“The ability to draw and communicate visually can no longer be seen as optional” – Bette Fetter
Learning and education rank high among the civilizational goals cherished by the human species. Many forms of learning have emerged in the course of the past millennia; however, in recent times, the methods of visual learning have gained momentum. Essentially, a visual learning technique represents “a style in which a learner utilizes graphs, charts, maps and diagrams. It is one of the three basic types of learning styles in the Fleming VAK/VARK model that also includes kinesthetic learning and auditory learning.” In terms of sheer scope, visual learning allows learners to view information in terms of “spatial awareness, photographic memory, color/tone, brightness/contrast, and other visual information.” Classroom sessions designed to promote visual learning hinge on useful aids such as overhead projectors, chalkboards, pictures, images, graphs, maps, and other visual items designed to stimulate the human mind and promote learning among students and scholars. In this context, the modern flowchart emerges as a premier vehicle that enables the visual learning technique owing to its expanse, ability to depict the flow of logic and processes, and its infinite ability to accommodate flexible building blocks.
Educators and students can devise flowcharts that deploy a range of visual cues as part of pursuing a visual learning technique. These cues can preface robust learning systems distinguished by an active interest in the subjects undergoing an investigation. Hence, to-do lists can emerge as the baseline of such a flowchart; the subsequent stages could include color-coding class notes and the content of a textbook, making use of various diagrams to map information pertaining to a subject, and using outlines and concept maps. The illustration that emerges from these efforts encases the essence of a visual learning technique that aids students to grasp information and attain mastery in a certain subject. In addition, the flowchart serves as a guide that allows learners to build visual information in their minds as part of the learning process. Further, such a flowchart can accommodate different levels of change as necessitated by prescribed syllabus. In sum, the flowchart presents itself as an unconventional learning tool that rises above the norms of traditional learning techniques.
Instructors could create visual blueprints as part of their efforts to infuse variety into learning methods. These blueprints can take shape as flowcharts that epitomize the latest developments in the domain of the visual learning technique. An experimental diagram could feature tools of instruction such as students studying in pairs; group discussions among learners; classroom lecture sessions; coordinated work among different batches of students; learning circles; and the solitary pursuit of knowledge on the part of individual students. This flowchart can be applied to a range of learning contexts, including senior learners pursuing advanced academic degrees. Such a flowchart can help decimate the tedium that attends rote learning and infuse higher levels of learner interest in the proceedings that define the traditional classroom. We note such a visual learning technique also accelerates the innate abilities of an individual student to gain familiarity with new subjects of study.
The ability of the biological brain to process visual information remains one of the key evolutionary advantages conferred on the animal kingdom. In line with this, teachers and educators can place substantial stock on the use of pictograms to spur the learning process. A flowchart designed for the purpose could feature common symbols that convey a specific message. For instance, instructors that specialize in educating lay persons on public safety could append symbols that signify hazards in the various stages of the diagram. Therefore, symbols depicting harmful contents, flammable gases, explosives, compressed gas, elements dangerous for the natural environment, corrosive fluids, toxic hazards, etc. could distinguish the stages of said flowchart. This form of learning hinges on the visual learning technique and could greatly amplify outcomes of missions designed to educate lay persons. Such learning stands recommended in the interests of sensitizing and educating members of the lay public and preserve public safety at all times. In addition, this stance bolsters the cause of public instruction and empowers members of the public to identify risk factors in various situations.
Learners could use intelligence and imagination to pursue a systematic exploration of a new concept or idea. Such a journey should essentially follow a visual learning technique; it could commence when instructors hand out photographs (or images) of a subject to students. For instance, students learning the basics of modern trade and commerce could develop a narrative around the image of a passport through the agency of a flowchart. The various stages of the illustration could signify the importance of said travel document in promoting world trade; forging new links in commerce; the travels of specialists to client destinations; implications of such travels for tour operators and commercial airline businesses; the necessity of using genuine travel documents; the use of the passport in expanding the modern tourism industry; the effects of modern tourism on local economies; etc. This instance of a visual learning technique helps expand the mental and academic horizons of students and allows them gain a grasp on some of the factors that enable trade and commerce in the modern world.
Visual aids comprise key devices that help teachers and instructors implement a visual learning technique inside the modern classroom. Such aids could include overhead projectors, films, slides, videos, posters, animation videos, etc. A flowchart could assist instructors map the use of these aids in various contexts that may arise in said learning environment. Such an illustration could take shape as a series of vertical silos, each prefaced by a particular visual aid. The sub-stages that emerge from each preface could detail the nature, scope, and density of information that can be transmitted to students with said aids. In addition, different areas of instruction could be appended to each stage (or sub-stage) in the interests of igniting interest in the minds of classroom learners. Further, functional units of each visual aid, when positioned inside the classroom, act as a means to demonstrate the efficacy of visual aids. We note this preparation of a visual learning technique comprises the homework for instructors that plan to deploy visual aids inside the classroom.
We have explored the different facets of deploying the visual learning technique in a variety of learning contexts through flowcharts. The space and expanse inherent in these diagrams empowers educators to develop teaching stratagems in tune with the requirements of scholars, learners, and students. The use of sub-stages serves as a critical hinge because these allow educators to depict multiple lines of derivative information that stem from a parent stage. Such depiction boosts the cause of education and empowers instructors to broadcast in-depth knowledge and information to student audiences. Additionally, the direction of momentum inside a flowchart reinforces the cause-effect scenarios that arise in different subjects. The use of the flowchart essentially empowers students to create mind maps that visualize the organization of information; such a stance also incites the student mind to explore new vistas that may impart additional depth to legacy knowledge bases, thereby championing the cause of academic research. Hence, the visual learning technique helms a multi-pronged assault in academia; learners and students must embrace said technique to realize incremental advances in the realization of key civilizational goals.
