Visual Thinking and Learning

Learning to think. Learning to learn. These are the essential skills for student success in every curriculum area and academic pursuit.

Visual Learning Techniques
Data Literacy
Suggested Reading About Visual Thinking and Learning 

Visual thinking and learning utilize graphical ways of working with ideas and presenting information. Research in both educational theory and cognitive psychology tells us that visual learning is among the very best methods for teaching students of all ages how to think and how to learn.
 

Visual learning helps students:

• Make abstract ideas visible and concrete
• Connect prior knowledge and new concepts
• Provide structure for thinking, writing, discussing, analyzing, planning and reporting
• Focus thoughts and ideas, leading to understanding and interpretation
   

Our award-winning software tools, Inspiration®, InspireData®, and Kidspiration®, are based on proven visual learning methodologies that help students think, learn and achieve.

With the powerful combination of visual learning and technology, students in grades K-12 learn to clarify thoughts, organize and analyze information, integrate new knowledge, and think critically.
Download a free 30-day trial today!

Visual learning helps students:

Clarify thoughts
Students see how ideas are connected and realize how information can be grouped and organized. With visual learning, new concepts are more thoroughly and easily understood when they are linked to prior knowledge.

Organize and analyze information
Students can use diagrams and plots to display large amounts of information in ways that are easy to understand and help reveal relationships and patterns.

Integrate new knowledge
According to research, students better remember information when it's represented and learned both visually and verbally.

Think critically
Linked verbal and visual information helps students make connections, understand relationships and recall related details.

Visual Learning Techniques

Visual learning is a proven method in which ideas, concepts, data and other information are associated with images and represented graphically. Webs, concept maps, idea maps and plots, such as stack plots and Venn plots, are some of the techniques used in visual learning to enhance thinking and learning skills.
 

Using Inspiration and Kidspiration, students create graphic organizers and outlines as they brainstorm ideas, organize information, gather research, make visual associations and identify connections.
 

Using InspireData, students build data literacy as they collect and explore information in a dynamic inquiry process, using integrated tables and plots to visually investigate, manipulate and analyze data.

Learn more about the power of visual learning and see examples of techniques in Inspiration, InspireData and Kidspiration.

Webs
Idea Maps
Concept Maps
Plots  
Mind Maps

Data Literacy

Data literacy is the ability to ask and answer meaningful questions by collecting, analyzing and making sense of the data encountered in real life. Using data to connect school subjects with real-world events makes learning a richer and more meaningful experience as students move beyond simply learning facts and begin to acquire the skills of reasoning, inquiry and communication. As a result, students develop deeper content knowledge and strengthen critical thinking.
 

Build data literacy skills
InspireData builds critical data literacy skills and engages students by helping them to:

• Formulate questions
• Collect and organize data systematically to identify patterns and discover relationships
• Represent data in different types of plots to yield different results
• Develop conclusions and make recommendations based on data analysis

Students actively explore and analyze data using dynamic Venn, bar, stack, pie and axis plots to interpret information and draw conclusions.

Data literacy in science
At its most basic level, scientific inquiry is an extension of a process people do naturally: ask a question about something interesting, collect data about observations, make sense of the data by organizing it for analysis, develop a conclusion and communicate the results. InspireData provides a powerful tool to help students conduct scientific investigations by effectively organizing and analyzing data. As students visually examine connections, they can easily perform sophisticated data analysis and develop solid conclusions.

See examples of InspireData in science
 

Data literacy in mathematics
Even though math is used every day by almost everyone, students often miss the connection between the skills they are learning in the classroom and the application of those skills in the real world. As students use InspireData to apply statistical analysis to data and visualize results in plots and graphs, they gain a deeper understanding of mathematical concepts and their applications in daily situations.

See examples of InspireData in mathematics
 

Data literacy in social studies
Today's social studies classes require students to do more than merely memorize historical names and dates. They must learn how to think critically about information and draw informed conclusions. By using InspireData to organize and analyze data, students engage with the subject matter and learn to develop fact-based opinions about past events and future probabilities.

See examples of InspireData in social studies

Learn more about InspireData

Suggested Reading About Visual Thinking and Learning
 

If you would like to learn more about visual learning and graphic organizers, check out these titles.

Anders, G. & Beech, L.W. (1990). Reading: Mapping for meaning: 70 graphic organizers for comprehension. Kent, CT: Sniffen Court Books.

Ausubel, D. (1968). Educational psychology: A cognitive view. New York: Holt, Reinhart and Winston.

Balsamo, K. (1994). Thematic activities for student portfolios. Beavercreek, OH: Pieces of Learning.

Bellanca, J. (1990). The cooperative think tank: Graphic organizers to teach thinking in the cooperative classroom. Arlington Heights, IL: IRI/SkyLight Training and Publishing, Inc.

Bromley, K., Irwin Devitis, L. & Modlo, M. (1999). 50 graphic organizers for reading, writing & more: Reproducible templates, student samples, and easy strategies to support every learner. New York: Scholastic Professional Books.

Bromley, K., Irwin-De Vitis, L & Modlo, M. (1995). Graphic organizers: Visual strategies for active learning. New York: Scholastic, Inc.

Bromley, K.D. (1996). Webbing with literature: Creating story maps with children's books. (2nd ed.). Needham Heights, MA: Allyn & Bacon.

Buzan, T. & Buzan, B. (1993). The mind map book: How to use radiant thinking to maximize your brain's untapped potential. New York: Penguin Books USA Inc.

Buzan, T. (1983). Use both sides of your brain: New techniques to help you read efficiently, study effectively, solve problems, remember more, think clearly. New York: E.P. Dutton.

Caine, R.N. & Caine, G. (1997). Education on the edge of possibility. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.

Camilli, T. (1992). A case of red herrings: Solving mysteries through critical questioning, book A-1. Pacific Grove, CA: Critical Thinking Press & Software.

Drapeau, P. (1998). Great teaching with graphic organizers: Lessons and fun-shaped templates that motivate kids of all learning styles. New York: Scholastic Professional Books.

Forte, I. & Schurr, S. (1996). Graphic organizers and planning outlines: For authentic instruction and planning. Nashville, TN: Incentive Publications, Inc.

Green, P.A. (Ed.). (1995). Graphic organizer collection. Palatine, IL: Novel Units.

Harnadek, A. (1981). Mind benders®-B2: Deductive thinking skills. Pacific Grove, CA: Critical Thinking Press & Software.

Hyerle, D. (1996). Visual tools for constructing knowledge. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.

Jacobson, J. & Raymer, D. (1999). The big book of reproducible graphic organizers: 50 great templates to help kids get more out of reading, writing, social studies & more. New York: Scholastic Professional Books.

Johnson, N. (1995). Active questioning: Questioning still makes the difference. Beavercreek, OH: Pieces of Learning.

Johnson, N.L. (1990). Questioning makes the difference. Beavercreek, OH: Pieces of Learning.

Johnson, N.L. (1992). Thinking is the key: Questioning makes the difference. Beavercreek, OH: Pieces of Learning.

Jonassen, D.H. (1996). Computers in the classroom: Mindtools for critical thinking. Englewood Cliffs, NJ. Prentice-Hall, Inc.

Maddux, C.D., Johnson, D.L. & Willis, J.W. (1996). Educational computing: Learning with tomorrow's technologies. (2nd ed.). Boston: Allyn & Bacon.

Marzano, R.J., Pickering, D.J. & Pollack, J.E. (2001). Classroom instruction that works: Research-based strategies for increasing student achievement. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.

Novak, J.D. & Gowin, D.B. (1984). Learning how to learn. New York: Cambridge University Press.

Novak, J.D. (1998). Learning, creating and using knowledge: Concept map® as facilitative tools in schools and corporations. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc.

O'Brien-Palmer, M. (1997). Great graphic organizers to use with any book! New York: Scholastic Professional Books.

Olson, J.L. (1992). Envisioning writing: Toward an integration of drawing and writing. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.

Parks, S. & Black, H. (1990). Organizing thinking: Graphic organizers. Book II. Pacific Grove, CA: Critical Thinking Press & Software.

Rico, G.L. (1983). Writing the natural way: Using right-brain techniques to release your expressive powers. New York: G. Putman's Sons.

Roblyer, M.D. & Edwards, J. (2000). Integrating educational technology into teaching. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice-Hall, Inc.

Swartz, R.F. & Parks, S. (1994). Infusing the teaching of critical and creative thinking into elementary instruction: A lesson design handbook. Pacific Grove, CA: Critical Thinking Press & Software.

Tarquin, P. & Walker, S. (1997). Creating success in the classroom: Visual organizers and how to use them. Englewood, CO: Teacher Ideas Press.

Thornburg, D.D. (1998). Brainstorms and lightening bolts: Thinking skills for the 21st century. San Carlos, CA: Starsong Publications.

Inspiration Software®, Inc. does not promote, market or sell any of these titles. They are provided simply as a tool to help you learn more about graphic organizers and the power of visual learning.