25 Specifying visual imagery

There is compelling evidence that people learn best from a combination of words and pictures (see, for example, Mayer 2005[1]). Including images, diagrams and charts will help explain your thoughts and engage learners.

You’ll know from your own practice that visuals help to illustrate your teaching. The same applies to online courses. At this stage of the process, you can identify existing images that you’d like to use or specify what should be created to support the learning. It doesn’t matter too much about how you communicate your ideas. If you have access to graphic designers at your institution, it is worth asking them to work with you to create the images you need.

As you specify images to support the learning, consider the following:

• If you’ve already identified images that you want to include, ensure that you have permission to use them, providing a citation where necessary. If you don’t have permission, consider sourcing similar images that are in the public domain or have a Creative Commons licence.
• To aid conversations with a graphic designer, consider creating a first draft of a visual asset by adapting an existing image or one based on your own work. The designer can then work with you to further develop your initial ideas.
• Using AI (artificial intelligence) to create images according to your prompts can also be an effective way to help you visualise ideas. Again, these can be a useful starting point that can be refined later.
• Whenever you include an image that aids the learning, you need to include alt (alternative) text for learners who can’t access the materials visually. Consider what your image description will be as you source the material; this is particularly important for complex visuals. Alt text should describe the image in enough detail for it to be understood by those with additional needs.

When you have specified the images you would like to include in your course, a graphic designer can help you create or source images to illustrate the concepts and ideas you want to communicate. They can also help you to ensure that they are fully accessible and ensure compliance with the requirements of the hosting platform.