Critical visual literacy in the Spanish classroom – Implications for its teaching and self-assessment

Abstract

Despite there being a wealth of current pedagogical research on criticality, there is a notable scarcity of empirical studies related to its evaluation, specifically within language teaching settings. In this context, this paper examines the impact that self-assessment can have in the development of critical visual literacy (CVL) among students of Spanish as a Second Language in an online setting. In this work, we analyse the language learning portfolios of students of Spanish at a CEFR B2 level, which were used during a teaching intervention aimed at promoting and developing learners’ CVL and self-assessment. Our results show that, by enabling students’ reflection on their own CVL performance and by providing them with the necessary tools to monitor their own progress, self-assessment not only prompts self-awareness and development, but also triggers new meta-reflective processes as well as life-long learning habits. The study highlights the need for explicit teaching on criticality and calls for formative assessment learning tools (self- and peer-assessment) to promote critical and reflexive attitudes amongst our students.