visual literacy workshop

7/28/2019 Visual Literacy Workshop

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Visual and Multimodal Literacy

May 2013


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Definition of Literacy: Australian

Curriculum

Literacy involves students in listening to,

reading, viewing, speaking, writing and creating

oral, print, visual and digital texts, and using

and modifying language for different purposes

in a range of contexts.


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Definition of Literacy: NSW English K-

10 English Syllabus

A synthesis of language, thinking and contextual

practices through which meaning is shaped.

Effective literacy is intrinsically purposeful,

flexible and dynamic and involves interactions

in a range of modes and through a variety of

media.

J. Dawkins 1991, Australias Language: The Australian Literacy and Language Policy, AGPS, Canberra.


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Definition: Visual Literacy

The ability to decode, interpret, create, question,challenge and evaluate texts that communicatewith visual images as well as, or rather than,words.

Visually literate people can read the intendedmeaning in a visual text, such as an advertisementor a film shot, interpret the purpose and intendedmeaning, and evaluate the form, structure and

features of the text.They can also use images in a creative andappropriate way to express meaning.


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Definition: Visual Features

Visual components of a textsuch as:

Placement

Salience

Framing

Representation of actionor reaction

Shot size Social distance

Camera AngleNSW English K-10 Syllabus: Glossary

Handas Surprise


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Definition: Visual LanguageLanguage that contributes to the meaning of

an image or the visual components of amultimodal texts and are selected from arange or visual features like:

placement

salience

framing

representation of action or reaction

shot size social distance

camera angle

Visual language can also includeelements such as: symbol

colour

scene and frame composition

setting and landscape

lighting

use of editing

Georgia OKeeffe Hawaii 1939


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Definition: Multimodal

Comprising more than

one mode.

A multimodal text uses a

combination of two ormore communication

modes, for example, print,

image and spoken text as

in film or computerpresentations.English K-10 Syllabus: Glossary Both words and picture are required to

make meaning here in Theres a Sea in

My Bedroom.


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Definition: MultimodalAustralian Curriculum

Multimodal textscombine language withother means ofcommunication such asvisual images, sound

track or spoken word, asin film or computerpresentation media.Texts provideopportunities forlearning about aspects

of human experienceand about aestheticvalue.Content Structure, Texts,

Australian Curriculum: English New and digital literacies


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Multimodality: A Literature

CompanionWhat is multimodality?

Multimodality incorporatesdifferent semiotic or meaning-making systems.

A picture book, informationbook or movie can bedescribed as a multimodaltext because each combineboth print and still or movingimages.

Even more so, a screen baseddigital text is multimodal if it

combines moving images,graphics, sound and hypertextlinks.( p.181 A Literature Companion)

Random House Website Moving images,videos, hypertext links, blog, quiz, apps,podcasts


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Can picture books and other paper

texts be multimodal?Recent discussion about the texts delivered via newtechnologies has focused on the fact that they comprisemore than one semiotic system. Texts may utilise visualimages as well as linguistic text. Texts delivered via traditionalcommunications technologies (such as paper technologies)

have long employed more than one semiotic system but wehave conveniently overlooked this and focused mainly onthe linguistic semiotic system. Texts delivered via papertechnology are often multimodal (they may compriselinguistic and visual semiotic systems) while texts delivered

live are more often multimodal (comprising gesture, audioand linguistic semiotic systems). Thus all these texts can beviewed as multimodal rather than mono-modal.(Kress, 2000:184) in Evolving Pedagogies by Bull and Anstey


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Four Resources Model: Luke & Freebody

Code Breaker Practices

How do I crack this text? How does this text work?

Is there more than one semiotic system or

mode operating here? How do they

relate?

How do the parts of the text relate to one

another? (layout and organisation?Limit the responder to what is contained

in the text and their own experiences

Meaning Maker Practices

What does this text mean to me? How will the purpose and context for my

reading influence my meaning making?

What social, cultural, literacy and

technology knowledge do I have that might

help me make meaning of this text?

Limit the responder to what is containedin the text and their own experiences

Text User Practices

What do I do to use this text

purposefully? What is the purpose of this text and what is

my purpose in using it?

What should I do with this text in this

context?

Transformative as they go beyond the

text.

Text Analyst Practices

How might I be shaped through

engagement with this text? What are its origins?

What is the producer of this text trying to

make me believe or do?

What beliefs and positions are dominant or

silenced in the text?

Transformative as they go beyond thetext.


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Applying the Four Resources Model to these two

texts. Plus the glossarys definition of Visual Features **

Olive CottonOnly to taste thewarmth, the light, the wind - 1939

Georgia OKeeffe 1939(anonymous)


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Quality picture books are literary texts

Finding congruence (thequality of agreeing) betweenliterary elements andverbal/visual details:

Is there congruence betweenthe literary elements and theverbal and visual details onan illustrated page?

Readers/viewers can notice

where the verbal and visualcorrespond.

Extra information can beprovided in the visual or

written text.

Ziba Came on a Boatimportance ofcohesion/congruence between the two modes

Azadi, her mother whispered. Freedom.


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Literary Elements Visual and Verbal Choices

Setting

Visual

Verbal/written

Characters/characterisation

Visual

Verbal/written

Plot

Visual

Verbal

Mood/

Atmosphere

Visual

Verbal

Theme

Visual

Verbal

Symbol

Visual

Verbal

Style

Visual

Verbal

Vocabulary

Visual

Verbal

Using a chart like this can help

locate congruence between written

and visual


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Finding congruence

Literary Elements Visual and Verbal Choices in Collecting

Colour

SettingVisual On a swing

Verbal

Characters/characterisation

Visual Images of a girl

Verbal This is Rose

PlotVisual

Verbal

Mood/

Atmosphere

VisualRelaxed playful smile on

her face: eyes closedVerbal


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Finding congruence between written and

visual text

Literary Elements Visual and Verbal Choices inAlexanders Outing


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Setting

Visual Sydney Harbour Bridge, Opera House, tall buildings at North Sydney, all viewed from Farm

Cove and park (using my personal repertoire knowledge).

Verbal in the most beautiful place in the whole of Sydney

one warm sunny morning

Characters/

characterisation

Visual duck family, mother duck, mother is turning around maybe to look at or call to Alexander

assume the last duckling is Alexander (literary repertoire); he straggles behind and is

looking backwards

Verbal Alexander lived with his mother and his four brothers and sisters: Alexanders mother

was bored

Plot

Visual the straggling Alexander infers that he will cause some complication; the books title also

implies this (literary repertoire)

Verbal they all set of in search of adventure

Mood/

Atmosphere

Visual relaxed and enjoyable beautiful and famous view of Sydney, people walking, ducks

swimming, an ibis by the pond, a sunny day; ready for an adventure

Verbal most beautiful place, bored, warm sunny morning, adventure

Symbol

Visual the Harbour Bridge and the Opera House are symbols of Sydney, Australia;

green and gold colours are symbols of Australian identity;

no other suggestion of a symbol for the storyline evident in the visual text

Verbal no suggestion of a symbol evident in the verbal text

StyleVisual watercolour media, green and gold colours, detailed drawings

Verbal typical narrative orientation; everyday language

Vocabulary

Visual naming the iconic buildings and maybe the types of birds in the image would build

emergent readers vocabulary

Verbal beautiful, bored, adventure could be difficult words for emergent readers; Sydney could

be a special word for the setting and for readers from other places

Theme Visual Alexander is straggling behind and not looking where he is going, so maybe the significant

message to young readers will be pay attention and be obedient

Verbal no evidence of a suggested theme/significant message; this is unlikely as it is theorientation of the narrative on the first page


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The Grammar of Visual Design

Kress & van Leeuwen

argue for the use of the

term grammar re visual

design.Visual grammar to

describe how the

elements of the picture

combine in differentdesign ways to construct

visual meaning.

Kress & van Leeuwen

make the point that

theirs is not a universal

grammar, but one thatis culturally based in

Western Societys

mores.


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Model of Visual DesignAustralian Curriculum: English

Representational Meanings The visual grammarcomponents that represent the topic: they constructwho or what participates in the image, in what kind ofactivity or process they are engaged and in which set ofcircumstances.

Interactive Meanings The visual grammar componentsthat create the interaction: they construct therelationship between the participants in the image.

Compositional Meanings They structure how the entire

image (constructed through the representational andinteractive meanings) is composed as a coherent andcohesive meaningful whole.

(This is the same for written grammar see A New Grammar Companion)


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5 main components in

Representational MeaningsParticipants Any objects, human or animal characters, or any parts of

the natural world that are presented in the image

Vectors Sight line or reading pathway that the reader follows

around the image. They may be curved, vertical, horizontal etc.

These often follow where the character is looking.

Shapes Circular and curved seen as natural organic and part of the

female world.

Squares, rectangles, straight-edged shapes are seen as

mechanical or made by humankind.

Symbols Objects, actions or ideas that represent something elsenormally an abstract concept.

Colour Highly significant in visual design.


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The Arrivalby Shaun Tan

Symbols and their importance Symbolism ***


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The Arrival by Shaun Tan


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Colour Western Other countries

Red passion /emotion(love/hate)

danger (stop lights, signs, warnings)

masculine

China red signifies prosperity, happiness and luck

South Africa red is the colour of mourning

India: purity, fertility, love, used in weddings

Australian Aboriginals: represents land and earth

Orange excitement, desire, energy, vitality

affordable or inexpensive items, Halloween (with

black)

Ireland: colour for Protestants

Eastern: happiness, spirituality

Hinduism: Saffron is considered a sacred colour

Yellow warm colours, cheerful, joy, enlightenment, light-

hearted

Chinese culture: sacred, imperial, honour, masculine

Thailand: represents Buddhism Egypt: Colour of mourning

Africa: Usually reserved for those of high rank

Blue cool, calm, wisdom, sadness, trust, conservative Chinese culture: immortality, feminine

Korea: mourning

Pink sensuous, emotion, feminine, romantic Korea: trust

Green knowledge, hope, promise, nature, abundance

jealousy, greed

Chinese culture: associated with health, prosperity, harmony, fertility

Colour ofIslam

Ireland: colour for Catholics

South America: death USA: money

Black evil, mysterious, powerful, fear, elegance Chinese culture: neutral, Heavens colour, times of unknown/winter

months; colour for young boys

India: evil, negativity, anger Africa: Age and wisdom

White purity, innocence, timeless, mystical, cleanliness,

virtue

Chinese culture: white is associated with death and mourning, the

unknown and purity.

Purple passionate, smouldering, caring, creativity, royalty,

wealth

Eastern: wealth

India: sorrow, comforting Brazil: death and mourning

Grey neutral, uncommitted, non-involvement,

conservative, moody

Associated with Christianity, prayers and lent.

Eastern cultures: associated with helping attitude and travel

Sepia the past or age

Brown nature, wholesomeness, dependability, blending in Japan: no specific name for brown, refer like fox or tea colour.


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Colour- Warm Blue and Cool Blue

Sea Shepherdwebsite


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Using the 5 components to analyse an

imageParticipants

The girl and the swing

Vectors:

The visible swing vector is the strongest, highlighting thelight-hearted mood of the scene. The Rose vectors arethe lines of her body and recreate the back-forthmovement she is enjoying.

Shapes

The curvedshapes in the image, indicated by yellowlines, denote a female world (which is continued as thestory progresses) and infer the naturalness of

a child playing.

Colour

The intense red-brown colourof the background couldsymbolise the red-brown earth of the Northern Territory.

Symbol

The swing could be represented as a symbolof carefreeplay or relaxation.

Collecting Colour


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Representational and interactive

meanings to analyse an imageParticipantsThe large range of participants in the foregroundand background ofAlexanders outing indicate thesetting clearly.

InteractiveThe interaction is a reaction as it is one-waymother duck reacts to Alexanders inattention.

Vectors three sets of vectorsA long horizontal line marks a strong visible vector ofmovementthe importance of the ducks walking insearch of adventure is evident and reinforced in theforward motion of the ducklings.

A second, invisible vector can be seen in motherducks backward gaze at Alexander, who continuesthe vector with his own turning backward. These

opposing vectors presuppose the trouble that is tocome.

A third set of vectors follow the palm trees to leadthe eye to the background of the image, with moredetails of the setting.

Icon Sydney Harbour Bridge iconic status

Alexanders Outing


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Representational and interactive

meanings to analyse an imageShapes

The accumulation of the curved shapes indicated byred lines, create a dominant natural world of ducks,palm trees, the pond, the sand, the ibis and the whitecockatoo, despite the fact that it is near the centre ofthe biggest Australian city, Sydney. The rectangularbuildings and pylons in the background denote their

human construction, as befits a city, but thecombination of organic curves and robust rectanglesremind us why our Harbour Bridge and Opera Houseare National Heritage listed and known internationallyfor their beauty of form.

Symbols

Symbols of Sydney are represented in the image tolocate the setting visually, as noted above. The greenand gold colours are clearly symbolic: they areAustralias national colours, and variations of the greenand gold are worn as the traditional team colours ofour national sporting teams.

Alexanders Outing


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Components that realise interactive

meanings

Demand and Offer

Social Distance

Angle/Point of View

Modality

Colour

The Arrival


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NSW English K-10 Syllabus

Glossary

Gaze: the directed look of

either a viewer or figure in

an image, includingdemand and offer.


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Interactive: Social distance


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Interactive: Social distanceHow close or distant the participants are from

the viewer. Visual Grammar: the type of shot A long shot denotes an impersonal

public relationship as though theparticipant and the viewer arestrangers.

A medium shot denotes a social

relationship the participant and theviewer can have a conversation, theyare acquainted and friendly.

A close-up shot denotes a personalrelationship with frequent contactwe are family, or best friends.

Extreme close-up denotes a highlyintimate relationship viewers areclosely involved with the participant.

Analyse:

participants/colours/shapes/dem

and and offer/social distance


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Interactive: Angle or point of view

Angle/point of view names the degree ofinvolvement and degree of power the view hasin relation to the participants, which depends onthe angle of the viewer.

Participants are basically placed at differentangles:

At alow viewing angle, with viewers lookingdown on them, participants are perceived ashaving low status/power

At a high angle, with viewers looking up atthem, the participants superiority inknowledge or power/status is signified

At eye level, an equal point of view ismaintained.

What social distance?

What type of shot?

Why?


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What is the effect of the type of

shot?


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Demand and offer? ***

Social distance?

Type of shot?


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Interactive: Modality

Modality names the degree of naturalistic realism in theillustration

High modalityindicates a more natural image,which the viewer is more likely to regard as real.Naturalness is indicated by the degree of coloursaturation and the use of heavy or faint lines,shapes and shading.

Modality works on a continuum from high to lowtypically, strong colour and clear lines construct ahigh level of realism/modality.

Low modality is indicated by pastels and faint lines,which are not perceived as natural or as real. Atthe other end of the continuum, very heavilysaturated colour or extremely thick lines willappear exaggerated and unreal.

AnalyseAlexanders Outing in

terms ofmodality, social

distance and angle.

What are the effects of each?


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Modality What level of modality?

What is the effect?

An ordinary day

*** A l h i i i f d d d


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*** Analyse the interactive in terms of: demand and

offer, modality and colour, angle, social distance.

Representational meanings?

Interactive: demand and offer social distance


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Interactive: demand and offer, social distance,

angle, modality, colour

***Do they all apply? Representational

meanings?

Rose BlancheTheres a sea in my bedroom


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The Arrivalby Shaun Tan

Shaun Tan said:In The Arrival, the absence of anywritten description plants the readermore firmly in the shoes of animmigrant character.

There is no guidance as to how theimages might be interpreted, and wemust ourselves search for meaning andseek familiarity in world where suchthings are scarce or concealed. Wordshave a remarkable pull on our attention,

and how we interpret attendant images.In their absence, an image can invitemore lingering attention from a reader.

** Use the five main components

of representational meaning to

analyse this image. Also interactive

meanings demand and offer etc.

Stage 3: Interpret picture books which do

not contain written text


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The Arrival ***

The reason for migratingAnother migrants reason forleaving his homeland


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Components that realise

compositional meanings

Visual compositionfocuses on theconfiguration of theimage, that is, how the

people, places and things,and relationships theyconvey are placed withinthe image and the

meanings attached tothese positions.(Kress & van Leeuwen, 2006)

Components

1. Information Value

2. Salience

3. Framing


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What does the Syllabus say about

composition?

Stage 2

Identify organisational

patterns and language

features of print andvisual text


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Composition: Information ValueInformation value names the values attributed to the arrangement of the

participants (people, places and things) in the image.

Each set of spaces contains a certain distinct value in the information it represents.

This information value can be applied to all kinds of images factual images, diagrams,

advertisements, television news and digital texts etc.

Set 1

Given is the information placed on the left of a page; it is known, or familiar , or

previously introduced information; the viewer already knows, or is assumed to

know.

New is the information placed on the right of a page; it is unknown previously,

newly introduced, or innovative information; it is the new message to be

attended to.

Set 2

Ideal is the information placed towards the top of a page; this space represents

the ideal or optimum position

Real is the information placed at the bottom of a page; this space represents

reality, the practicalities of the real world, what is.

Set 3

Centre is the information placed in the middle of a page; it is the focus of

attention and the nucleus of the information; it is the strongest, most dominant

position, even if it is an empty space, and its value overrides other components.

Margins is the information placed towards (or on) the edges of a page; it

indicates that the participant is dependent on the Centre focus, or peripheral, or

subservient to what is in the Centre.

Given New


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Information Value: Which sets in

these images? Any other visual

features you can recognise? ***

Shaun Tan: The Arrivaland The Red Tree


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Salience the most attention-grabbing

part of the image

Salience (SyllabusGlossary)

A strategy of emphasis,highlighting what is

important in a text. In images, salience is

created throughstrategies like placement

of an item in theforeground, size andcontrast in tone or colour.

Salience: NSW English K-10Syllabus

Stage 2

Explore the effect ofchoices when framing animage, and salience oncomposition of still and

moving images

l h


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Salience is the most attention-

grabbing part of the image.

Salience is constructed through a number of elements Relative size

Sharpness of focus

High contrast (eg. black/white borders)

Human figures Animated participants

Being in the foreground not the background

Colour the application of saturated colours (next to softercolours) and use of red and/or yellow add Salience.

Information value components (Given/New/Real etc) canbe Salient.

All of these can draw the viewers eye and create Salience.


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Composition: Salience

Composition in CollectingColour(page 1)

The salientcomponent isRose: she grabs attention

in a number of ways. Thecolours are saturated andcontrast to thebackground. The

illustrator has used mostof the elements ofsalience to draw ourattention to her.


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Salience use the elements on the earlier slide

to determine the salience in these images

Wh i h i bbi


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What is the most attention-grabbing

part of the image?


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Composition: Framing

English K-10 Syllabus

Stage 2

Explore the effect of

choices when framing animage, and salienceon

composition of still and

moving images

Syllabus Glossary:

The way in which elements

in a still or moving image are

arranged to create a specific

interpretation of the whole.

Strong framing creates a

sense of enclosure around

elements while a weakframing creates a sense of

openness.


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A frame creates boundaries: theseconnect or separate participants in theillustration, implying they belong, or donot belong together.

Framing can occur within an imageas well as around an image; it canbe heavy or light, or absent

altogether.

Framing does not have to be anactual frame parts in an imagemay form a Frame.

Heavy framing can imply oppression,

containment, individuality and/ordifference.

Light or no framing can implyfreedom, lack of confinement and/orgroup identity.


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The Margins the repeated palm treesform a frame for the participants in theCentrereinforce the participantsimportance to the story.

The lack of framing implies freedom and as she swings unhindered, shecertainly seems so.

C iti F i ***


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Composition: Framing ***

What type of framing? To what effect?

Stage 3: Recognise how the use of

language and visual features can depict

cultural assumptions in texts

F i ***


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Framing***


Framing


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Framing


Other visual features?

Stage 3 recognise

how the use of visual

features can depict

cultural assumptions

in texts


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The three types of Meanings:

representational, interactive and

composition ****

Previous page: In her mind, she sat with her father, playing with the doll he had given her.

This page: He told her stories and poems of long ago. She felt the strength of his arms and

she gazed into his peaceful face.

Stage 3 recognise

how the use of visual

features can depict

cultural assumptions

in texts

C i t t f diff t ti


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Comparing texts- from different timesStage 2: identify and explain language features of texts from earlier times and

compare vocabulary, images, layout and content of contemporary texts.

Suggested Text Stage 2 & 3The Sneetches

Suggested Text Stage 2 & 3The Island

Comparing texts by same illustrator


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Comparing texts by same illustratorStage 3: identify, describe and discuss similarities and differences between texts by

the same illustrator and evaluate characteristics that define an authors individual

style

Anthony BrowneInto the Forest Stage 3 The Tunnel Stage 4

Comparing texts by the same


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Comparing texts by the same

illustrator/authorPiggybook:Suggested Text Stage 3 Gorilla - ??

visual literacy workshop

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