Maps capture the power of place. A well-designed map can stoke our imagination, helping us to understand how a place looks or feels. Maps serve two roles. First, maps facilitate visual communication where knowns are presented to map readers. Second, maps permit visual thinking where insights into patterns and trends in spatial data are explored. In GEOG 486, Cartography & Visualization, you will learn and apply cartographic theory creating appropriately designed maps. You will learn how to associate the visual variables to symbolize types of spatial data. This process creates an appropriate visual hierarchy that conveys an informational hierarchy about the underlying message. Thus, techniques in map design will be applied to produce, evaluate, and critique reference and thematic maps.

Are you a teacher, trainer or mentor involved in distance learning and digital learning processes? Are you looking for tools that allow you to create digital content easily and effectively? How can you connect with colleagues and students in your organization? How to organize and structure training effectively and actively involve your students in the learning process?Do you need to monitor learning progress and provide feedback digitally? The ECHOES Toolkit is designed to support the implementation of online training interventions within Vocational Education and Training (VET) systems.

Learn tips for visual communication!

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This course concentrates on close analysis and criticism of a wide range of films, from the early silent period, classic Hollywood genres including musicals, thrillers and westerns, and European and Japanese art cinema. It explores the work of Griffith, Chaplin, Keaton, Capra, Hawks, Hitchcock, Altman, Renoir, DeSica, and Kurosawa. Through comparative reading of films from different eras and countries, students develop the skills to turn their in-depth analyses into interpretations and explore theoretical issues related to spectatorship.

Students' eyes are opened to the value of creative, expressive and succinct visual presentation of data, findings and concepts. Student pairs design, redesign and perform simple experiments to test the differences in thermal conductivity (heat flow) through different media (foil and thin steel). Then students create visual diagrams of their findings that can be understood by anyone with little background on the subject, applying their newly learned art vocabulary and concepts to clearly communicate their results. The principles of visual design include contrast, alignment, repetition and proximity; the elements of visual design include an awareness of the use of lines, color, texture, shape, size, value and space. If students already have data available from other experiments, have them jump right into the diagram creation and critique portions of the activity.

Students learn the value of writing and art in science and engineering. They acquire vocabulary that is appropriate for explaining visual art and learn about visual design principles (contrast, alignment, repetition and proximity) and elements (lines, color, texture, shape, size, value and space) that are helpful when making visual aids. A PowerPoint(TM) presentation heightens students' awareness of the connection between art and engineering in order to improve the presentation of results, findings, concepts, information and prototype designs. Students also learn about the science and engineering research funding process that relies on effective proposal presentations, as well as some thermal conductivity / heat flow basics including the real-world example of a heat sink which prepares them for the associated activity in which they focus on creating diagrams to communicate their own collected experimental data.

To eliminate disposable assignments, students will produce a classroom zine together for use in future classes. Future classes will build upon previous students’ work by adding to it, remixing it, or reusing it.

This course is an introduction to principles and techniques of visual communication, and provides opportunities for science and engineering majors to acquire practical skills in the visual computer arts, in a studio environment. Students will learn how to create graphics for print and web, animations, and interactive media, and how to use these techniques to effectively communicate scientific and engineering concepts for learning and teaching. This class involves three hands-on creative projects, which will be presented in class.