Technological Literacy in the Visual Communication Classroom: Reconciling Principles and Practice for the 'whole' Communicator

Abstract

This article argues that technical communication programs - specifically visual communication pedagogy within those programs - must better address the tension between principles and practice, concepts and tools, to effectively prepare students for the 21st century workplace. The authors contend that program outcomes should articulate expectations for both interpreting and producing visual communication, and that the tools required for visual communication should be an explicit part of the curriculum. The article provides an overview of visual communication in technical communication curricula, discusses the relationship between visual literacy and technological fluency, and presents research that counters the notion that students are technologically fluent or comfortable developing such fluency on their own. Finally, the article addresses some approaches for teaching technological tools so that they complement the conceptual content in visual communication courses and support visual communication outcomes at the programmatic level.

Department(s)

English and Technical Communication

Keywords and Phrases

Technological literacy; technological fluency; visual communication; visual literacy; pedagogy

International Standard Serial Number (ISSN)

2326-1412

Electronic OCLC #

456226694

Document Type

Article - Journal

Document Version

Citation

File Type

text

Language(s)

English

Rights

© 2013 Council for Programs in Technical and Scientific Communication (CPTSC), All rights reserved.

Publication Date

01 Jan 2013

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