Cassidy, M. F. & Knowlton, J. Q. (1983). Visual literacy: A failed metaphor? Educational Communication and Technology Journal, 31(2), 67-90.

Has the visual literacy construct led to useful research and defensible practice? The autors draw on psycholinguistics, pathology, and developmental, cognitive, and cross-cultural social psychology to argue that it has not. A reconceptualization of the inherent assumptions and implications is proposed.