Running head: EDUCATIONAL REPORT ETEC 5313

Educational Report ETEC 5313 Visual Literacy Nelson B. Brock University of Arkansas

EDUCATIONAL REPORT ETEC 5313 Abstract The final project for ETEC 5313 involved creating a one page, graphic and text visualization of high-dimensional complex data. The goal was to create a compact, accurate, adequate for the purpose, and easy to understand visual of quantitative data. I chose to create a timetable of the history of the NASA space shuttle program. This project involved the use of Photoshop, researching the Internet for accurate information (some misinformation had to be verified from multiple sources), and the implementation of visual literacy design principles and skills learned throughout the course.

EDUCATIONAL REPORT ETEC 5313

Project Description
For this project I chose to create a poster for NASAs Space Shuttle Program. The audience for the poster is the general public. It is specifically for those interested in learning more about the timeline of the shuttle program. When the project was created the last two missions had not flown, but I wanted to create something that would be print ready the day that Atlantis touched down for the final time. By creating this piece in Adobe Photoshop, I was able to edit the information; as launch times were subject to be rescheduled. I updated the timeline when the last shuttle landed. The size of the poster is 11 inches by 17 inches. This size provided enough space to place the information and still be able to read the text. Analysis, Creation, and Evaluation I began this project by analyzing my audience and deciding what information would be necessary to provide an overview of the shuttle program. Since the program was about to wrap up its thirty-year history, I chose to present the information in a graphic timeline form. I found resources to pull from and cross check facts. Once I gathered my information I began creating my design. I started creating with a blank canvas. I wanted an eye-catching photo to capture the audiences attention and to provide a cue as to what the poster was about. The large picture of a shuttle on the launch pad provided that centerpiece. I selected a background color from the photo to extend across the page and used a blending tool to make it one complete background. I created the vertical lines to post the timelines across. I chose to use a brown color extracted from the main shuttle picture as the color for the horizontal bar for each shuttle. I made the horizontal bar for the Enterprise a lighter brown because

EDUCATIONAL REPORT ETEC 5313 it never orbited Earth. I decided to use small photos with text to communicate each

major event across the timeline. I used space at the left of the timeline to place a Facts box to showcase interesting information that would be difficult to place in the timeline. I did not want it to be too busy. I continually evaluated my progress throughout the project and modified my design as new challenges emerged. For example, I chose to place the Challenger and Endeavor horizontal bars in line with each other because one shuttle was the replacement for the other. This also freed up some space to place other details. PAT I adhered to the PAT design framework by being careful of selecting the right elements for my design, organizing the elements in a cohesive simple flow, and integrating the elements together to communicate the information provided by the poster. All four actions of CARP were used extensively in the creation of this poster. I provided contrast by placing white text on the dark horizontal bars, in the poster title, and as information in the lower left bottom (a suggestion by a peer review colleague to include the meaning of STS). Contrast was also achieved with the dark horizontal bars on the light blue background and with the text in the Facts box. It may seem that my alignment may be wanting in some places, but my main concern was the accurate alignment of the timelines with the dates. The events that occurred happened at various times of the program and the seemingly scattered pattern of the photos are merely an attempt to place them accurately within the context of the presentation. Repetition was necessary to tie the timelines of each shuttle together. The title, number of missions, the initial launch dates, ending dates, and photo size were all handled in the same way for

EDUCATIONAL REPORT ETEC 5313 all shuttle timelines. Proximity was the action that took the most time with this project.

Placing the captions next to each picture took special work. Care was taken to try and be consistent throughout the timelines. The tools of PAT were all used in this piece. I used various styles and sizes of fonts to differentiate certain text from others. For example, I used a bold type to emphasize the title at the top of the page. The oval shape framing the small pictures provided a different look. The colors are cool with a hint of excitement provided by the orange that seems to be symmetrically placed on each side of the poster. I used a brush stamp of the earth that I accidently had opened in Photoshop. I said, What the heck. Let me see what this looks like. Without an adjustment of any kind, I touched the canvass creating that background effect. I liked it, so I left it. I thought it provided great depth and a great addition to the context of the poster. More depth effect was created with a duplicate title layer placed under the other but with a darker color. I left enough open space to distinguish between the elements. It was a task to balance the space between the elements placed close to the horizontal bars. I included this visual literacy project in my portfolio because it provided a great example of how I incorporated the principles and skills learned during the ETEC 5313 course. Visual literacy principles I learned during ETEC 5313 included PAT and CARP. PAT stands for Principles, Actions, and Tools. The three fundamental principles that guide the process of visual design are: selection, organization, and integration. There are four actions that are used to change the elements in instructional information that help to convey an idea or concept. Those actions are contrast, alignment, repetition, repetition, and proximity. The tools used for elements of design include: type (typography), shape,

EDUCATIONAL REPORT ETEC 5313 color, depth, and space (Lohr, 2008). The space shuttle program timeline poster that I designed displays appropriate use of print materials to enhance learning and provides evidence of my ability to create visual materials that enhance the learning process.

Program Identification
Standard #2: Development 2.1 Appropriate use of Print Materials to Enhance Learning I believe that this poster can be used to inform people about the thirty-year history of the space shuttle. The careful arrangement of the components of the poster helps guide viewers in learning about the highlights, both triumphs and tragedy, of the missions. This poster can be used in many venues: museums, history classrooms, and for space enthusiasts collections. 2.3 Create Visual Materials that Enhance the Learning Process The work that I put into this poster was intended to enhance the learning process. Instead of just listing the information on an unattractive piece of white paper to use as a handout I created a poster that was visually attractive as well as informative. It was not informative just because of what was said, but how it was said.

Educational Reflection
This project was special to me in that I wrote a report in 1981 during junior high about the beginning of the space shuttle mission and specifically about the shuttle Columbia. I was also directly involved in the search and recovery of the Columbia after it tragically broke up over Texas during reentry in 2003. I do not know if that would

EDUCATIONAL REPORT ETEC 5313 make me a SME (subject matter expert), but creating this poster was like finishing a report that I had started thirty years before. I enjoyed working on this project. I could tell I was conscientious about each detail that went into creating it. By using the principles learned during this course I was better equipped to produce an effective, efficient, and appealing poster that should communicate the story of the space shuttle

program. Photoshop is a valuable application, which allowed me to be more creative and efficient with the use of my time. This course equipped me with many principles and skills that I can implement in my teaching practice. Being visually literate is as important as being able to read plain text. Communicating through various means allows me to be a better teacher.

Reference Lohr, L. (2007). Creating graphics for learning and performance: Lessons in visual literacy (2nd ed.). New Jersey: Prentice Hall.