GRAPHICS

Graphics are visual imageries or designs on some surface, e.g., wall, canvas, screen, paper,
or stone to enlighten, demonstrate or amuse. In contemporary usage, graphics include:
pictorial presentation of data, as in computer-aided design and manufacture, in typesetting
and graphic arts, and inn educational and recreational software.

Graphics include:
Photographs Numbers
Drawings Symbols
Line arts Geometric designs
Graphs Maps
Diagrams Engineering drawings
Typography Other images

Graphics often combine text, illustration and color and has two senses:
1. Photographs or other visual representations in printed publications
2. Drawings and photographs to be the layout of a book

Graphics in technical communication have two-fold goals:

1. To make data stand out on pages
2. To make data support the main purpose of the document

Graphic effects may either be prose or text and supporting graphic materials, i.e., text and
graphics support each other.

Types of Graphic Formats

1. Tables
- They help a learner understand the relationship that may be invisible in prose.
- They allow the writer to focus attention on specific data while retaining a clear
representation of the whole.

2. Graphs and Charts

- They help readers visualize relationship of data and present numerical data
pictorially.

 Graph – is a two-dimensionally field used to plot relationship of interrelated

sets of data
 Charts – illustrate comparisons among several sets of information

3. Photographs, Drawings, and Diagrams

- They use the same key principles but are pictorial rather than numerical.

 Photographs – are the most realistic and dramatic representations of

physical features.
 Drawings – reproduce something that cannot be done in real world. They
can be time consuming and too expensive.
 Diagrams – are symbolic depictions of information according to some
visualization strategies and are well suited to the presentation of ideas.

4. Posters
- Visual combination of lines, colors, and words.
- They are intended to catch and hold attention at least long enough to communicate
a brief message, usually a persuasive one.
GRAPHIC ORGANIZERS

Graphic Organizers utilize visual symbols to convey or to communicate seemingly profound

information, knowledge, concepts, thoughts, or ideas, and relationships between and
among constructs in a manner that these become easy to comprehend or to understand.

A graphic organizer is a visual display that demonstrates relationships between facts,

concepts or ideas. A graphic organizer guides the learner’s thinking as they fill in and build
upon a visual map or diagram. They are also informally used as a term to describe all visual
learning strategies such as concept mapping, webbing, mind mapping, and more.

 Graphic organizers guide learners’ thinking as they fill in and build upon a visual
map or diagram. Graphic organizers are some of the most effective visual learning
strategies for students and are applied across the curriculum to enhance learning
and understanding of subject matter content. In a variety of formats dependent
upon the task, graphic organizers facilitate students’ learning by helping them
identify areas of focus within a broad topic, such as a novel or article. Because they
help the learner make connections and structure thinking, students often turn to
graphic organizers for writing projects.

Forms of Graphic Organizers

1. Relational Organizers
 Storyboard
 Fishbone or the Ishikawa Diagram
 Cause and Effect Web
 Chart
2. Category/Classification Organizers
 Concept Mapping
 KWL Chart
 Mind Map
 Sequence Organizers
 Chain
 Ladder
 Cycle
3. Compare Contrast Organizers
 Dashboard (business)
 Venn Diagram
4. Concept Development Organizers
 Story Web
 Word Web
 Circle Chart
 Flow Chart

Graphic organizers are said to improve student performance in the following areas:

 Retention
Students remember information better and can better recall it with ease.
 Reading Comprehension
Graphic organizers help improve the reading comprehension skills of students
 Student Achievement
Students with and without learning disabilities improve achievement across content
areas and grade levels.
 Thinking and Learning Skills
Student’s critical thinking and higher order thinking are enhanced or honed.
Benefits of Graphic Organizers for Teaching and Learning

Graphic organizers can benefit teaching and learning a lot. They make study interesting and
efficient by showing relationship, visualizing and simplifying ideas, and organizing
information.
 Graphic organizers will help children classify ideas and communicate more
effectively.
 Graphic organizers are designed to facilitate understanding of key concepts by
allowing students to visually identify key points and ideas.
 By using graphic organizers across all subject areas, you will be empowering your
students to master subject-matter faster and more efficiently.
 In addition to helping students organize their thinking and writing process, graphic
organizers can act as instructional tools. Teachers can use graphic organizers to
illustrate a student’s knowledge about a topic or section of text showing areas for
improvement.

Elmore (2014) believes that teaching with images, or graphics is very effective because:
Majority are visual learners; about 65% of the human population is visual learner, Pictures
stick: three million reports that visual aids in the classroom improve learning by 400%,
metaphors can provide language for people and pictures can accelerate understanding.