Integration of infographics in higher education: challenges faced by novice creators

Abstract

In higher education, the popularity of using infographics as teaching and learning tools is increasing. However, their design is a demanding task and the majority of students are inexperienced in creating this form of visual. To help educators integrate tasks of creating infographics more successfully and thus enhance the development of visual literacy in higher education, this study seeks to identify challenges faced by university students while creating infographics for the first time. The study participants were students of Informatics attending the course of Academic and Technical Communication in English. Data sources were their initial drafts of infographics created in small groups during a multi-step project. The results of the content analysis revealed that the most commonly observed challenges were difficulties while applying titles and subtitles, too substantial amount of textual information, inability to put information in a story-like format, inappropriate layout of information, inaccurate spelling, lack of references or absence of their correct attribution and use of unjustified text. Importantly, the study includes lists of attributes and recommendations necessary to design infographics, the appliance of which together with the use of professionally designed templates could result in effective infographics.