Abstract:

In the current academic environment, where a huge number of publications are created, it is necessary not only to attract with content, but also with an effective visual presentation of information. This study deals with the use of online tools for creating information graphics among university students in Slovakia. Using primary marketing research among undergraduate and engineering students, we analyzed preferences and familiarity with various software tools for visual data interpretation. The results revealed the dominance of tools from the Office package, where the main cause of the limited diversity in the choice of software was lack of information about alternative options. Despite this, students showed significant interest in modern tools for creating information graphics, which points to the need to integrate more diverse software into the educational process. The research methodology included an online questionnaire that was distributed via academic social networks and e-mail. The analysis of the obtained data revealed significant differences in preferences between different fields of study, which indicates the need for faculty specificity in the introduction of software tools. We also identified a strong correlation between the level of familiarity with software tools and perceived self-efficacy in the creation of information graphics. Based on these findings, we propose a series of workshops and training aimed at increasing digital literacy among students. The obtained results show that it is necessary to modernize technical and software resources during the educational process, to increase awareness of available software and especially to provide students with the opportunity to work with various software, which they could then use in practice after completing their studies. Moreover, our findings point to the need to incorporate visual communication of data into academic curricula, thereby increasing graduates' competence in presenting complex datasets. This study thus opens the door for further research in the field of educational technology and visual communication, strengthening the argument for multidisciplinary approaches in academic preparation.

Keywords:

Education, visual presentation, information graphics.