Multimedia Product:

Piktochart: Good Product

Psychology of Instructional Technology
Critique Paper #3

Elizabeth Conley, Department of General Education, ITT Tech.

Elizabeth Conley, Horry County Schools Technology Instructor, Business Education.

Correspondence concerning this report should be addressed to Elizabeth

Conley, 5720 Herring Gull Circle, North Myrtle Beach SC 29582.

Contact: ewconley@g.coastal.edu

1
Overview of the Product:

Those students who are not gifted as artists or designers but who need to acquire better essential
skills of understanding visual communication can easily use Piktochart. Now is a time when so
much information is being transmitted in non-verbal modes and Piktochart is the app for these
students to use. Understanding through seeing only seems to be an obviously intuitive process
for some learners. However, this method of learning to see and read visual data has already been
proven in practice, in settings ranging from Harlem and onward. Appropriately, Piktochart
makes sense through visual means (Dondis, 1973).

Piktochart can be used in any classroom as infographics in education. It is a tool for creating
these infographics. Infographics are an easy go-to option within a classroom instructional setting
that are more than a PowerPoint set of instructions. Infographics are a perfect tool for every type
of classroom instruction from a traditional unit on history or a creative problem-based calculus in
math. They result in a final presentation of what the students have learned from the use of
repetitive summarization. Piktochart is my favorite easy user friendly tool for making these
presentations.

The features it provides are

1.) Functional innovation: Drag-and-drop capabilities. They are easy to use with limited
frustrations over complicated design, and affordable rates. Piktocharts editor capability
gives you a multitude of designing and presenting choices.
2.) Design flexibility: 600 plus - pre-
designed templates with selection
choices ranging from infographics,
banner, report, and presentation style
formats. Finding a template choice is a
user-friendly process for all students.

This seamless technology integration and the

ability of transferred files within a design
allows students the use as a guide for their
classroom assignment and has become a critical
source for teachers using instructional technology appropriately within the classroom (Assessing,
2017). Infographics are easy for students or teachers to upload on blogs and websites and can be
shared in the classroom website or on social media accounts like Twitter and Facebook. There
are endless ways of presenting new material in a clear, concise presentation style so that
important relevant information is getting positive attention by students. Everyone wins when the
educational environment sees this learning that is taking place!

Analyze

Infographics are those pictures we see that summarize complex topics of information in short
phrases, stats, text or icons. They are a type of slideshow presentation that show all information
using graphics at once. Piktochart does not have the benefit of audio, therefore it must

2
completely and concisely present messages in graphic formations clearly. It is best for a
PowerPoint type of presentation in a more contemporary format. Infographics speak for itself
while relaying a message, showing all the relevant information concisely at the same time. It is
perfect for any final product that has to summarize facts, provide evidence, persuade or teach
learners about something new. If new information presented consist of interesting data,
Piktochart could display charts and graphs to relay this material in a factual style format for
quick comparisons.

The technology tools needed for students to utilize Piktochart are access to any Chromebook,
computer, or iPad. Students can then open the Piktochart app and log in on this site and choose
the Sign in with Google option to get started. By using Piktochart, they can upload Icons and
images from a library of over 4000 beautifully designed choices; Charts and Maps: import data
in style from a Microsoft Excel file or a Google spreadsheet; Ready-to-use Graphics: Editable,
ready-made text frames and photo frames that combine your text with visuals and photos; and
High-res Download capability of JPEG, PNG or PDF files.

Purpose

Piktochart is useful for students about topics they

are interested in as well as new material and are
excellent form of presentation media. The
presentations are easy to share with any social
media community through Facebook pages or
websites. Students can even create a blog or
utilize classroom website where these then are a
logical way to add new information to it.

Research has shown support where students build deeper knowledge and a thorough
understanding through visual learning. Infographics represent this visual through an evolution of
form of literacy. In educational settings, infographics then serve as a form of language. Most
importantly, infographics can motivate students who are typically more reluctant to engage with
complex introduction of new information. Finally, when students are asked to create products
that show their learning, they have acquired a powerful medium in infographics that builds their
confidence. The students writing, and grammar are abundantly displayed in both the written text
and the illustrated image. Multiple perspectives are encouraged, and the variety of mediums used
to present information such as text, charts, icons, etc. are allowed for frequent and varied
analysis.

The Piktochart app is like comparing infographics to an outstanding written essay. The best
visuals are about quality of design, not the quantity of elements. Students can then get excited
about colorful graphics and creativity in assignments. For learning, the message must remain
clear and powerful. Effective teachers that can deliver a powerful story will allow the students
imagination to soar with new ideas. Though most infographics can be deceiving and appear
simple, they build in complexity as the presentation devvelops. Like the writing process, a solid
outline evolves into a better draft that we continue to polish into a complete essay.

3
The Computer Applications course is designed to teach word processing applications, document
skills, publishing, formatting, printing final copy and an introduction to spreadsheets along with
database applications. Learning the use of technology tools incorporated into the classroom for
middle or high school students to enhance the student learning is the goal (Profis, 2012). The
technologies in the five categories can all be utilized in Piktochart as a domain for educators to
enhance their current material used within the lesson plans and assignments. This particular
course utilizes student compatibility and adaptability in demonstrating online effectiveness while
learning to complete research and practice their writing skills.

Audience/Grade Level

Secondary teachers use Piktochart in educational settings as a tool successfully during their
assignments as participation within the classroom setting and for classroom participation
management (Clark & Paivio, 1991). Student presentations allow other students to read, edit, and
comment on new material thus teaching collaboration and learning through participation. This is
extremely useful in this situation for classes that are collaborating on an assignment for teachers
to ensure exactly which students are the accurate owners of the files.

In education, infographics often appear in textbooks as just a form of organizing material.

Educators seem to not always seize the opportunities to introduce new technology as a tool for
deeper understanding through fear of the reluctance of students. Educators in technology are
supposed to teach students not only the tools available but also to analyze the messages being
relayed by the many types of media, and infographics. The use of infographics requires learned
skills for decoding imagery that is necessary in forming a presentation in Piktochart. As a result,
if a student has frequent encounters using infographics with assignments in education, they will
learn an essential skill that can help lead to them to greater success in the future.

Technology tools incorporated into the classroom to enhance the student learning is greatly
reinforced with aps such as Piktochart. The technologies are presented in five categories: as an
information resource, as an interactive learning tool, as a communication tool, as a production
tool, as a tool for instruction and interaction in the classroom. Piktochart utilizes student
compatibility and adaptability in demonstrating TECHNOLOGY RESEARCH TOOLS through
the use of presentation

Another audience might be business analysts or marketing groups in advertising. Also,

Journalists frequently use infographics because they are creative visualizers presenting a wealth
of information in an editorial style format and value the benefit of the enhanced material.
Infographics are being used more often and in more places in the work force not just in
education, like business and broadcasting.

Format & Multimedia Principles Applied:

The format of Piktochart infographics should:

Emphasize text in brief, clear and formatted way that enhances material being presented.

4
 Imagery displayed should have a consistent style throughout, while each technique (text
or graphic) clearly supports a main idea.
Graphs should use the graph tools in Piktochart.
It should show evidence of careful planning and all ideas should be clear
All images and facts should be cited properly
Once format it composed into a presentation, students should submit it directly to the educator,
or either through Google Drive, Google Classroom or posted on a website or blog. Educators
should be clear with expectations for content as well as to site a rubric for grading criteria to be
considered.

Piktochart offers functions to avoid confusion for students switching from one app to another
while learning features. The less distraction allows students the ability to focus and less
redundancy with the computer equipment avoiding the cognitive load effects (Mayer, 2015).
This allows students to learn the features of both apps simultaneously during instruction.

The Multimedia principle using Piktochart encompasses the Dual Coding Theory in many
formats. It is evident to educators of the successful learning with students in familiar conditions
and activities. (Clark & Paivio, 1991). Specific verbal and non-verbal representations of the
imagery theory are being applied utilizing words and graphics that are more conducive to
learning through familiarity. This theory is based on the idea that students learn better when they
engage in relevant classroom material during the lesson while they are mentally organizing and
then storing the material with their existing knowledge. It involves the ability to use spatial
formatting that is pictorial in nature and place on page format combined with text to reduce
extraneous load of understanding. This theory also shows that students engage in a less
successful learning experience without both text and graphics that are confusing because they are
not connecting what they have read with new or prior knowledge (Driscol, 2005). This ability
for teachers to present infographics that can be anything from pictures, to animation, or video
that correspond to the lesson help reduce any overload the students might be experiencing while
trying to logic through the new material they are introduced with. The Educator forming the page
creates infographics associated and relevant to the words defining to the material during the
classroom presentation. This is the educators ability to use a page for what something looks like
and not having to think about specific meanings and further explains the DCT beliefs of teacher-
student behavior patterns (Petty, 2015). Six other different types of graphics used to enhance the
lesson according to Mayer, 2015, that can be used easily on Piktochart pages are decorative,
representational, relational, organizational, transformational, and interpretive and are explained
below:
Decorative Infographics depict images that decorate the page without enhancing the
lesson can be a distraction to learners yet possibly able to catch the learners eye
Representational infographics portray images such as a photo along with a caption
explaining the photo and offer additional information the learner can understand or relate
Relational infographics portray two or more variables such as graphs or charts in a visual
format.
Organizational infographics depict the relationships among elements in a hierarchy of
understanding.

5
 Transformational infographics depict changes in time and space possibly how it changes
with use.
Interpretive-Visuals make intangible objects visible and concrete when student is not able
to understand concept.

While utilizing the Information Processing Theory, the two main channels that students use to
process the above information is the auditory and visual channel. Students are able to process
sounds while they use these visual images once they see it on the page. This is using the one of
the three main subcomponents of sensory memory alongside of the working and long-term
memory capabilities (Mayer, 2015). By combining these two channels, learning will be more in
depth and retain in the students memory longer as a repetitive re-enforcement of the lesson
presented by the teacher and enables them to recall the information (Driscoll, 2005). Less
overload and limitations are formed by the use of many visuals or a lot of text if using both
channels. Students are then able to balance between the two enabling them to always relate so
they are not confused during the learning process. They are also able to recall information with
greater ease with this framework of understanding established. This assignment using piktochart
is designed to sharpen any students critical thinking skills in evaluating multimedia products
while learning computer skills.

Re-Design Possibilities:

Piktochart is not for everyone . despite its obvious advantages. Some possible challenges with
Piktochart assignments are the difficulty to get students encouraged to use images that are free
and already uploaded for reuse such as basic clip art files. It is also not user friendly
encouraging students to cite their sources. Possibly an automatic link that credits the image
source would educate students more on the need to credit the reuse capabilities regardless of use.

Another improvement would be the use of editing. Currently the cropping of your images need to
be done in the computers' own photo viewing program before uploading your personal image.
An easy alternative to these needs to be in a masking tool used to crop an image in any solid
shape within Piktochart app itself.

Since Piktochart is so similar to PowerPoint in presentation style, students might wonder why
they cannot use those tools associated with Microsoft PowerPoint. This is a great opportunity to
highlight the advantages and appropriate use of infographics over Microsoft products. Piktochart
also has the Presentation mode capability. With the click and selection of only one tab, students
can then share their infographics with the class in a slideshow format as well. This ability for
collaborating could be re-designed so that it can be used within educational tools such as
GOOGLE CLASSROOM for collaboration efforts in learning.

Summary

The importance of infographics in literacy education continues to be critical. Literacy is more

than just reading and writing as we have long learned. Literate people can infer meaning,
communicate with others, and capture ideas in many different ways and now so can technology

6
in literacy. With infographics, educators can broaden students visual literacy in writing and
creativity. Visual literacy structure and practice of conveying and enhancing information
through primarily pictorial representations has become the unqiue way of learning according to
Donis A. Dondis, 1973.

Infographics play this key role in visual literacy. An infographic is a visualization that uses
words and pictures to make a point or tell a story. Through graphs, charts, and tables, the creator
exhibits evidence for analysis, and the analysis process can lead to deeper thinking and richer
engagement.

Educators using infographics will remain ahead of the curve in technology when it comes to
teaching media and design instruction practices and techniques using Piktochart. The interfaces
of technology are expanding visually, and educators need to use these techniques for continued
improvements. Graphic designers and artists have a vast knowledge of illustration, but any
student can now incorporate complex infographics using apps such as Piktochart in the pre-
kindergarten to 12th grade curriculum that will help all learners grow.

In todays educational environments, students are exposed to new literacies through hyperlinking
and multimedia design. Infographics have enhanced our ability of understanding of complex data
and illustration of narratives in a dynamic fashion. We may not all be great designers, but now
we can be exceptionally literate learners.

7
 References

Clark & Paivio, (1991). Dual Coding Theory and Education. Educational Psychology Review,

3, 149-210.

Donis A. Dondis, A Primer of Visual Literacy. June 1973. Edition. New York. Pearson. pp 206.

Driscoll, M. (2005) Psychology of Learning for Instruction (3rd ed.) (pp 91-110). Boston, MA :

Allyn and Bacon.

Lever-Duffy, Judy and McDonald, Jean. Teaching & Learning with Technology. (2015) 5th

Edition. New York. Pearson. pp 304.

Mayer, R. E. (2014) Introduction to Multimedia Learning. In R. E. Mayer (Ed.), The Cambridge

Handbook of Multimedia Learning. (pp. 1-882). New York: Cambridge.

Petty, Bethany. Three Classroom Tools to Measure Student Learning. Edutopia. September, 7,

2015. http://www.edutopia.org/blog/classroom-tools-measure-student-learning-bethany-

petty.

Profis, Sharon. CNET Review : Your Complete Guide to Google Drive. April 25, 2012.

https://www.cnet.com/how-to/your-complete-guide-to-google-drive/TechTeam.

Schraw, Gregory & Matthew McCrudden. Information Processing Theory. Jul 12, 2013.

www.Education.com