Some Peculiarities of Integrating Visual Literacy into the System of Modern Education

The study substantiates the importance of the application of visual literacy in the modern educational process in the era of dynamic development of information and digital technologies. The paper analyses their coming into everyday existence of society, which became a prerequisite for the formation of a digital person, Homo Digitalis. Having moved away from written culture, he was actively involved in the process of modern communication, which is mainly a culture of image and sound. In course of research the modern student is revealed to constantly use acquisition of the multimedia language of the screen, significantly complementing the textual educational content with visual images. The problems of modern education are described in the context of the potential of digital culture, where the student faces audio-visual environment. The assertion of digital socialization shapes a digital identity of Homo Digitalis, which independently creates and controls his own informal educational strategies, the implementation of which requires a new kind of literacy. Discovering the essence of the concept of literacy corresponding to its other narratives revealed the meaning and purpose of visual literacy. The importance of its separation is caused by the inherent for the digital society gap between verbal and visual cultures, the growth of experience of human interaction with the virtual environment. Visual literacy develops the ability to think and express thoughts through images. Furthermore, the knowledge that characterizes visually literate students is revealed, arguments in favour of the screen definition of visual literacy are distinguished, its standards are identified and analysed as well. The research findings prompt the conclusion that modern education should orient teachers and students to new ways and factors of the educational process, where visual literacy is highly ranked. Its active implementation provides prospects for further improvement of education and productive person’s development.