Module 3:Visual Media

Time Table: 5 Hours

Topic Learning Outcome:

a. Design visual materials to enhance attainment of specific lesson objectives

Enabling Activity

Instruction: Color the picture below. Make it visually pleasing to the audience. After coloring the picture,
answer the questions that follow. Submit the picture of your output and your answers to the
official discussion forum of the class.
Question:

1. How did you decide the color combination of the picture above?
2. What is your basis in doing so?

Deepen!

 Visuals – anything like pictures that is used to make something more appealing or easier to
understand.

 Visual Media – refers to images, pictures and graphic organizers that are being used in the
classroom.

 Visual Literacy - is the ability to interpret images.

 Visual literate students should have the following according to Christopherson (1997:173)

o Interpreting skills, understanding and appreciating the meaning of visual messages

o Communicating more effectively through applying the basic principles and concepts of visual
design.
o basic principles and concepts of visual design.
o Using visual thinking to conceptualize solutions to the problems.

• Purposes of Visuals According to Smaldino, 2012

o Provide a concrete referent for ideas
o Make abstract ideas concrete
o Motivate learners
o Direct attention to important points
o Repeat information
o Recall prior learning
o Reduce learning effort

• Categories of Visuals
o Realistic Visuals – visuals that show the actual object or subject under study
 o Mnemonic Visuals – these are patterns, ideas, or associations that help you
remember something. It aids the memory.

o Analogical visuals – visuals that convey a concept or topic by showing something else
and implying similarity.

o
o Organizational Visuals – these visuals show qualitative relationship among the
main points or concepts in textual material. (flowcharts, graphs, maps, schematics and
classification charts)
o Relational Visuals – communicate quantitative relationship.
o Transformational Visuals – visuals illustrate movement or change over time.

o Interpretative Visuals – illustrate theoretical or abstract relationships.

o Decorative visuals – are things added to spice up the message but serve no useful
instructional purposes.

• Basic Elements in Designing Visuals

o Lines
▪ connect two points and can be used to help define shapes, make divisions and
create texture.
▪ It is a one dimensional structure device that attracts attention by moving the eye
around or to a specific area.
▪ It suggests action, direction and movement
➢ Types of Lines
❖ Straight Line – convey a message of stiffness and
rigidity.
 ❖ Horizontal lines – if in low areas, it reminds the viewers of a
horizon, but if it is in the high frame, the viewer feels as the layout
seems heavy. It gives a feeling of stability and rest.
❖ Vertical line – implies strength
❖ Diagonal lines – have a strong, stimulating effect. It strongly imply
movement, action, anddynamism.
❖ Curved lines – give a feeling of motion. It conveys amood of
playfulness, suppleness and movement.

o Shape
▪ Self – contained area. The use of lines, differences in value, color and/or texture
defines an area.
▪ A two-dimensional and can form the outline of objects.
▪ Meaning of shapes
➢ Square – it is considered as sturdy and straightforward because of its
balanced, symmetrical orientation.
➢ Rectangle – the most favored shape of the frame for mediated images.
➢ Circle – endless rhythmic patterns of time, symbolizing eternity without
clear beginnings or endings.
➢ Triangles – the most dynamic and active of shapes. As
energetic objects, they convey direction

o Color
▪ They are used to crate emphasis on important details, differentiate items from the
rest, create depth and help organize information.
▪ They can enhance and enrich your visual design and suggest moods and indicate
movement.
➢ Cool colors – blue, green and violet; these are colors which appears to
recede from the viewers.
➢ Warm colors – red and orange; these colors appear to approach the
viewer
▪ Bergeron (1990) found out that :
➢ Learners recall longer what they see in red
➢ Blue elements receive less of the learner’s attention
➢ Use yellow to highlight important parts or key words in a visual.
o Texture
▪ How a surface feels or is perceived to feel.
▪ It can be used to give emphasis, provide separation or enhance unity.

o Typography
 ▪ Refers to which fonts are chosen, the size to be used, alignment of elements, color
and spacing.

o Form
▪ Applies to all objects in three dimensions.
▪ It also describes their mass and volume.

Principles for Creating a Visual Design

• Unity– is the relationship of elements whether verbal and visual so that it functions together.
• Gestalt – helps users to see the overall design and not as individual elements.
• Space – “when something is placed in it”. It reduces noise, increases readability, and/or create
illusion.
• Hierarchy– shows the difference in terms of significance between items. Font sizes, colors and
placements can determine the hierarchy.
• Balance – creates the perception that there is equal distribution of elements on each side, either
horizontally, vertically or both.
o Informal Balance – is preferred because it is more dynamic and more interesting.
o Asymmetrical balance – arrangements such as the C, S, Z and the like are used frequently
• Contrast – makes some elements stand out
• Scale – specifies the range of sizes. It specifies the size of an item in relation to another item.
• Dominance – focuses on having a single element as the main focus which captures the readers
attention. This is often done through intensifying the color, placing objects in strategic place, using
lines and other characteristics.
• Similarity– refers to creating continuity throughout a design. This occurs when objects look similar
to one another which people perceives as a group or a pattern.
• Arrangement – captures the attention of the viewer and should be directed towards the important
details or concepts.

Guidelines in Designing Visuals

• Information/ Instructional Purposes

o Use visuals whenever possible to illustrate ideas
o Present a single concept in each visual
o Break down complex visuals into simple ones or build them up step-by-step
o Minimize text on each visual; maximum of six words per line and six line per visual

• Graphic/Picture Elements
o Use visuals that are not too abstract or too realistic
o Use scale or common object to indicate size of unfamiliar objects
 o Eliminate distracting backgrounds
o If feeling of depth is important, use another objects to create foreground
o Use the “rule of the thirds”
o Avoid splitting visual exactly in half with a horizontal line
o Use graphs to present data
o Use bold(thick), plain typefaces

• Text/Lettering Elements
o Avoid using many different typefaces on the same visual.
o Use italics, boldface, underlining or color for emphasis
o Use lowercase lettering, adding capitals only when normally required.
o Center title at top of visual
o Use short, concise, meaningful, descriptive titles that contain key words
o Spacing between lines should be 1.5 times word height

• Color
o Use brightest and lightest color to focus attention on important elements
o Use lettering and visuals that contrast with background color.
o Use consistent background colors in a series of visuals.
o Limit the number of colors on a visual

• Layout
o Make visuals as simple as possible; avoid excessive detail.
o Make sure your visual appears balanced
o Use a horizontal format for overhead transparencies and slides
o Use pleasing layout

Non – Projected Visuals

• These are visuals that do not require the use of equipment for projection. These are most widely
used media in many isolated and rural areas around the world. (Heinich, 1993)
• These allow instruction to move from abstract ideas to concrete experiences.

Advantages

o Can be easily required or obtained

o Can be used without electricity
o Appropriate for those with low budget
o Can be used without much artistic ability
o Can be used in different levels of instruction and discipline
o Can be used to stimulate creative expression
Disadvantage

o Can be damaged easily with regular use

o Hard to store
o May be too small for group viewing

Kinds of Non – Projected Visuals

• Real Objects or Realia

o These are concrete objects that are instructional aids most closely associated with the
experiences at Dale’s Cones of Experience, Direct Purposeful Experience (Heinich, 1993)
o It is an ideal media for introducing learners to a new subjects.
o Learners can use all the senses in using this visual
• Model
o It is a three-dimensional representation of a person or thing.
o It may be smaller or larger or the same size as the object it represents.
o It is used to demonstrate something, explain a process or make a topic interesting.
• Mobile
o A three-dimensional materials that are hung independently from the roof using fine threads.
• Still pictures and Graphics
o These are photographic or photograph-like representations of people, places and things.
▪ Advantages
• It can translate abstract ideas into a more realistic format.
• It is readily available in books, magazines, newspapers, catalogs, etc.
• It is easy to use because it does not require any equipment
▪ Limitations
• Some photographs are simply too small for use before a group.
• Still pictures are two – dimensional.

▪ Types of Still Graphics

• Drawings Including Sketches and Diagrams
o Drawings are more complete and realistic.
o Sketches usually involves pencil to create figures or pictures. Stick
figure compositions are sketches. It is typically created as a
preliminary to a drawing
o Diagrams are usually indented to show parts of an object, help
explain processes or how something works or how it is constructed.
• Charts
o “A visual symbol summarizing, comparing or contrasting or performing other helpful services
in explaining subject-matter”
o It is a graphic representations of abstract relationships.
 o It is designed to be shown to a class or group in the course of a lesson
▪ Types of Chart
➢ Organizational Charts – shows the structure or chain of command in an
organization.
➢ Classification charts – this is used chiefly to classify or categorize objects,
events or species.
➢ Time Lines – illustrates the chronological relationships between events.
They are most often used to show the historical events in sequence.
➢ Flowcharts – also called as processcharts,which shows a sequence, a
procedure or a flow of a process. It shows procedures or activities usually
in horizontal manner.
➢ Tabular Charts – these are considered as tables that contain numerical
information or data. The data are presented in columns.

• Graphs
o These are visual representation of numerical data. They also illustrate relationships among
units of the data and trends in the data.
▪ Types of Graphs
➢ Bar Graph – used for comparing similar items in different categories or
groups. It is easy to read and can be used with elementary aged students
➢ Pictorial graphs – are represented by a drawing instead of using numerical
data
➢ Pie graphs – graphs represent a whole where each part represents a
percentage of the whole.
➢ Line graphs – are used in plotting trends that shows increase or decrease
in data over time.
• Posters
o These are visual combinations of images, lines, color and words.
o It is intended to catch the attention of the viewers to communicate a brief message.
o It conveys specific message, teach a particular lesson, or give a general idea.
• Cartoons
o It is the most common and popular visual to learners. These are rough caricatures of real
people, animals and events. Cartoons appeal very well to learners of all ages.
• Maps
o An accurate representation of plane surface in a form of diagram drawn to scale and the
details of boundaries of whole or earth’s surface, continents, countries etc.
▪ Uses of Maps
➢ To show the geographical feature’s on the earth’s surface
➢ To show relationships between places.
▪ Types of Maps
 ➢ Road Map – most commonly used map that is for navigation.
➢ Physical Map – shows the landscapes and features of a particular
area such as lakes, rivers and the seas.
➢ Topographic map – almost the same as physical map but uses
lines to show changes in elevation
➢ Political Map – shows the names and locations of important cities. This is
the kind of map that is usually used by students for reference.
➢ Climate map – shows information such as average number of cloudy
days, temperature ranges and average rain or snowfall. This is used for
weather reports.
➢ Resource map – shows the economic activities or resources that can be
found in the particular area.
➢ Thematic map – shows a theme or topic in a particular area. It usually
shows the average number of cloudy days, temperature ranges, and
average rain or snowfall.

• Field trip
o It is an excursion outside the classroom.
o Its objective is for students to have a firsthand experience and to encounter phenomena that
cannot be brought into the classroom for observation and study.
o In conducting a field trip we much plan, prepare, then implement/conduct and follow up or
feedbacking.
• Black Board
o It is the most common display surface in the classroom. It can be used as a surface to draw
visuals to support verbal communication.
• Multi – Purpose Board
o It is a board that is used for several purposes such as for announcements of special events
or occasions, reminders, things to do and etc.
o It is also called as panel boards.
• Bulletin Board
o It is a surface used for decorative, motivational and instructional purposes. It can hold pins,
thumbtacks, and other sharp fasteners without damage to the board.
▪ Decorative Bulletin Board
➢ It is used to create visual stimulation to the environment
▪ Motivational Bulletin Board
➢ It is used to display the achievement of the students and to reinforce their
effort to do a good job.
▪ Instructional bulletin board
➢ It is used to support instruction. It is used to provide students with key
information or as a means of communication between several different
stakeholders.
 • Felt Board
o These are sheets of felt (or board covered with felt) on which movable displays can be
produced by sticking shapes cut out or backed with felt onto them.
• Magnetic Board
o These are ferromagnetic display boards on which moveable displays can be produced using
materials that are made of (or backed with) magnetic materials, or are fitted with small
magnets.
• Flip Chart
o These are ferromagnetic display boards on which moveable displays can be produced using
materials that are made of (or backed with) magnetic materials, or are fitted with small
magnets.
• Exhibits
o These are displays of various objects and visuals designed to form an integrated whole for
instructional purposes. It can be set up on a table or shelf.
• Diorama
o It is a static display consisting a three-dimensional foreground and a flat background to
create a realistic one.
Projected Visuals
• Projected Visuals – are pictures shown on a screen using a projected device.
• Projected Devices – are the most common sight that you can find in the classroom.
These devices benefit the teachers and the students most so that lectures will be
easier.

o Overhead Projector
▪ It is a projection device tool used to display images onto a screen or wall.
➢ Types of Overhead Projector
❖ Reflective Projector – the light source is located in the head of
the projector. The light shines down onto a reflective stage and
then reflects back into the head of the projector and onto the
screen.
❖ Transmissive Projector – most widely used projector that can be
found in many schools. It is the bulky, largest and heaviest type of
projector.
o Slide Projector
▪ It is a projection device designed to be used with slides.
▪ Slides are small transparencies mounted in sturdy frames which are ideally suited
to magnification and projection.
o Opaque Projector
▪ The first projector used as presentation device.
▪ It is used to project non-transparent materials or printed materials without having to
convert them to another medium.
o Liquid Crystal Display Projector
 ▪ It is the modern equivalent of slide projector and OHP.
▪ It is a type of video projector for displaying video, images or computer data on a
screen or flat surface.
▪ It is also considered as transmissive projector because light passes through the
LCD panels rather than bouncing it away.
o Reflective Projector
▪ A projector that uses mirrors to direct the light in an image
▪ DLP – Digital Light Processing projector
▪ Light Emitting Diode (LED) projector is named for its light source.
o Document Camera
▪ These are projected device that can project objects that are readily available in the
classroom. \

Module 4:Visual Media - Photography

Time Table: 5 Hours

Topic Learning Outcome:

a. Design visual materials through photography to enhance attainment of specific lesson objectives

Enabling Activity

Instruction: Using your smartphones, take two selfies or selcas (self camera). One is a picture of yourself
wearing a teacher’s uniform and the other is your student self. Afterwards, upload it in your
Facebook, Instagram and Twitter Accounts with the hashtag #FutureSelf. Do not forget to
share it to your class’ discussion forum.

Deepen!

Photography

o Selecting a Camera
▪ Choosing a digital camera becomes complex because of many interesting
features that each camera offers.
▪ Understanding your camera is the best way towards taking good photos.
➢ Cellphone and Smartphones
❖ Today’s cellular phones are called smartphones because of its
almost complete features including having a camera.
➢ Point and Shoot Camera
❖ It is also called as the compact camera. This is easy to use because
you only need to point it in the general direction of the subject and
press the button then the camera does the rest.
 ➢ EVIL Cameras
❖ It stands for Electronic Viewfinder with Interchangeable Lenses.
❖ It is also called as the mirrorless cameras.
❖ This is a new hybrid of camera.
❖ It describes the type of camera that exists between Point and Shoot
and DSLR.
➢ DSLR Camera
❖ It always takes amazing photos. They offer so much control and
customization on the photos that you would like to take. It has
interchangeable lenses which allows you to always have the best
lens for a specific exposure.
o Basic Camera
▪ Lens
➢ Is one of the most vital part of a camera
➢ It can be fixed permanently or interchangeable
➢ It can vary in focal length, aperture and other details.
▪ Viewfinder
➢ It will be the main visual source for image-taking.
▪ Body
➢ It is the main portion of the camera and bodies can be a number of different
sizes and shapes
▪ Shutter Release
➢ It is the mechanism that “release” the shutter and therefore enables the
ability to capture the image.
(Watch Camera Basics – Shutter Speed :
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7R9ZTxoTOSk)
▪ Aperture
➢ affects the image’s exposure by changing the diameter of the lens opening,
which controls the amount of light reaching the image sensor.

(Watch Camera Basics – Aperture :

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YojL7UQTVhc)

▪ ISO
 (Watch Camera Basics – ISO : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q8cj9Lj9w-
g)

▪ Image Sensor
➢ It converts the optical image to an electronic signal, which is then sent to
your memory car.
▪ Memory Card
➢ It stores all the image information and they range in size, and speed
capacity.
▪ LCD Screen
➢ It is found on the back of the body and can vary in size.
▪ Flash
➢ It is sometimes be useful to provide a bit of extra light during dim, low light
situations.
▪ User Control
➢ These controls will vary depending on the model and type.
➢ A DSLR will have numerous of controls for auto and manual shooting
along with custom settings.
o Technical Terms Used in Photography
▪ Pixels – it is also called as the picture element. These are tiny squares that
compose digital images. Each square has its own color assigned to it and when you
compile all these squares, it will allow images to appear smooth when viewed at
original size.
▪ Megapixels – it means one million pixels. It is used to describethe maximum
number of pixels found in an image produced by a digital camera.
▪ Zoom - it can either be a digital or optical zoom.
➢ Digital zoom – simply crops the image to a smaller size, the enlarges the
cropped portion to fill the frame again. It result in a significant loss of quality.
➢ Optical zoom – works just like a zoom lens on a film
camera. Image quality stays high throughout.
▪ White balance – one of the most underused settings in digital cameras.
o Other terms
▪ Red eye – the red blot that appears in the eyes of the subject
▪ Metering system – the camera’s automatic system that identifies the aperture and
speed to be used
▪ Macro mode – used in photographing smaller objects especially for the purpose of
enlarging said subjects in the reproduction
▪ Depth of field – the relative sharpness in relation to its distance from its foreground
and background
▪ Shutter speed – the fastness of the opening and closing of the camera’s shutter. Ex:
B, 1, 2, 4, 8, 15, 30, 60, 90, 125, 250, 500, 750, 1000, etc
 ▪ Auto-focus – the camera’s ability to readily adjust to various focusing situations
▪ Telephoto lenses – lenses with distances from 300 mm up
▪ Wide and normal lenses – refer to the appearance of the subjects in relation to the
entirety of the picture. The smaller the mm number, the wider the lens. Thus a 28
mm lens is wider then a 35 mm lens. A 50 mm lens is a normal lens, meaning what
the eyes perceive is also what the camera ‘sees’
▪ Flash – an electronic or battery – powered source of light of any camera. Some have
flashes that simply synchronize with the need of the situation
▪ Tripod – an important gadget used to steady the camera. It is also very important in
the achievement of sharpness and the avoidance of unnecessary blurs
o How to compose Better Pictures
▪ Rule of the Thirds
➢ It means that you should divide up each and every photo you shoot into
nine parts. Then, you should position the most important elements in your
scene along these lines, or at the points where they intersect. Doing so will
add balance and interest in your photo.
▪ Balancing Elements
➢ It means that your main subject off-centre to create a more interesting
photo.
▪ Leading Lines
➢ It will take our eyes along the lines of the photo.
➢ Lines can be straight, diagonal, curvy, zigzag, radial and etc.
▪ Symmetry and Patterns
➢ Use patterns as the theme for your composition. They can make for very
eye-catching compositions. You can break the pattern by including objects
in the scene.
▪ Viewpoint
➢ Viewpoint means taking your photos at a different angles.
➢ You can take from eye level, from high above, from down at ground level,
from side, from back, and so one. This will create interesting result that will
greatly affect the message that it wants to convey.

▪ Background
➢ Subject is not only important in taking photos but the background as well.
To compose your shot, look for a plain and unobtrusive background so that
it doesn’t distract or detract from the subject.
▪ Depth
➢ You can create depth in a photo by including objects in the foreground,
middle ground and background.
➢ Overlapping is a technique to add depth to your photo. This means
deliberately partially obscure one object with another.
 ➢ Emphasize your scene’s depth by including interesting subjects at a varying
distance from the camera.
▪ Framing
➢ Frames are usually, trees, archways, holes and many more that can isolate
your main subject with the rest.
➢ The result is a more focused image which draws your eye naturally to the
main point of interest.
▪ Cropping
➢ It is important because sometimes the main subject is so small that it
becomes lost among its surrounding. By cropping tight around the subject,
you eliminate the background “noise”, so the focus is only on the subject.
▪ Experimentation
➢ Digital photography allows us to experiment with different compositions until
we find the perfect one. Just keep on taking photos until you get the perfect
one that conveys the message that you want.
• Basic Photography is FAST:
o F - Focus
o A - Aperture
o S - Shutter
o T - Think
• Depth of Field
o Shallow – subject is clear and sharp; background is blurred
o Deep – subject is clear and sharp; so with the background
• The higher the ISO / ASA number, the lesser the needed light. Therefore, a 100 ASA film needs
greater light than the 200, 400, 800, or 1600 ASA films.
• Think:
o What do I need to take?
o What do I want to come out (subjects) in pictures?”
o How did I draw attention to the subjects?
o Is the photo simplified?
o Does my photo have definite subject?
o Does my photo focus attention on the subject?
o Does my photo simplify or does it include unnecessary backgrounds?