The Importance of Infographics in Mathematics & Engineering

How can infographics enhance communication and learning in mathematics & engineering?

Infographics are imperative to the comprehension of information in the human mind. Cognitively, humans are wired to process images roughly 60,000 times faster than text (MedTech Intelligence). Consequently, it is easier to recall an image you have seen compared to a paragraph that you have read. This is especially important in fields like mathematics, where data is certain to be recorded. My field of study is mathematics-engineering. In my math classes, such as Calculus III, graphs are used to display the output of an object from a given integral. In my engineering classes, like Electronics, graphs are often used to show the relationships between two components and their behavior. Most commonly, I did experiments that recorded the relationship between frequency and voltage. The graphs provided me with a visual on the behavior between the two sources, making it easy to recall and describe, as opposed to memorizing the behavior strictly by reading numbers in a table.

When creating an infographic related to fields such as mathematics and engineering, different tools and resources are vital in constructing accurate graphs for your data.

The following tools are extremely helpful in creating visuals for an infographic

MATLAB

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MATLAB is one of the most common computer programming languages used among the engineering community. It can construct simple 2D graphs on the x-y axes or more complicated 3D graphs with gradients. In STEM, we are constantly dealing with raw, numerical data. MATLAB provides us with the ability to turn this data into visuals that can be incorporated into infographics. Furthermore, MATLAB allows us to label, annotate, and even choose the colors of a graph. This gives users the opportunity to maintain an aesthetically pleasing visual, as it is important to not have too many colors on an infographic. Thus, in my field of study, MATLAB is a great tool to use to enhance communication and learning with infographics.

CANVA

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Canva is an efficient tool in taking information and transforming it into a visual that simplifies complex data. People that are outsiders to the STEM field of study may find it difficult to understand or interpret graphs and charts presented to them. Canva gives people the ability to observe data in a straightforward format. The infographic below showcases the different types of data visualizations that can be displayed through Canva. Ultimately, while programs such as MATLAB and Excel are vital in turning data into visualizations, Canva enables users to make these graphics presentable and appealing to the human eye.

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Excel

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Microsoft Excel is arguably the most popular data visualization tool. Similar to MATLAB, Excel allows you to take raw numerical data and easily turn it into visuals such as graphs, pie charts, bar graphs, etc. Once again, these types of data visualizations are vital to an infographic, as they are images that interpret information and are easy to read. Additionally, Excel offers formatting options, allowing you to create a visually pleasing graph that suits your infographic. This program is both accessible and convenient to many, proving to be a fantastic tool to improve learning with infographics.

The following video explains how to turn your excel data into the visuals for infographics.

Overall, these resources are crucial in creating an illustrious infographic that thoroughly communicates data. Often, it can be difficult to understand raw numerical data as it is thrown into a graph. However, converting this information into visuals like graphs can make it easier to understand. In fact, these visuals are easier to recall since we process images more efficiently than texts. In mathematics and engineering, I am constantly recording and interpreting the data that I have collected in my experiments. Graphs allow me to quickly comprehend what I have learned by providing me with a visual for the behavior of my components. Therefore, infographics have a great ability to enhance communication and learning in mathematics and engineering. 

Image Links

1. https://www.mathworks.com/help/matlab/ref/plot.html
2. https://www.mathworks.com/help/matlab/visualize/creating-3-d-plots.html
3. https://logos-world.net/canva-logo/
4. https://www.canva.com/infographics/templates/math/
5. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microsoft_Excel

Video Link

1. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xYdxy7D-C5k