I learnt a lot. I made some mistakes that now I know could have been avoided if I would have had at least some editorial experience that I have now, when the process is over. Nevertheless, I am very proud that we both, i.e. me and my friend and colleague, Rasa Zakeviciute, made it to this point. Editing this (double) special issue of the “Journal of Visual Literacy” was a true adventure. Starting with issues with the Editorial Manager that we tried to solve when we both were on holidays in different countries; including looking for reviewers across academic context (and thus getting to know when they all have holidays); up to hours of editorial meetings along with long evening phone-calls trying to solve disciplinary disagreements between communication studies (me) and social sciences (Rasa) paradigms.
At the same time we experienced a lot of academic freedom in the editing process from Maria Avgerinou, editor-in-chief of the journal. We did not simply put the papers together, but we really worked with each single contributor to make this special issue happen. Thus, we acted both as guest editors as well as reviewers (in addition to the double blind peer-review process). You can enjoy an extensive introduction to this special issue in the Editorial, just being published ahead of print.
In order to read all eleven contributions, we still have to wait before they appear online, but here is the list of what you should look forward to:
- Asko Lehmuskallio. The look as a medium: A conceptual framework and an exercise for teaching visual studies.
- Gary McLeod. Rephotography for Photographers: discussing methodological compromises by post-graduate online learners of photography.
- Terry Loerts and Christina Belcher. Developing visual literacy competencies while learning course content through visual journaling: teacher candidate perspectives.
- Wendy R. Williams. Attending to the Visual Aspects of Visual Storytelling: Using Art and Design Concepts to Interpret and Compose Narratives with Images.
- Jeeyoung Min. Visual literacies in a U.S. undergraduate writing course: A case study of transmediation.
- Suriati Abas. Reading the world – Teaching visual analysis in higher education
- Dana Statton Thompson. Teaching students to critically read digital images: A visual literacy approach using the DIG Method.
- Choon-Lee Chai. Enhancing Visual Literacy of Students through Photo Elicitation.
- Vered Heruti. Reading Personal Photographs: A Case Study at an Israeli Art College on Multiple Identities.
- Gyuzel Gadelshina. Arrian Cornwell and David Spoors. Understanding corruption through freehand drawings: a case study of undergraduate business students’ visual learning in the classroom.
- Rosalina Costa. iPhone, iResearch. Exploring the Use of Smart Phones in the Teaching and Learning of Visual Qualitative Methodologies.
The article presents and evaluates an interdisciplinary model for press photograph story analysis. The research comprised two stages: familiarizing study participants with the interpretation model and qualitative content analysis of the participants’ interpretations of samples of press photograph stories. The study was undertaken in 2011 at the University of Jyväskylä, Department of Communication. The result of this study is that the model for press photograph story analysis could be used in the educational context to develop the skills of visual literacy among students.
Joanna Łucja Kędra 