IMPLEMENTATION OF INFOGRAPHICS IN MASTER STUDENTS' PROFESSIONAL EDUCATION

Abstract

In an interactive and visually appealing world, the field of education strives to create visually attractive textbooks and online courses for university students. This is particularly relevant for master's students, as, unlike bachelor's students, they need to have developed analytical skills for research and management activities. Based on the reviewed literature, a lack of a systematic approach to the study of the concept of “infographics” was identified, as well as an insufficient development of models for the application of infographics in the professional education of master's students. Through the study of practical experience, a demand from educators for methodological materials that incorporate infographics was revealed. As a result, there emerges a need to clarify the concept and systematize the types of infographics, as well as models for their implementation in the educational process for preparing master's students. The aim of the research is to identify the possibilities of infographics as a means of visualization in the professional education of master's students. The following tasks were set and resolved: the concept of “infographics” was clarified; the awareness of master's students regarding the types of infographics in education was assessed; the effectiveness of different types of infographics in teaching master's students was analyzed; the perspectives of educators on the use of types of infographics were studied; and various types of infographics were implemented in the teaching process for master's students. The theoretical results of the research include the study of approaches to the concept of “infographics”, the ordering of types of infographics, and the possibilities of their application in the educational process. The empirical research was conducted at South Ural State University. Methods used included the integrative literature review, surveys, interviews, and Cronbach's alpha method. The study involved 33 master's students and 26 educators. The empirical research showed that most master's students are aware of some types of infographics but do not know about their applicability in the educational process. Educators are familiar with the main types of “infographics”, but are not acquainted with the classification of “infographics”, thus, applying limited amount of types. The implementation of various types of infographics in the professional education of master's students demonstrated an increase in interest and students’ motivation, as well as simplifying and making the process of infor-mation perception engaging. The results may be useful for educators in teaching master's students using infographics.