3.4: Introduction to Graphic Authoring and Editing Software
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\(\newcommand{\avec}{\mathbf a}\) \(\newcommand{\bvec}{\mathbf b}\) \(\newcommand{\cvec}{\mathbf c}\) \(\newcommand{\dvec}{\mathbf d}\) \(\newcommand{\dtil}{\widetilde{\mathbf d}}\) \(\newcommand{\evec}{\mathbf e}\) \(\newcommand{\fvec}{\mathbf f}\) \(\newcommand{\nvec}{\mathbf n}\) \(\newcommand{\pvec}{\mathbf p}\) \(\newcommand{\qvec}{\mathbf q}\) \(\newcommand{\svec}{\mathbf s}\) \(\newcommand{\tvec}{\mathbf t}\) \(\newcommand{\uvec}{\mathbf u}\) \(\newcommand{\vvec}{\mathbf v}\) \(\newcommand{\wvec}{\mathbf w}\) \(\newcommand{\xvec}{\mathbf x}\) \(\newcommand{\yvec}{\mathbf y}\) \(\newcommand{\zvec}{\mathbf z}\) \(\newcommand{\rvec}{\mathbf r}\) \(\newcommand{\mvec}{\mathbf m}\) \(\newcommand{\zerovec}{\mathbf 0}\) \(\newcommand{\onevec}{\mathbf 1}\) \(\newcommand{\real}{\mathbb R}\) \(\newcommand{\twovec}[2]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\ctwovec}[2]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\threevec}[3]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cthreevec}[3]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\fourvec}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cfourvec}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\fivevec}[5]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \\ #5 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cfivevec}[5]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \\ #5 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\mattwo}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{rr}#1 \amp #2 \\ #3 \amp #4 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\laspan}[1]{\text{Span}\{#1\}}\) \(\newcommand{\bcal}{\cal B}\) \(\newcommand{\ccal}{\cal C}\) \(\newcommand{\scal}{\cal S}\) \(\newcommand{\wcal}{\cal W}\) \(\newcommand{\ecal}{\cal E}\) \(\newcommand{\coords}[2]{\left\{#1\right\}_{#2}}\) \(\newcommand{\gray}[1]{\color{gray}{#1}}\) \(\newcommand{\lgray}[1]{\color{lightgray}{#1}}\) \(\newcommand{\rank}{\operatorname{rank}}\) \(\newcommand{\row}{\text{Row}}\) \(\newcommand{\col}{\text{Col}}\) \(\renewcommand{\row}{\text{Row}}\) \(\newcommand{\nul}{\text{Nul}}\) \(\newcommand{\var}{\text{Var}}\) \(\newcommand{\corr}{\text{corr}}\) \(\newcommand{\len}[1]{\left|#1\right|}\) \(\newcommand{\bbar}{\overline{\bvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\bhat}{\widehat{\bvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\bperp}{\bvec^\perp}\) \(\newcommand{\xhat}{\widehat{\xvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\vhat}{\widehat{\vvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\uhat}{\widehat{\uvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\what}{\widehat{\wvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\Sighat}{\widehat{\Sigma}}\) \(\newcommand{\lt}{<}\) \(\newcommand{\gt}{>}\) \(\newcommand{\amp}{&}\) \(\definecolor{fillinmathshade}{gray}{0.9}\)- Explore graphic authoring and editing software.
Graphic authoring and design software provide powerful tools for creating and editing images, illustrations, layouts, and more. In this, and the next section, we will look at some common tools and how they can be utilized in educational contexts.
Overview of Graphic Software
Graphic software refers to computer programs and applications that allow users to create, edit, and manipulate visual graphics such as drawings, diagrams, photographs, illustrations, animations, logos, fonts, layouts, and more. Graphic software provides tools to produce and alter digital images and designs.
Graphic authoring tools are features within graphic software that enable the creation and editing of visual graphics. Common graphic authoring tool categories include:
- Drawing tools - Lets you draw original illustrations, shapes, lines, and anything imaginable with virtual pens, pencils, and paintbrushes.
- Image editing tools - Allows you to modify existing digital photos and images by cropping, resizing, adjusting color, adding effects, and layering elements.
- Typography tools - Helps you to arrange and style text, fonts, sizes, and layouts of words and letters.
- Compositing tools - Enables you to be able to combine different visual pieces like shapes, images, graphics, and text together into one finished product.
- Animation tools - Provides you the ability to make graphics move, take action, and become interactive using frames, timelines, and coding.
- Templates - Premade graphic files and layouts you can customize yourself to kickstart projects.
In the next section, we will discuss some common tools that allow you to create or edit your own visuals and graphics.
Educational Applications
Graphic design software has a vast array of educational applications for enhancing student learning experiences. (One thing to note - with the integration of AI in most tools, each of these examples can be created with the assistance of AI. It just takes a bit of practice to master the prompts!) Following are some examples of how you might use some of these tools in your own teaching and learning:
- Design visually engaging study aids like diagrams, charts, posters, flashcards, and infographics to reinforce lessons. You can use visuals to help simplify complex informational topics.
- Create illustrated guides, manuals, and handouts to teach processes, procedures, timelines, cycles, and sequences using visual steps and graphics.
- Produce marketing and promotional materials for classrooms, schools, programs, and events using eye-catching graphic designs for websites, emails, brochures, flyers, and social media posts.
- Craft interactive digital lessons and learning activities with embedded imagery, graphics, and visual elements to help boost engagement and interest.
- Let students to make their own illustrations, artwork, designs, floor plans, prototypes, and 3D models to facilitate hands-on learning.
- Edit and enhance photos to use in lessons to provide real-world examples, showcase student work, document learning, and create customized avatars. [Note: if you are using other's photos, be sure that you are complying with copyright laws.]
- Make concept maps that organize and connect key vocabulary terms and ideas using lines, shapes, text, and visual cues for memory retention.
- Develop educational animations or videos incorporating graphics, text, narration, and visual effects to explain processes and procedures dynamically.
- Print classroom signage, bulletin boards, nameplates, labels, and decorations to motivate students and decorate spaces.
- Allow students to design avatars representing themselves, characters, or anything they imagine. Empowering your students to actively use graphic tools themselves promotes creativity, critical thinking, and visual literacy skills valuable for success in this digital age.
Benefits for Instruction
There are many benefits of using visuals and graphics to support teaching and learning! Some ideas to consider:
- Boost engagement and comprehension: High-quality visuals that boost student engagement and comprehension. Graphics are processed 60,000 times faster in the brain compared to text, allowing faster information processing and improved memory recall (Vanichvasin, 2020).
- Simplify complex topics: Enhance explanations and slide presentations with custom diagrams, info-graphics, illustrations, animations, concept maps, and other visual elements that represent relationships and clarify complex topics.
- Reinforce learning: Create visually appealing posters, signs, and displays around the classroom that reinforce learning through visual cues and celebration of student work.
- Meet diverse learning needs: Modify existing graphics found online to better suit educational needs. Customize visual content by adding or removing elements, changing colors, and integrating explanatory text.
- Make abstract concepts more concrete: Develop original visual analogies, models, and representations aligned with curriculum standards. Visuals make abstract concepts more concrete.
Keep it Relevant: Using pictures and graphs that relate to what students are learning can help them understand and remember better. When students see things shown visually along with the content, it causes their brains to process in a visual way. Seeing things helps the brain do things like notice patterns, understand what is seen, and handle information. For instance, a timeline that shows history events in order can help a student recall what happened and grasp how one event led to another over time. Pictures and visuals make the content more clear, easier to process, and stick in the brain better.
Here are some programs and tools to try out. Each of these has a free version (there are many, many more - a quick online search will provide you will more options).
- Canva
- Microsoft Sway
- Thinglink
- DALL E 3 can also be accessed and using with Bing
- Adobe Firefly
- Google Gemini
Vanichvasin, P. (2020). Effects of visual communication on memory enhancement of Thai undergraduate students, Kasetsart University. Higher Education Studies, 11(1), 34.