Visualizing Data

Below is an activity I have used in our Masters in Educational Technology program at MSU to allow students to visualize data using Infographics.

Visualizing Data Activity

In this project, you will create an infographic to highlight statistical, timeline, process, or geographical-based information. Your goal should be to show your audience “what they should look for among the clutter of detail” (Root-Bernstein, 1999, p. 89)

What is an Infographic? Infographics, types, and examples

How to create an infographic? Tips for designing

Preliminary idea: Here is what you need to provide before you begin designing your infographic.

1. Provide a one sentence description of your infographic. Here are some examples
   • Social Media: The New Face of Disaster
   • How to Save Our Educators: The Teacher Turnover Problem
   • Stimulating STEM: The need for more STEM Education in American Classroom
2. Describe the message your infographic will covey to the audience. Explain how the infographic will showcase the underlying simplicity of a complex idea. How does it allow the audience to “see what looks like the most complicated thing in the world and , in a flash, see the underlying simplicity” of the data (Root-Bernstein & Root-Bernstein, 1999, p. 78).

Resources: Below are some New York Times links on teaching with infographics in the content areas

• Arts
• Science and Health
• Social Studies

Illustrator Tutorials

• Manipulating SVG files – using Maps as an example
• Creating Timeline
• Infographic and Shapes
• Creating Custom Text Path
• Adobe TV Illustrator CC Tutorials
• Adobe TV Illustrator CS6 Tutorials