A Visual Literacy Strategy - Why not? Abstract such as observation, aesthetic awareness, The paper asserts that the National discrimination and critical thinking and Curriculum subjects of 'art and design' and furthermore that they could and should do this 'design and technology' have a fundamental through a common rationale and approach to connection that has not been fully recognised the development of visual literacy. or exploited in primary schools. The two Aims subjects help children to develop important skills of aesthetic awareness, discrimination In this paper I therefore hope to achieve the and critical thinking and that they could do following: this through a common rationale and approach to define and offer a rationale for the to the development of visual literacy. inclusion of visual literacy within the The paper goes on to review the term 'visual primary curriculum literacy'. A new term - 'visual field' is to explore the connections between offered as a way of connecting objects and pedagogic frameworks currently in use to artefacts of both broadly functional and support the development of visual literacy broadly aesthetic natures. Pedagogic skills in design and technology and art frameworks in current use by primary teachers contexts. intended to promote critical discussion are ana lysed with reference to the visual field. It So what is it to be visually literate? is concluded that each framework has a "Young people who are visually literate different emphasis yet each is concerned with have more control over their own work and Senior Lecturer in and therefore connected by the visual field. are better able to understand, enjoy and The paper concludes that a coherent strategy discriminate between images and objects Primary Education, to ensure all children have the opportunity to that appear both in familiar environments Bath Spa University become visually literate should be developed. of the home and neighbourhood, and in College less familiar places such as galleries and museums." Introduction Can you think of two subjects in the primary school that have more in common than 'art In the 1995 orders for art, craft and design we (craft) and design' and 'design and have: technology'? Both are foundation subjects "In order to develop visual literacy, pupils which pupils and teachers enjoy and see as a should be taught about the different ways contrast to 'academic' subjects. 'Making' in which ideas, feelings and meanings are activities are central to each subject, indeed it communicated in visual form." is sometimes difficult to define an activity in DFE 1995 subject terms. Both subjects are struggling to maintain curriculum time in the face of the Visual literacy is a somewhat problematic introduction of new and apparently time term. It is often taken as a shorthand for the consuming 'strategies' in literacy and capacity to 'read' or 'interpret' or to 'find numeracy. meaning in' the visual as opposed to textual world. Yet the analogy would suggest that the "the two subjects facilitate ability to manipulate a visual language to development in children make images and artefacts which communicate meaning or message is also an important, life enhancing skills aspect of visual literacy. Visual literacy will such as observation, aesthetic therefore entail thinking critically about the awareness, discrimination and visual and perhaps making use of the critical thinking" information to inform one's own making activities. You might say that the similarities identified Language has a broadly accepted 'correct' above are simplistic or superficial. I am going usage, whereas a whole set of valid on to argue in this paper that art and design alternatives are possible, and are yet to be and design and technology have a possible in visual communication. Raney fundamental connection that has not been (1999) suggests that: fully recognised or exploited. We see both "Coupling 'visual' with 'literacy' does two subjects battling for their very existence in a things. First, it introduces the metaphor of primary curriculum increasingly dominated by language, provoking debates about the two 'core' subjects. Now is the time to make a value of linguistic metaphors for getting to claim in the strongest terms - that between grips with visual things ... second. them, the two subjects facilitate development 'Literacy' suggests entitlement or in children important, life enhancing skills necessity, and the need to seek out This relates to other things that T have deficiencies and remedy them." seen. p41 There are ways that I can describe and Raney claims that by using the term, status is ways to classifY this. attributed to the visual in a word dominated The artist/designer/maker seemed to have world. these intentions. "[visual literacy] implies that the entire The artist/designer/maker will have been visible world is the purview of visual working under certain constraints or literacy ... art education becomes a influences. subcategory of visual education, art becomes a subcategory of visual culture, The artist/designer/maker has worked in and visual literacy is what is needed to these ways. navigate around it." ibid. p44 These statements relate to the application of knowledge and understanding, of the aesthetic In the same terms take design and technology and functional in order to investigate roles and as contributor to visual education so design intentions. becomes a subcategory of visual culture. This visually literate person would then go on Visual awareness is another term in use. This to say... does not go far enough. To be aware is a passive act, whereas within visual literacy I have a reasoned opinion on this - this is there needs to be an active phase. It involves what I have found out and what T think. also the creation of the artefact. The visual can affect the way I feel - this Neither term is present in the latest versions is how [ have been affected. (QCA 1999) of the National Curriculum for What I have learnt can inform my own art and design or design and technology. The work. fact that a term is absent from these slim, vestigial documents should not be taken as a I could interrogate my own work in some reason for thinking it unimportant. What we similar ways. do find are a number of references in the These statements relate to the application of curriculum documents to important aspects of knowledge and understanding, the affective education such as the need to encourage domain and to critical thinking 'critical reflection', 'evaluation trom a variety of perspectives' and 'exploration of meanings To illustrate this, carry out the following and interpretations'. Puplis should be exercise: 'engaging critically with a rapidly changing Mentally (or actually) choose a sculpture that culture', developing an 'understanding of you know well, and a textile artefact such as aesthetics and function' and 'asking and some clothing you are wearing, and apply to answering questions'. I will not provide you them the statements below. with exact references here - if you can work out for yourself which subjects are the source The above ideas and insights are, I shall of each quote, then my argument for common argue, important, worthwhile and relevant to ground between subjects is perhaps not a the primary school child. Furthermore, there good one. is potential to develop such skills in a number of subject areas, or in a cross-curricular way. Let me clarifY for the reader what I mean by this problematic term. Why should the development of visual literacy be worthy of considerable My usage of 'visual literacy' will encompass all the below. [ would say that a visually curriculum time? literate person, when experiencing something "Young people need to be visually literate that is primarily visual - would be able to say, ... pupils can become visually literate by in response to an artefact or art work: employing visual perception in the solution of a range of practical tasks and through T am curious about this and I can learn regular reference to the work of others ... something from examining this in a Pupils' understanding of the possibilities variety of ways. of visual language and of the variety of forms of expression available is This statement relates to the asking and significantly expanded through the study answering of questions, of evaluating from a of the work of artists, craftworkers and variety of perspectives. designers." DFE 1991 Para 3. 17 Visual Literacy in an art context - looking at Visual literacy in a design and technology a sculpture context - looking at a textile artefact I can examine this sculpture in a number of ways I can examine this textile in a number of ways such as ... such as ... I can learn about the material, the process of I can learn about the material, the process of making, the artisVmaker, myself. making, the designer/maker, myself. I can describe this sculpture in terms of formal I can describe this textile in terms of form, elements, materials and techniques used in its function, materials and techniques used in its creation, similarities with other works I have seen. creation, similarities with other artefacts I have seen. It seems that the maker was concerned with ... It seems that the maker was concerned with ... intended to ... intended to... The maker may have been influenced by others The maker may have been influenced by others working in a similar way and constrained by the working in a similar way and constrained by the limitations of the material. limitations of the material. The sculpture has a certain effect on me - it has The textile has a certain effect on me - it has given rise to these thoughts and feelings. given rise to these thoughts and feelings. I have enjoyed looking at this sculpture and learnt I have enjoyed looking at this textile and learnt something new.