Infographics: Visual Storytelling

Just what exactly is an infographic? According to visual journalist, educator, and author, Alberto Cairo, "an infographic is basically visual representation of evidence, a visual representation of information of many different kinds of information" (Malamed, C., 2021). Infographics allow the human brain to extract patterns and make better sense of data through the use of a well created visual. And as Diana Laufenberg, a public school social studies teacher, shares "Infographics work in the classroom because they grab students an allow an entry point to learning--and because they sum up pages and pages, even chapters of information that would take a reader hours to process" (Schulten, K., 2010). Infographics are a great source of gathering data and information through visual storytelling and we should not only provide students with infographics but allow them the opportunity to learn how to create their very own. The following webapps are great sources for creating infographics.

Easelly (https://www.easel.ly/)

Easelly provides some free templates, however several of the available options are locked unless you upgrade your free account. However, one of the pros of Easelly is the flexible and affordable pricing options available: Student Plan ($2/a month), Individual Plan for personal/teacher/nonprofits ($4/a month). and the Business Plan ($5/a month). Easelly also provides a free download of a guide titled, Infographics in your Classroom, however I was unable to download it with a free account. Easelly was simple and the site lacked direction, making it difficult to navigate. 

Piktochart (https://piktochart.com/)

Piktochart provides a number of free templates when you sign up for a free account from infographics, presentations, posters, and even video creation. However, with a free account there are some limitations on graphics, downloads, and some advanced features. Piktochart also offers several resources such as webinars, video tutorials, an inspiration gallery with several beautiful user created products, and even a podcast. There are also different pricing options available: Education Pro Plan ($39.99 per member/year), Nonprofit Pro Plan ($60 per member/year), and an Individual & Business Pro Plan ($14 per member, per month). Piktochart was easy to navigate and very user friendly. 

Infogram (https://infogram.com/)

Infogram provides several free templates when you sign up for a free account. One really great feature about Infogram is that you can create animated infographics using GIF's and include videos as well. This is a great way to add to any design and make it visually appealing. There are also different plans available, however the plans are on the pricier side: Pro Plan ($25/month), Business Plan ($79/month), and Team Plan ($179/month). Infogram was easy to navigate and was user friendly as well but did have limitations due to the free account.

Ultimately, I found Piktochart to be the most user friendly, and even with a free account I was still able to access a number of free templates and content. I used Piktochart to create the following infographic about Teen Life on Social Media in 2022 using data from the Pew Research Center.

Sources:

Anderson, M., Vogels, E. A., Perrin, A., & Rainie, L. (2022, November 17). Connection, creativity and drama: Teen life on social media in 2022. Pew Research Center: Internet, Science & Tech. Retrieved February 26, 2023, from https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2022/11/16/connection-creativity-and-drama-teen-life-on-social-media-in-2022/

Malamed, C. (2021, November 27). ELC 010: How to design real (not fake) information graphics. The eLearning Coach. Retrieved February 26, 2023, from https://theelearningcoach.com/podcasts/10/

Schulten, K. (2010, August 27). Teaching with infographics | A student project model. The New York Times. Retrieved February 26, 2023, from https://archive.nytimes.com/learning.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/08/27/teaching-with-infographics-a-student-project-model/