How To Use Visual Tools For Thinking, Learning And Feeling

Visual tools can not only lead to students significantly improving content and conceptual learning but engender self-reflection and empathic understanding. In advance of his course for TeachingTimes, David Hyerle, provides an insight in the their power and promise

There was a moment when I knew that visual tools were more powerful in the hands of learners than the simple boxes, ovals, webs, and arrows that are commonly used for basic brainstorming and graphic organization of ideas.

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      string(379) "... the more favoured Model Map is drawn radiantlyfrom the centre with curved lines. It is not productive toinsist on rigid rules about how to draw MindMaps. Otherimportant Structural visual tools, include Concept Maps, avery methodical mapping of conceptual dependencies,originated by Joseph Novak (Novak and Godwin, 1984)and developed to ..."
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      string(5759) "Around a central word, its features are capturedin a connected orbit of keywords. When these peripheralwords are themselves expanded upon, the Single Cell isdeveloped into a Cluster. This extended word association,which is still fundamentally a form of brainstorming, isassociated with Gabriella Rico’s (1983) work on creativewriting. A more advanced Structural visual tool, is the ModelMap. Known elsewhere, and for commercial reasons, as aMindMaps, the Model Map is a more explicitly organisedformulation. Its basis is the clarity of understanding of theconstruction and central importance of categorisation.Acknowledged by cognitive psychologists as the majormethod of forming mental models, categorisation is thefunction of a specific linguistic architecture. Describedby the editor of the Cambridge Encyclopaedia of theEnglish Language (David Crystal, 1995) as hyponemichierarchies, these word arrangements are label in thebook MapWise (Caviglioli and Harris, 2000) as ‘languagetriangles’. They represent the different relationships ina hierarchy of concepts. Because of the New Age ideasassociated with MindMaps, this essential knowledge israrely rigorously taught and monitored. In particular, thereis a lack of understanding that a MindMap, or Model Map, isfundamentally the same as a tree diagram. They are bothbased on hierarchies of concepts. The only difference is thatthe tree diagram is drawn top down and with straight lines,while the more favoured Model Map is drawn radiantlyfrom the centre with curved lines. It is not productive toinsist on rigid rules about how to draw MindMaps. Otherimportant Structural visual tools, include Concept Maps, avery methodical mapping of conceptual dependencies,originated by Joseph Novak (Novak and Godwin, 1984)and developed to sophisticated levels in the field of scienceeducation.Making comparisonsThe most favoured of the Differential visual tools amongthe teachers who attend the Eye Q course is the Double Cell.The joining together of two Single Cell diagrams createsa Double Cell, with shared features joined, and distinctfeatures unique to each compared item. Essentially thesame as a Venn Diagram, the Double Cell has practicaladvantages for pupils both in its construction and in itsdisplay. Joining two Single Cell diagrams makes obviousthe joined similarities and the separate differences. Venndiagrams can provoke confusion with pupils as the physicaloverlap between circles is inconsistent in size. A largeramount of overlap seems to suggest to pupils a greaternumber of shared features. Other visual tools in thisDifferential category include such management favouritesas the Matrix, SWOT analysis and Force Field analysis.Finding faultCausal visual tools contain some of the most difficult toolsfor pupils to construct. The challenge of these tools is totranscend the ‘billiard ball’ model of causality where the lastsingle event to occur is identified as the cause. So pervasiveis this faulty thinking that we still use a Latin phrase todescribe it: post hoc ergo propter hoc (after this thereforebecause of this). By far the most accessible Causal tool forpupils to use is the Fishbone Diagram (known in businesscircles as the Ishikawa diagram). Drawn as a fishbone,the main stems represent a field, or category, of causality(factors that contribute towards the end situation). Thecollection of diagonal stems, forming a chevron–likepattern, gives a very powerful graphic message of multiplecauses leading to the culminating situation. On closerinspection, however, we see that, essentially, the Fishboneis no more than an Affinity diagram (a Structural visual toolthat is based on categorisation). So while the Fishbonediagram is concerned with identifying causal factors, itorganises its findings through categorisation. By contrast,other Causal visual tools that are more complex in theiranalysis of particular dependencies include the Relationsdiagram, the Critical Path Analysis and, surprisingly, Edwardde Bono’s (1993) Flowscape. In my opinion, de Bono’s finestcreation, the Flowscape is an elegant way of identifyingthe causal relations in one’s perception of any particularsituation.Putting in orderSeemingly simple in nature, these Ordinal visual toolsrank items, people or events according to different setsof criteria. The most elementary of these is the temporal 10 Teaching Thinking& Creativity  Autumn 2005focus on visual tools   www.teachthinking.comcriterion – when things did, or will, happen. Timelines andFlowcharts are perfect for this task. If a repeating pattern ofevents is identified, then the Cycle is introduced. Storyboardsand GANTT charts are used to plan and schedule events.Ordering based on other criteria, such as priorities, values,and measurements call for such visual tools as Diamondranking (popularised by David Leat, 1998) and Concept lines(innovatively used by Karin Murris, 2001).Having learned how to use certain visual tools andthen appreciated how they support different types ofthinking, it is then time to learn how to weave themtogether into an effective sequence―the hallmark of aneffective thinker.A known sequenceIn my own practice as a headteacher, and user of visualtools for over 30 years, I invariably returned to the followingsequence. Firstly, I had to gather information. It’s prettyhard to think without something to think about. JohnMcPeck (1990), that meticulous opponent of thinking skills,reminds us that thinking is, after all, a transitive verb, andso needs an object upon which to act. In other words, ifyou don’t have any content,"
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Creative Teaching & Learning

Make ideas come alive with visual tools

1 Nov 2006

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      string(5937) "37June/July 2006 InteracTiveCurriculum FocusSCIENCEMappingwith ICTVisual thinking and learning tools such as mindmapping and concept mapping are making animpact in today’s classrooms. Mark Oronzio explainswhat the concept is, how it is helping students andhow ICT is taking it to new levels.Visual learning is a proven teachingmethod in which diagrams such as concept maps,mind maps, tree diagrams, organisation charts andspider diagrams are used to help students of allages think and learn more effectively. They are allused for storing, processing, organising andpresenting information graphically. Thesetechniques are achieving growing recognition ineducation and are used across the curriculum andat all key stages in the UK, with the most popularbeing concept mapping and mind mapping. Whilethese are often grouped together under the name‘mind mapping’, they are in fact two very distinctlearning and thinking techniques.Whether we believe that the mind is organised intoleft and right-hand sides, or whether it is a lessorganised structure of various skills, mapping utilisesmore of the brain, resulting in more effective thinking.Imagination and association are the keys to high-levelmemory and creative thinking, and mapping supportsthis. With many students being visual or kinaestheticlearners, such an approach makes teaching moreenjoyable and effective and learning more successfuland fun. It is an educational win/win situation thatmultiplies its benefits over time and with use.Mapping is a powerful tool for thedevelopment of thinking skills and creativity. Oneadvocate of its use is Jane Finch fromWorcestershire Local Authority: “Mind mapspresent a personal view of a concept, problem oridea. Because every brain is different, teacherscan, in this way, allow learners to customise theirown environments. Students are greeted by acentral idea from which they build a flowing,organic image, encouraging active processing oftheir thoughts – allowing them to consolidateand internalise information.”Concept maps and mind maps are quick toreview, and it is easy to refresh information inthe mind just by glancing at one. Rememberingthe shape and structure of a visual diagram canprovide cues necessary to remember theinformation within it. They engage much moreof the brain in the process of assimilation andconnecting facts than conventional notes orsummaries.Taking it furtherICT can act as a catalyst for change in teachingand learning by taking the student from a two-dimensional paper-based map into a multi-layeredenvironment. For example:■ Graphics and symbols can be used to highlightthe nodes.■ Labels can be attached to the links.■ Maps can easily be reorganised in a variety ofways to make the picture clear.■ Maps can be hyperlinked to other maps, creatinga complex multi-layered system forunderstanding an idea.■ Elements within the map can be hyperlinked tofiles, websites and other digital resources.■ Multimedia files, such as MP3 and movie files,could be inserted and played directly from thedocument.■ Cross-curricular templates and resources couldbe created so that both teachers and studentscan get started quickly.Products such as Inspiration have been designedspecially for the education market, and the latestversion includes access to more than one millionsymbols to help visualise ideas. Its creators believethat computerised mapping programmes38InteracTive June/July 2006Curriculum FocusSCIENCEWhat is concept mapping?Concept maps graphically illustrate relationshipsbetween information. In a concept map, two ormore concepts are linked by words that describetheir relationship.Concept maps are ideal for measuring thegrowth of student learning. As students createconcept maps, they reiterate ideas using theirown words. Misdirected links or wrongconnections can alert teachers to gaps ormisunderstandings in their students’ knowledge.In this way, concept mapping provides anaccurate, objective way to evaluate particularareas requiring additional explanation tocomplete students’ understanding.What is mind mapping?Mind mapping was first coined in the UK by Tony Buzan in his 1974 book and BBC TV programmeUse Your Head. Mind maps include a central idea or image, surrounded by branches of associatedtopics or ideas. Subtopics are then added to the branches as ideas flow freely. Mind mapping is acommonly used tool for brainstorming and note-taking. The process of building a mind map is veryfluid and nonlinear, making the expansion of ideas similar to the natural way of thinking. Symbolsand images, along with keywords, are used to quickly retain and recall information. Branches areoften in different colours to help students to remember the different branches and their associations.is expanded so that space issues do not get in theway of the thought process. This is a strategy thatcan be used throughout the curriculum.Sheila Crew, Director of Bristol City LearningCentre, encourages the use of ICT-based mappingin her school: “These skills, whilst of obvious benefitsto a subject like English, are actually powerful andhave value in every subject and at every key stage.We try and encourage our teachers to use ourmapping software by giving them templates andsuggesting ideas for how it can fit into specificlessons. These are hosted on our website and are avery popular and well-used resource.”In fact, mapping has been such a successful strategyfor promoting learning in classroom that pilots havealso been exploring the use of the same techniques indeveloping teachers’ capacity to evaluate their ownlearning"
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Digital Learning

Mapping With ICT

1 Jan 2005

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      string(453) "... The authors have categorised the tools according to theirpurposes. So, for example, structural tools include targetmaps, bubble maps, tree diagrams, model maps (theauthors’ version of Mind Maps), concept maps and Veemaps. All these tools help us to organise ideas, knowledgeor information into hierarchies and clusters.Differential tools encourage us to ..."
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      string(5957) "60 Teaching Thinking  Autumn 2002www.teachthinking.comReview: booksBookRevi ewsThinking skills and Eye Q: Visual tools forraising intelligenceOliver Caviglioni, Ian Harris and BillTindallNetwork Educational Press, 2002-10-09The most valuable thing about this book is that it containsa catalogue of ‘visual tools’ – comprising descriptions of thekinds of charts and diagrams that can help us to organise,connect and recall our thinking.The authors have categorised the tools according to theirpurposes. So, for example, structural tools include targetmaps, bubble maps, tree diagrams, model maps (theauthors’ version of Mind Maps), concept maps and Veemaps. All these tools help us to organise ideas, knowledgeor information into hierarchies and clusters.Differential tools encourage us to identify similarities anddifferences between items of study. Venn diagrams, double-bubble maps, matrix diagrams, force field analysis charts,bridge maps, continuum lines, priorities grids and ranking-order diagrams are all explained. I recognised many of thesebut some were new to me.Temporal visual tools are also offered to capture thechronology of events and causal tools such as fishbonediagrams and algorithms are included to help us identifymultiple causes. There is also a comprehensive listing ofnumerical tools, representational tools, differential tools andorganisational tools.All this really is very useful and I found myself thinking ofquite a few ideas for lessons just by browsing casuallythrough the pages. By suggesting the purposes, essentialelements and histories of all the tools, the authors are surelyright to claim that they have empowered teachers andstudents. They have provided a set of tools that anyone canuse in a variety of learning situations.In the first part of the book, the authors seek to introducevisual tools and convince us that their use will bring greatbenefits to learners.Personally I would have preferred a concise argumentpresented, dare I say it, in a fairly linear way. For me theargument should be pretty straightforward. Knowledgedoesn’t flow like a story. It has no beginning, no end and noself-evident climax. It is hard, therefore, to find significancein the ideas and bits of information that pass us by. One wayof establishing significance is to notice relationships suchas similarity and difference, cause and effect, plan and action,reason and conclusion, main idea and detail, important andnot important, relevant and not relevant.Visual tools are immensely useful because they promptus to grasp at such relationships. The graphic layout helpsto make the target relationship clear and the use ofkeywords and key images encourages us to simplify ourthinking temporarily in order to concentrate on the centraltask of finding patterns. However, it is when we come toexplain those patterns to others or to ourselves that thevalue of the tools is fully realised. For I believe that theprocess of expanding the keywords and images intocoherent sentences and arguments is an essential step onthe road to understanding. The acts of compressing,mapping and expanding ideas are very stimulating anddemanding. That is what makes the tools that prompt themso useful.The authors take a long time to tell us why we should usevisual tools. For me, their argument is rather rambling andunfocussed. It is also laden with quotes that the authorsobviously believe add weight to their argument. Perhaps itexemplifies the danger of using visual tools such as mind(or model) maps to plan writing. You end up with lots ofrelationships, associations and references. It you don’t distilthose into a concise argument that expands on the essentialpoints and limits the others, then you risk losing yourreaders. For example, the book cover states confidently that,‘there has been a great deal of fuzzy thinking about thinkingskills. Thinking Skills and Eye Q makes very clear what thinkingis.’ There is a paragraph in the book on ‘thought objects’ thatcarries the weight of this claim, but not enough space wasgiven to explaining what thought objects are and in whatways they are related to language. After reading it, I was leftwith more questions than answers.Having said that, we still have a very useful book and, inparticular, the catalogue of visual tools is something I wouldlike at my side whenever I set out to plan lessons.Steve Williamswww.teachthinking.com61Teaching Thinking  Autumn 2002Review: booksBook Reviews�Concept cartoons in science educationStuart Naylor and Brenda Keogh, 2000Milgate House Publishers,This book is a real find. It introduces a simple but verypowerful learning tool – a cartoon style drawing in whichcharacters express a range of viewpoints about the scienceinvolved in an everyday situation. The cartoon stimulatespupils who read it to enter the argument and justify theirviews. Often their discussions lead them to constructexperiments to explore the conundrum further.Concept cartoons are suitable for learners in all Key Stagesand across a range of subjects. They are also very useful asassessment tools, as the latest Key Stage 3 guidelinesrecognise. The authors’ list of possible uses is quite extensive:● Making the learners ideas explicit● Challenging and developing learners ideas● Illustrating alternative viewpoints● Providing a stimulus for discussion● Helping learners to ask their own questions● Providing starting points for discussion● Promoting involvement and enhancing motivation● Applying scientific ideas in everyday situations● As a means of differentiation and assessment●"
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Creative Teaching & Learning

Book Reviews

24 Feb 2011

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      string(5906) "46visual tools   www.teachthinking.comTeaching Thinking&Creativity  Vol 7:1Oliver Caviglioli continues his column on visual tools with anexplanation of the concepts behind concept mapsConcept mapsConcept mapsConcept maps are often confused with MindMaps. Infact, they pre-date mind maps by nearly a decade,having been invented in the States by ProfessorJoseph Novak in the 1960s. But don’t let that date putyou off. They’re not a vague, hippy, new age ‘brain–tool’.Just the opposite! They are a rigorous and demandingrepresentation of knowledge. And don’t let that termknowledge put you off either.In concept maps, elements of a topic are broken downand connected to show their relationships. That’s achievedby forming, in effect, simple sentences between theelements. Take the concept map on thinking (below). Theterm ‘thinking’ is one of that concept map’s elements. Itdirectly relates to three other elements. An arrow connectseach element. Significantly, each arrow has a word on itthat represents the nature of the connection. In the caseof the element ‘questions’, it’s the verb phrase ‘is shapedby’. Because of this verb link, a sentence with a simple‘subject–verb–object’ structure emerges that explains therelationship: ‘thinking is shaped by questions’.These simple sentences form the basic building block of aconcept map. Their use is unique among visual tools. Whileall visual tools combine graphics with words, concept mapsdo it to an advanced degree. The benefit is that conceptualunderstanding is more rigorously organised and explainedin more detail.What is the purpose of a concept map?Joseph Novak considers concept maps to be the best toolfor developing and checking the accuracy of, knowledgeand understanding. Unlike Benjamin Bloom’s famoustaxonomy, Novak places knowledge at the top of our list ofthinking endeavours, not the bottom. Because Novak hasnot been dragged into the false dilemma of ‘understandingversus knowledge’ he promotes concept maps as the bridgebetween the two. How?  By the way in which concept mapsrepresent both what you know and how you understandit. As this is a primary goal of classroom activity, conceptmaps are excellent tools to enhance teacher explanationand deepen pupil understanding. 47Teaching Thinking&Creativity  Vol 7:1www.teachthinking.com   visual tools   How can I find out more about visual   tools?The book Thinking Skills and Eye Q by Oliver Caviglioliand Ian Harris contains 39 visual tools, all withdetailed instructions on how to construct themin classroom situations. Better still, you can attendone of Model Learning courses, MapWise, Eye Q oriThink. Book online at www.modellearning.com, emailinfo@modellearning.com, telephone 01277 202812,or fax 01277 200019.How is a concept map made?It’s best to start by pointing out that there are two formatsused for concept maps. Novak insists that concept mapsshould be drawn in a ‘top down’ conceptual hierarchy.Others, from ignorance or disagreement, draw them inradiant fashion around the central topic. It’s probablybecause of this graphic similarity that concept maps andMindMaps are confused. For pupils, I highly recommendusing Novak’s preferred format. Why? Because when visualtools have their own unique visual format, it’s easier forpupils to identify them with specific types of thinking.Even within Novak’s top–down format, there are twoways to build a concept map. One is deductive and theother inductive. With both methods it’s hard to achievesuccess immediately and so using Post–It notes is a goodidea.Let’s start with the deductive process. Placing the topictitle at the top, identify below it the main, most directelements. Join them with arrows. Then, thinking about thenature of the relationship between top and lower elements,write a verb along the arrow to create a simple subject–verb–object sentence. Simply continue this process asyou work downwards. Novak says that no arrowhead isneeded as it can be assumed that all connecting lines pointdownward. If there are connecting lines that point upwardsor sideways, then place an arrowhead on those only. I preferto play safe, in terms of clarity, and put arrowheads on allconnecting lines.The inductive process is rather more involved buteasier for pupils. On Post-It notes write keywords of allelements related to a topic. This gathering of terms is asort of brainstorming and so might need editing down.Once a final list is arrived at, the Post–It notes are arrangedas pairs. This will involve much moving around of noteswith accompanying discussion. It will, very probably, bethe most significant aspect in terms of learning activity.The pairs of notes are then arranged in a top-downconceptual hierarchy. Again learning conversations willhappen. This is intensified as verbs are chosen to link thenotes and define their conceptual relationships. Whencompleted, the concept map can be recorded with pencilor computer, using software such as Thinking With Picturesfrom Logotron.When is it useful to do a concept map?As concept maps so directly represent personalunderstanding, they are very powerful tools to enhanceassessment for learning. The fact that understandingis normally invisible, abstract and private but can betransformed into being visible, concrete and publicprovides wonderful opportunities for teacher, pupil andself-assessment.Use concept maps to provide the ‘big picture’ beforeembarking on anything as large as a module to anythingas small as a part of a lesson. Use them to clarify yourexplanations. Design"
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Creative Teaching & Learning

Concept maps

17 Jan 2007

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