What is productive classroom discourse? Discourse, or talk, is an activity we all participate in. We use speech to explain, ask questions, and provide ideas to each other. “But discourse in the classroom can be quite unlike that in our everyday life–there are unfamiliar words that get used, different kinds of work that need to get done with speech (comparing two science explanations, arguing with evidence, critiquing a model, etc.), and rules for participating that aren’t always clear” (Thompson et al., 2015, p. 1). Most discourse in the classroom is controlled by the teacher who asks a question, one student replies, and the teacher responds to the student’s answer. This method of discourse could be described as lower level thinking. While this method is effective to check for recall of previously learned material, it does not require students to process ideas to expand their understanding or encourage higher level thinking. Productive scientific discourse demands more thinking by the student and may not have a right or wrong answer. Productive scientific discourse enables the student to be an active participant in their learning (Thompson et al., 2015, p. 8). An infographic is one tool that may be used to encourage scientific discourse. Students and teachers may use an infographic to stimulate conversation, expand understanding, interpret information, and use scientific reasoning. An infographic is a graphic representation that presents information in a concise and clear manner (Turner & Hicks, 2017, p. 60). In the world today, most students are looking for a quick way to learn required information. Pouring over wordy textbooks, either print textbooks or online textbooks, is not appealing to students, and they become easily distracted and discouraged. Infographics may use digital and visual media to appeal to students and promote learning and discourse. The Ancient Greeks recognized that speech was one of the most powerful methods of communication (Lawrence, 2022, p. 103). When creating an infographic for the classroom, the fundamental principles of graphic design and digital-visual design should be followed. The infographic should have appealing balance, symmetry, motion, color, direction, form and size. Infographics may be multimodal and contain text, graphics, and video (Lawrence, 2022, Chapter 4). Using the design principles of cohesiveness, consistency and target audience should be followed when creating infographics (Nasir et al., 2023, p. 1114). Canva offers a free and easy platform to create infographics for use in the classroom. Teachers and students who lack training in graphic design can “collaborate with their peers, and receive feedback from instructors or industry professionals to improve their designs and gain a deeper understanding of the branding process” (Nasir et al., 2023, p. 1117). In my opinion, the goal of education is to produce productive citizens that are equipped to enter the workforce. Productive discourse is how professionals engage and solve problems in everyday life (Thompson et al., p. 8). Teachers must create a classroom environment where students feel safe sharing their ideas without being ridiculed or embarrassed. These rules for productive conversations will serve them well in their future careers and relationships. Using infographics in the classroom is a concise and visual way to stimulate student conversations. Using infographics to stimulate discourse will allow students from all cultural, socioeconomic, and linguistic backgrounds to use their voice to participate in productive discourse (Thompson et al., 2015, p. 18).
Lawrence, D. (2022). Digital writing: A guide for writing for social media and the web. Broadview Press.
Thompson, J. J., Windschitl, M., & Braaten, M. L. (2015) A discourse primer for science teachers Ambitious Science Teaching. n.p. https://ambitiousscienceteaching.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/Discourse-Primer.pdf
Nasir, M. N. F., Nasir, N. F., Efferdi, W. M. S., Sharif, F. M. (2023). The importance and challenges of graphic design branding: An overview and discussion. International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, 13(11), 1113-1117. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/375773936_The_Importance_and_Challenges_of_Graphic_Design_Branding_An_Overview_and_Discussion
Turner, K. H. & Hicks, T. (2017). Argument in the real world: Teaching adolescents to read and write digital texts. Heinemann.
