Visual signs are everywhere – in everyday interactions, art, digital media, science and education. They communicate meaning through resemblance, cultural patterns or media conventions. How exactly does visual meaning-making work? What concepts help us understand iconic signs? And how can visual languages be used in teaching and learning?

This research blended summer school “Picture this!” explores these questions in a blended format, combining online learning sessions, an on-site week phase in Potsdam that concludes in a two-day research conference for early-career scholars. 
During the first part of the on-site week in Potsdam, students and experts will delve deeper into the topics introduced online. Together, they will develop mini-projects and prepare contributions for the final conference. Thus, students will not only attend but also actively co-organize and shape the conference – moving from audience to contributors.
 

Learning ojectives:

•    Visual literacy in action
•    Protest imagery, street art and urban iconography
•    Emojis, memes & multimodal meaning
•    Critical image reading
•    Teaching concepts using visual language systems