Integrating Visual Literacy Training into the Business Curriculum. A Case Study at Dublin Business School

Abstract

Visual literacy, the ability to interpret, analyse and create visual material, is an increasingly crucial skill for today’s graduates. However, this importance has not yet led to its teaching being widely introduced into the third-level curriculum. This study uses a constructivist and social constructivist approach to introduce a visual literacy element to a business curriculum. This took the form of five projects: creation of an album cover, a poster and artefact presentation, a walk along a river to facilitate learning via visual stimulation, abstract art creation through use of image manipulation software and a photography exhibition. Students responded positively to the projects; self-reported improvement in skills and confidence are in line with results of previous studies. Students also noted the ease of use of PowerPoint as an image manipulation tool.