Visual Models (Concept Mapping)

BENEFITS

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• Representations” are external stand‑ins for ideas: pictures, diagrams, graphs, equations, stories, manipulatives, gestures, simulations etc.

 

• They matter because learners cannot directly “see” abstract structures, so representations give something concrete to inspect, manipulate, and talk about.

 

• Making invisible structures and processes visible (e.g., particle diagrams for gas laws, number lines for integers).

 

• Providing shared reference points that support explanation, argument, and feedback in classrooms.

 

• Dual coding: When information is encoded both verbally and visually, learners form two linked traces, increasing the chances of recall and comprehension.

 

• Multimedia learning: Well‑designed visuals plus words help learners select, organize, and integrate information into coherent mental models.

 

• Because visuals and language rely on partly separate cognitive channels, aligned representations can carry more meaning without overloading one channel.

 

• Spatial organization (e.g., a labelled diagram or concept map) lets learners see relationships at a glance instead of holding many relations in working memory.

 

• Diagrams, graphs, and models foster analog mental models of structures and processes, which can then be verbalized and mathematized.

 

• Crucially, learning deepens when students translate among representations (e.g., graph ↔ equation ↔ story).

 

• Learner‑generated diagrams or drawings tend to emphasize causal or functional features when students aim to explain, which can sharpen understanding of mechanisms.

 

• Externalized representations allow teachers and peers to diagnose misconceptions and provide targeted feedback, supporting conceptual change and self‑regulation. link

 

 

 

HOW TO

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• Keep visuals simple and schematic, focusing on structure rather than decoration.

 

• Pair the visual and verbal at the same time and in close proximity (on the board, slide, or page).

 

• Avoid redundancy overload: do not read long blocks of text that are already on the slide alongside a complex diagram.

 

• Live sketching: While explaining a concept, draw a diagram, timeline, or simple flow chart as you talk.

 

• Graphic organizers with explanation: Use concept maps, tables, and Venn diagrams alongside short phrases or sentence stems, modeling how to encode relationships both visually and verbally.

 

• Dual‑coded notes: Ask students to divide pages into “words” and “pictures,” writing brief cues on one side and quick sketches, arrows, or schemas on the other.

 

• Visual vocabulary: For key terms, have students create a term, a one‑line definition, and a concrete image, icon, or mini‑scene capturing the meaning.

 

• Quick‑draw exit tickets: At the end of a lesson, students draw a simple image or diagram that represents a core idea and add a brief caption.

 

• Flow charts

 

• Diagrams

 

• Timelines

 

• Cartoon strips

 

• Drawing

 

• Posters

 

• Tables

 

• Graphic organizers

 

• Knowledge maps

 

• Advance organizers

 

• Posters

 

• Flip charts

 

• Photos

 

• Physical materials

 

• Infographics

 

• Students create their own visual representations

 

• 4 Step Process: Question / Draw / Explain / Label link

 

 

 

HOW TO Create Concept Map

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Step 1 – Identify the main concept: Choose the central topic or idea that you want to explore and represent in the concept map.

 

Step 2 – Identify related concepts: Brainstorm and identify the key concepts, ideas, or terms related to the main concept.

 

Step 3 – Organize the concepts: Arrange the related concepts around the main concept and connect them using lines or arrows to show their relationships.

 

Step 4 – Add details and relationships: Write words or phrases along the lines to explain the relationship between the connected concepts.

 

Step 5 – Fine-tune the map: Review and refine the concept map to ensure it effectively represents the relationships between the concepts.

 

There is no right or wrong way to make a concept map, but the key step is to focus on the ways ideas are linked to each other. It’s important to limit the amount of information on the map to avoid frustration and to encourage students to continue adding to and refining the map as they learn more. O’day & Karpicke (2021)

 

 

EFFECT SIZE DATA Subject area Impact

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• Humanities –  1.93

 

• Construct map out of class – 1.46

 

• Middle School – 1.18

 

• Retaining central ideas – 0.98

 

• Individual creation of map – 0.94

 

• Group construction of map – 0.86

 

• Science retain impact – 0.85

 

• High School – 0.72

 

• In-class creation of map – 0.57. Nesbit (2006)

 

 

 

CHALLENGES & WHAT NOT TO DO

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• When poorly designed (dense slides, decorative clip art, misaligned images), representations add extraneous load and can hurt learning.

 

• Cognitive Overload: Combining words and visuals increases total information students must process at once; too many elements or too rapid pacing overloads working memory.

 

• Pace: Learners may struggle to attend to both codes simultaneously; if they are processing a complex diagram while listening to speech, one channel often “drops.”

 

• When images do not closely match the verbal message, students form disconnected verbal and visual traces, which weakens learning.

 

• Decorative clip art, generic icons, or multiple unrelated pictures compete for attention, clutter working memory, and can reduce learning. link