"Based on the idea that visual images are a language, visual literacy can be defined as the ability to understand and produce visual messages. Work in the field has centered on development of educational programs that train students' abilities to evaluate and create visual messages, as well as improvement of students' reading and writing skills through the use of visual literacy techniques. Visual literacy as a field of research, study, and teaching becomes increasingly important with the ever-expanding proliferation of mass media in society. As more and more information and entertainment is acquired through non-print media (such as television), the ability to think critically and visually about the images presented becomes a crucial skill." -- From the homepage of the International Visual Literacy Association (http://www.ivla.org)
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