The Key Ideas of the Technologies Curriculum provide that “when students design a solution to a problem they consider how users will be presented with the data” (ACARA, 2018f). Infographics are becoming a popular way in this digital age for businesses and marketers to communicate their messages to a specific audience (Siricharoen, 2013). Design and Technologies Curriculum content descriptor ACTDEP015 (communicating design ideas and decisions using graphical representation techniques) could be integrated with ACTDIP009 (below) of the Digital Technologies Curriculum for the creation of an infographic (ACARA, 2018b; ACARA, 2018e).
Through this challenge, I have learned valuable knowledge and skills about the processes of abstraction, analysis and presentation of data. I sent my infographics to others to see if they could understand them (Visme, 2017). Feedback I received about Infographic 2 was that the visual metaphor I attempted was not immediately apparent and that it took some consideration to realise that the data was being compared using ‘greater than’ symbols. I changed the symbols to provide clarity. This showed me that it is valuable to get feedback from others to ensure that the message of the infographic is understandable. Considering links between Design and Technologies and Digital Technologies in relation to infographics has developed my ability to integrate technologies learning in the classroom.
Australian Curriculum Links
Table 1: Australian Curriculum: Digital Technologies: Year 3 and 4 Content Descriptors
| Knowledge and understanding | Processes and production skills |
| Representation of data Recognise different types of data and explore how the same data can be represented in different ways (ACTDIK008). | Collecting, managing and analysing data Collect, assess and present different types of data using simple software to create information and solve problems (ACTDIP009) |
References
Adobe. (2021). Adobe Spark. https://spark.adobe.com/
Australian Curriculum Assessment and Reporting Authority (2018a). Australian curriculum: General capabilities in the Australian curriculum: Technologies. https://docs.acara.edu.au/resources/Technologies_-_GC_learning_area.pdf
Australian Curriculum Assessment and Reporting Authority. (2018b). Australian curriculum: Technologies: Design and technologies: Year 3 and 4. https://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/f-10-curriculum/technologies/design-and-technologies/
Australian Curriculum Assessment and Reporting Authority. (2018c). Australian curriculum: Technologies: Digital technologies: Aims. https://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/f-10-curriculum/technologies/digital-technologies/aims/
Australian Curriculum Assessment and Reporting Authority. (2018d). Australian curriculum: Technologies: Digital technologies: Structure. https://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/f-10-curriculum/technologies/digital-technologies/structure
Australian Curriculum Assessment and Reporting Authority. (2018e). Australian curriculum: Technologies: Digital technologies: Year 3 and 4. https://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/f-10-curriculum/technologies/digital-technologies
Australian Curriculum Assessment and Reporting Authority. (2018f). Australian curriculum: Technologies: Key ideas https://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/f-10-curriculum/technologies/key-ideas/
Canva. (n.d). Infographic templates. https://www.canva.com/infographics/templates/
Column Five Media. (2012). The value of data visualisation. [Video]. Vimeo. https://vimeo.com/29684853
eSafety Commissioner. (n.d). Being safe online. https://www.esafety.gov.au/sites/default/files/2020-02/Easy%20English-Being%20Safe%20Online.pdf
Hall, M. & Russac, P. (2014, May 6). Visual design: Creating infographics with 3rd graders. The ASIDE Blog. http://theasideblog.blogspot.com/2014/05/visual-design-creating-infographics.html
Killion, E. (2021, May 11). Topic 9: Digital technologies and representing data. [PowerPoint slides]. CQU Moodle. https://moodle.cqu.edu.au
Ojeda, C. (2013, July 30). All things infographic. https://tweakyourslides.wordpress.com/2013/07/30/all-things-infographic/
Resourcelink Brisbane Catholic Education. (2011, July 4). Info-what? Developing visual literacy through infographics. https://resourcelinkbce.wordpress.com/2011/07/04/info-what-developing-visual-literacy-through-infographics/
Siricharoen, W. V. (2013). Infographics the new communication tools in digital age. https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Waralak-Siricharoen/publication/256504130_Infographics_the_new_communication_tools_in_digital_age/links/0c9605232e6f666b1f000000/Infographics-the-new-communication-tools-in-digital-age.pdf
Visme. (2017, July 1). How to create an infographic: Part 1: What makes a good infographic? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nLxQAa5Sras
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