Infographics

The infographic format of this conference replaces the old concept of the poster presentation, where a visual poster is created and brought to the conference and set up in a large room for display. This change is a result of two general goals of the conference: 1) to create more opportunities for engaging the participants in discussions, networking, and idea exchanges as a scheduled and structured part of the conference; and 2) to leverage technology so that both our face to face and virtual participants are engaged and involved in the session.

Therefore, the online infographic is an updated, 21st century relevant alternative to the traditional poster. Presenters who submit a proposal for the infographic format have the option to attend the conference in person or online. Upon acceptance of your infographic submission, you will receive a link to the presenters-only conference registration page with a discount code to receive the early bird rate.

During the conference, a scheduled segment of the program will be dedicated toward structured networking session, though all posters will be viewed through personal devices. An online concurrent session will take place for virtual participants to the conference. Therefore, submitting an infographic requires you to be available during a scheduled time in the program, regardless of face to face or online participation. Accepted infographics submitters will be notified of the time they should be available in person or online.

Infographics are being accepted in three categories. The criteria for each category are listed below.

1) Research Criteria

Research may be preliminary or exploratory, as well as completed studies, and should include the following type of information:

  1. Study Question or Hypothesis
  2. Research Methodology
  3. Brief Literature Review
  4. Results or Tentative Findings
  5. Discussion

2) Project Criteria

Projects may be ongoing, small or large pilots, as well as completed projects. They should include the following information:

  1. Project Purpose
  2. Main Project Goals
  3. Brief Literature Review
  4. Lessons Learned
  5. Future Directions

3) Featured Non-Profit Education Support Community

This infographic is intended to describe some of the most significant support services that a particular non-profit organization offers to the education community. The infographic should include the following information:

  1. Mission and Vision of the community
  2. An educational problem the community attempts to address
  3. Services offered to the education community
  4. Highlights and examples of the most successful partnerships with educators
  5. Current and future projects or partnerships with educators

Infographic Tracks

Rockcliffe University Consortium has ten education standards that target education for the 21st century, and which specify a diverse set of skills and innovative thinking for approaching learning and teaching. In submitting an infographic for RUCC, you will select one of these education standards.

Change is difficult and requires a certain type of resilience and open-mindedness to accept and embrace it. Infographics in this track may share projects, ideas, or research about strategies utilized to help learners adapt to technology and innovation.

Technology is now ubiquitous, and in some ways, essential to learning and teaching. Infographics in this track may share projects, ideas, or research about how the pervasiveness of technology has changed teaching practices.

Digital learning requires a critical level of thinking that allows for being the discerning consumer and curator of information. Infographics in this track may share projects, ideas, or research that build upon the learner’s ability to be reflective and evaluative when making decisions regarding innovative technology and instruction.

The broader context of technology use involves understanding how it impacts society, and how this may establish trends or cultural shifts. Infographics in this track may share projects, ideas, or research that examine the implications of certain innovations in teaching and learning on society and larger cultural contexts.

Often, adopting innovative or disruptive technologies requires paradigm shifts from what we’ve always believed is good pedagogy, to what may be a new one. Infographics in this track may share projects, ideas, or research that consider new paradigms that embrace innovation and disruptive technology in education.

Just because something is new does not mean it is innovative or even necessary. Infographics in this track may share projects, ideas, or research about how to be discerning about new technologies, how to evaluate their potential, and how it may potentially affect the direction that instruction and learning may take.

The main onus of learning in a digital age is the ability to problem solve in, not just critical, but creative ways. Problems, both in learning and societal, have become increasingly more complex as disruptive technologies also become more disruptive to our lives. Infographics in this track may share projects, ideas, or research about how to apply critical and creative thinking to solving problems.

Innovative and disruptive technology may sometimes be feared for real or imagined implications to society and learning. Some may feel threatened in their profession by it, even as it offers value added. Proposals to this track may share projects, ideas, or research which views the potential changes to education in an optimistic and more self-confident manner.

As virtual and augmented reality become more accessible in education, educators must also become thoughtful about their potential use. Infographics in this track may share projects, ideas, or research regarding the best ways to be selective and be creative in the way virtual immersive environments and tools are used for learning and instruction.

A big concern of educators who use digital technologies is assessment of learning, whether the same principles apply from traditional settings and keep the integrity and validity of the evaluation. Infographics in this track may share projects, ideas, or research about how to create assessments and activities for authentic uses of technology, which support formative and summative purposes.

Design Resources

An infographic is organized in a particular manner to showcase information visually. The design decisions are just as important as the information included because text is used minimally. Infographics can be organized in a variety of ways, so that you will make decisions on layout and presentation of information based on your content. However, here are a few resources that may help you with the design aspects:

  1. Great Big List of Infographic Ideas
    This resource is an infographic that lists numerous organizational schemes by type of information to be included.
  2. 7 Essential Rules to Create Infographics
    This resource describes some simple design elements to consider when combining fonts, colors, and layouts.
  3. The Anatomy of an Amazing Infographic
    This resource combines recommendations for both design and content in order to make a strong impression.

Free Design Tools

Infographics can be created with a number of tools readily available online or for download, depending on your level of design knowledge. The easiest ones available for free are Canva and Piktochart. You may also use your favorite tool, if you have one.

Regardless of the tool you select, keep in mind that your final infographic needs to be saved as an image (.png or .jpeg), using a 1×4 aspect ratio (400×1600, 500×2000, 600×2400) which is legible on a mobile device or tablet.

Infographic submissions have now CLOSED. Accepted infographic presentations will be featured at the conference. To see these and other presentations, be sure to register for the conference!

Be in the Future Present.

Submit Your Infographic