Visual thinking is a method of conceptualizing that allows users to communicate ideas and thoughts using images. It’s not a new concept, as it has been used for generations to help people brainstorm and create concepts that might otherwise be difficult to articulate. Visual thinking is a powerful tool that can be used in any discipline, to help improve understanding and engagement.
Visual tools are often incorporated into presentations and other forms of communication to allow users to explore the relationships between topics and ideas. One popular example is the idea map. These are a type of mind map, but with the added ability to include icons and other symbols to represent ideas. The benefit of this is that it helps the viewer to see relationships between ideas and concepts more clearly, allowing them to identify trends and patterns.
Another common Visual Thinking Tool is the Prezi, which allows users to create and present content in a nonlinear way that can be zoomed around to provide a different perspective during a presentation. It’s a great tool for exploring the relationships between ideas and concepts because it’s very intuitive to use and doesn’t require a large amount of technical training or understanding.
In addition to being a great tool for brainstorming, visual thinking tools can also be used as a means of capturing learning and organizational goals in a concise format. It’s no secret that people perform better when they can see information presented in a visual format, which is why this approach is so useful for any organization.
For instance, imagine a team is working together to develop a new product. They may use an idea map to gather their thoughts, and then organize them into categories to facilitate discussion and synthesis. Once the group has agreed on a set of categories, they can then use those to evaluate their product and identify potential improvements.
Visual thinking can also be used to facilitate a deeper level of understanding in complex subjects such as science and history. For example, a concept map can be created to help students understand the relationship between events and their cause or effect. Alternatively, it can be used to help students break down complex texts into manageable chunks for reading and writing.
Emergent learners are also supported by the use of visual tools, as they can be used to scaffold their understanding and provide built-in scaffolding such as the ability to convert a concept map into outline form for writing (in some software programs). For instance, with a text, students can be encouraged to share what they already know about a topic with a partner before reading by recording this on a shared concept map. This can be done orally or with a whiteboard and provides the foundation for their learning. Similarly, with an article or piece of text, they can be asked to identify what they find most interesting and important. These can then be recorded on a map to encourage further exploration and understanding.
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