Research on Visual and Media Literacy

Teaching Photography Skills to Students to Enhance their Understanding of Visual Literacy

Article I: “Photography as a Visual Literacy Tool”

Author: Sandra Liliana Caicedo Barreto

In Photography as a Visual Tool, Sandra Liliana Caicedo Barreto (2006) studied visual literacy processes by doing a photography project with students in Bogota, Columbia. Students read the photographs using visual literacy strategies and wrote about photographs. Through these acts the students communicated their thoughts, beliefs, and emotions. The author used the framework of Wendy Ewald’s literacy through photography study (2002) and Freire’s (1987) concept of literacy as a process for social inclusion. 

Summary of the review of literature

The research provided a framework for the project where photography was used to gain visual literacy skills. Four topics emerged in her literature review: (1) reading and writing, (2) the role of photographs within visual literacy, (3) interpreting the world through reading photographs and, (4) how photographs affect student responses. Freire (1997) states that students gain a broader perspective when they combine what they read with ideas from their surroundings. Knowledge of their environment and sensory experiences reflect on what we read to create a new way of learning that is very powerful. The main framework for the study was taken from Wendy Ewald’s (2002) literacy through photography study (LTP) where hands-on learning through photography focused on four main themes: self-portrait, family, community, and dreams. Caicedo Barreto (2006) slightly altered these themes to fit her project by using self-portrait, family, school, and city.

Analysis of methodology 

This was a qualitative research study conducted with students at a private school in Bogota, Columbia. The ages of the students were not disclosed. Data was collected from folders of students’ artifacts, including writing, photo albums, and other images they drew. A teacher’s reflection journal was also written at the end of every session and included descriptions of what happened in each session. The third artifact collected was audio tapes of recorded discussions (Caicedo Barreto, 2006).

Summary of results

During the photography project, the author saw students being more motivated and paying more attention than usual to their writing because of the inclusion of their photography in the lesson. Students were more self-aware and apt to express their feelings when responding to their photographs through writing and drawing. The author pointed out that language development is a slow process that can be aided by responding to meaningful images through visual literacy instruction (Caicedo Barreto, 2006).

My opinion about the research

The article discussed that the photography project focused on two parts of visual literacy. One aspect was reading and interpreting the world through photographs. The second part was communicating through making images. The article could have been strengthened by including some of the student photography, drawings, and writings instead of just talking about them in general.

What did I learn from the study?

I run a photography club for fifth graders at my school and am always looking for new ideas and ways to teach photography. I like how the author grouped the photography exercises for her students into the categories of self-portrait, family, school, and city. The categories were general enough that any student could relate to them. This gave the students several photo-taking exercises to complete, as well as some drawing and writing prompts that accompanied each photography lesson. I could structure future photography club lessons around the same topics and have students write about their most meaningful photograph.

Article 2: “Developing Visual Literacy: Historical and Manipulated Photography in the Social Studies Classroom”

Authors: Barbara C. Cruz and Cheryl R. Ellerbrock

This article is about how visual literacy was integrated into a high school social studies curriculum using historical photographs that were manipulated. Visual thinking strategies and higher-order thinking skills were used and the content was connected to the Common Core State Standards. Students were presented with photographs to critically analyze and answer questions about (Cruz & Ellerbrock, 2015). One of the Common Core State Standards students met during this study was “to examine and compare multiple sources of information presented in diverse media or formats to evaluate the credibility and accuracy of each source” (CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.9–10.2). Analyzing photography created opportunities for students to use visual literacy skills and think about history in a meaningful way.

The curriculum consisted of seven lessons about manipulated photography. They explored how photographers compose images and document reality and history in photographs. Students also took pictures and shared them with others.

Summary of the review of literature

The photography lessons strengthened students’ visual literacy skills and encouraged them to be creative, critical thinkers, good listeners, and to speak and write descriptively. The authors point to what Long (2008) calls “full circling.” This is when students are presented with a thought provoking visual work, and engage in a discussion about what they view. They talk about ethical conflicts that may be part of the work and create a plan of action about what was learned. The students in this research study found meaning in their discussions by following this template.

Analysis of methodology 

This was a qualitative study of high school students engaging in The Enhanced! exhibition of manipulated photography. Data was collected through discussions with the teacher, participation in a museum-based workshop, observations of students on the guided tour, and observations with students interacting with a featured artist. The study was conducted at the high school, the university’s College of the Arts, the College of Education, and the university’s Institute for Research in Art (Cruz & Ellerbrock, 2015).

Summary of results 

Visual literacy skills were strengthened through The Enhanced! exhibition and curriculum. Students learned to interpret, analyze, and make meaning of images during the study and in their daily lives. Students’ became more aware of historical content and the skills they need to be innovative thinkers.

My opinion about the research

I thought the concept of integrating manipulated photographs into social studies class was a great idea. I especially was interested in the spirit photography that became popular around the Civil War. The photograph of Mary Todd Lincoln (William H. Mumler, 1870) with the ghost of Abraham Lincoln behind her was very powerful. I can see how people at the time believed these images were real, even though they were created with double negatives exposed onto film. Students love learning about scandals and mysteries so this is a great way to get kids engaged with learning about history in a fun way.

One thing that could be improved on in this study is that they did not really present measurable results from their study. I was a little disappointed in the lack of data collection to support their findings in this research article.

What did I learn from the study?

From this study I learned that people in the past were much more gullible in believing that all photographs represented truthful depictions of life and events. Today because so many images can be digitally manipulated, we do not trust the photographic image as much because we know photographs are often changed in Photoshop or created by Artificial Intelligence. There is a thin line between what is real and what is not that is easily and frequently crossed. Students today need to be more wary of images and use visual literacy skills to decode what they see.

Article 3: “Moving toward Visual Literacy: Photography as a Language of Teacher Inquiry”

Authors: Mary Jane Moran & Deborah W. Tegano 

This article discusses the role of photography as a language of teacher inquiry. Moran and Tegano (2005) mention how photography has played a role in the study of human behavior in anthropology, sociology, photojournalism, and media literacy. Then three functional applications of photography in teacher inquiry are talked about: representational, mediational, and epistemological. The representational function of photography is about creating and showing meaning visually. The mediational function of photography links thought to action. The act of taking a photograph links what the photographer thinks is about to happen to what is happening and is actually recorded. The epistemological function of photography is using photographs as a source of new knowledge by studying, reflecting, and assessing them (Moran & Tegano, 2005). Teachers who use photography as a language of inquiry can gain insight into how students learn. Several case study examples were shown.

Summary of the review of literature

Teacher inquiry has become a popular topic in education in the last few decades. Teachers can see how their students learn by using tools such as cameras, audio recorders, videos, field notes, and work samples. Through these investigations, teachers can observe students’ learning and discard non-important information as they hone skills of discernment, judgment, and decision-making (Prosser, 1998).

The Reggio-Lugano Research Collaborative was a research team made up of teachers who spent two years reflecting on photographs of their participant’s early childhood program and determining if the photographs represented their intended Reggio Emilia approach. They “used photographs as a research tool to discover the capacity of visual images to uncover, provoke, and communicate beliefs and practices related to teaching and learning” (Fu, Goldhaber, Tegano, & Stremmel, 2000). This influenced the authors’ research.

Analysis of methodology

This was a qualitative research study involving early childhood and elementary teachers taking photographs of children working on various learning tasks. The teachers looked at the photos later to recall ways that the children were learning. Also the photos were sometimes shown to the children when they were working, for example on a mural, and the children recalled how they did different parts of the mural so they could plan out what to do next (Moran & Tegano, 2005).

Summary of results 

The study confirmed that photography is both a generative and communicative language of inquiry. Examining photographs of young students learning, shows how they understand the world around them, make meaning, and construct knowledge. Photography is a powerful research tool for making observations. 

My opinion about the research 

My main takeaway from this article was that photography can be a powerful tool to record students interacting with the lesson, working in groups, and creating unanticipated learning moments. When teachers use photography in this way they must anticipate the moment of learning just before it happens so they can capture it. This takes a skilled teacher to be able to manage students, lead the lesson, and capture the anticipated moment before it is gone.

What did I learn from the study?

I learned that photography has three functions: representational, mediational, and epistemological. I was very familiar with the representational function of taking a photograph that has meaning and beauty. I have trained myself on the mediational act of timing taking the perfect shot that is imagined in my mind. However, the epistemological function of taking photographs and studying them is not something that I normally practice. I have learned after reading this article that this can be an insightful form of teacher inquiry. 

Overall reflection 

Overall I have learned several new ways to use photography with my students by reading these articles. I can have groups of relatable photography exercises for students in the categories of self-portrait, family, school, and city. I can also show students historical manipulated photographs to spark discussion, and take pictures of students working and creating to study later for reflecting on my own teaching. 

References

Caicedo Barreto, S. L. (2006, September). Photography as a Visual Literacy Tool. Colombian Applied Linguistics Journal (8), 228-242. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/318880097_Photography_as_a_Visual_Literacy_Tool 

Common Core State Standards Initiative. About the Standards. http:// http://www.corestandards.org/about-the-standards/development-process. 

Cruz, B. & Ellerbrock, C. (2015) Developing Visual Literacy: Historical and Manipulated Photography in the Social Studies Classroom, The Social Studies, 106(6), 274-280. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/00377996.2015.1083932

Ewald, W. (September, 2002). I Wanna Take Me a Picture : Teaching Photography and Writing to Children. Detroit.

Freire, P & Macedo, D. (1987). Literacy, reading the word and the world. Bergin & Garvey.

Fu, Victoria R.; Goldhaber, Jeanne; Tegano, Deborah W.; & Stremmel, Andrew. (2000, November). Recasting the Reggio Emilia approach: Defining ourselves through visual images and the multiple voices of collaborative research. Paper presented at the annual conference of the National Association for the Education of Young Children, Atlanta, GA. 

Long, Trisha Wies. “The Full Circling Process: Leaping into the Ethics of History Using Critical Visual Literacy and Arts-Based Activism.” Journal of Adolescent and Adult Literacy 51, no. 1 (2008): 498–508.

Moran, Mary Jane & Tegano, Deborah W. (2005). Moving toward Visual Literacy: Photography as a Language of Teacher Inquiry. Early Childhood Research and Practice, 7(1). https://www.researchgate.net/publication/26444564_Moving_Toward_Visual_Literacy_Photography_as_a_Language_of_Teacher_Inquiry

Mumler, William H. (1870) Mary Todd Lincoln.

Prosser, Jon (Ed.). (1998). Image-based research: A sourcebook for qualitative researchers. New York: RoutledgeFalmer.