visual learning
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Visual learning is a learning style in the Fleming VAK/VARK model in which information is presented to a learner in a visual format. Visual learners can utilize graphs, charts, maps, diagrams, and other forms of visual stimulation to effectively interpret information. The Fleming VAK/VARK model also includes
kinesthetic learning Kinesthetic learning (American English), kinaesthetic learning (British English), or tactile learning is learning that involves physical activity. As cited by Favre (2009), Dunn and Dunn define kinesthetic learners as students who prefer whole-bod ...
and
auditory learning Auditory learning is a learning style in which a person learns through listening. An auditory learner depends on listening and speaking as a main way of learning.Kostelnik, M.J., Soderman, A.K., Whiren, AP. (2004). Developmentally Appropriate Cu ...
. There is no evidence that providing visual materials to students identified as having a visual style improves learning.


Techniques

A review study concluded that using
graphic organizer A graphic organizer, also known as a knowledge map, concept map, story map, cognitive organizer, advance organizer, or concept diagram is a pedagogical tool that uses visual symbols to express knowledge and concepts through relationships between the ...
s improves student performance in the following areas: ; Retention : Students remember information better and can better recall it when it is represented and learned both visually and verbally. ; Reading comprehension : The use of graphic organizers helps improve the reading comprehension of students. ; Student achievement : Students with and without
learning disabilities Learning disability, learning disorder, or learning difficulty (British English) is a condition in the brain that causes difficulties comprehending or processing information and can be caused by several different factors. Given the "difficult ...
improve achievement across content areas and grade levels. ; Thinking and learning skills; critical thinking : When students develop and use a graphic organizer their higher order thinking and
critical thinking Critical thinking is the analysis of available facts, evidence, observations, and arguments to form a judgement. The subject is complex; several different definitions exist, which generally include the rational, skeptical, and unbiased analysis ...
skills are enhanced.


Areas of the brain affected

Various areas of the
brain A brain is an organ that serves as the center of the nervous system in all vertebrate and most invertebrate animals. It is located in the head, usually close to the sensory organs for senses such as vision. It is the most complex organ in a v ...
work together in a multitude of ways in order to produce the images that we see with our eyes and that are encoded by our brains. The basis of this work takes place in the
visual cortex The visual cortex of the brain is the area of the cerebral cortex that processes visual information. It is located in the occipital lobe. Sensory input originating from the eyes travels through the lateral geniculate nucleus in the thalamus and ...
of the brain. The visual cortex is located in the
occipital lobe The occipital lobe is one of the four major lobes of the cerebral cortex in the brain of mammals. The name derives from its position at the back of the head, from the Latin ''ob'', "behind", and ''caput'', "head". The occipital lobe is the vi ...
of the brain and harbors many other structures that aid in visual recognition, categorization, and learning. One of the first things the brain must do when acquiring new visual information is recognize the incoming material. Brain areas involved in recognition are the
inferior temporal cortex The inferior temporal gyrus is one of three gyri of the temporal lobe and is located below the middle temporal gyrus, connected behind with the inferior occipital gyrus; it also extends around the infero-lateral border on to the inferior surface o ...
, the superior
parietal cortex The parietal lobe is one of the four major lobes of the cerebral cortex in the brain of mammals. The parietal lobe is positioned above the temporal lobe and behind the frontal lobe and central sulcus. The parietal lobe integrates sensory inform ...
, and the
cerebellum The cerebellum (Latin for "little brain") is a major feature of the hindbrain of all vertebrates. Although usually smaller than the cerebrum, in some animals such as the mormyrid fishes it may be as large as or even larger. In humans, the cerebel ...
. During tasks of recognition, there is increased activation in the left inferior temporal cortex and decreased activation in the right superior parietal cortex. Recognition is aided by
neural plasticity Neuroplasticity, also known as neural plasticity, or brain plasticity, is the ability of neural networks in the brain to change through growth and reorganization. It is when the brain is rewired to function in some way that differs from how it p ...
, or the brain's ability to reshape itself based on new information. Next the brain must categorize the material. The three main areas that are used when categorizing new visual information are the
orbitofrontal cortex The orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) is a prefrontal cortex region in the frontal lobes of the brain which is involved in the cognitive process of decision-making. In non-human primates it consists of the association cortex areas Brodmann area 11, 12 ...
and two dorsolateral prefrontal regions which begin the process of sorting new information into groups and further assimilating that information into things that you might already know. After recognizing and categorizing new material entered into the
visual field The visual field is the "spatial array of visual sensations available to observation in introspectionist psychological experiments". Or simply, visual field can be defined as the entire area that can be seen when an eye is fixed straight at a point ...
, the brain is ready to begin the
encoding In communications and information processing, code is a system of rules to convert information—such as a letter, word, sound, image, or gesture—into another form, sometimes shortened or secret, for communication through a communication ...
process – the process which leads to learning. Multiple brain areas are involved in this process such as the
frontal lobe The frontal lobe is the largest of the four major lobes of the brain in mammals, and is located at the front of each cerebral hemisphere (in front of the parietal lobe and the temporal lobe). It is parted from the parietal lobe by a groove betwe ...
, the right
extrastriate cortex The extrastriate cortex is the region of the occipital cortex of the mammalian brain located next to the primary visual cortex. Primary visual cortex (V1) is also named striate cortex because of its striped appearance in the microscope. The extra ...
, the
neocortex The neocortex, also called the neopallium, isocortex, or the six-layered cortex, is a set of layers of the mammalian cerebral cortex involved in higher-order brain functions such as sensory perception, cognition, generation of motor commands, sp ...
, and again, the
neostriatum The striatum, or corpus striatum (also called the striate nucleus), is a nucleus (a cluster of neurons) in the subcortical basal ganglia of the forebrain. The striatum is a critical component of the motor and reward systems; receives glutamat ...
. One area in particular, the
limbic The limbic system, also known as the paleomammalian cortex, is a set of brain structures located on both sides of the thalamus, immediately beneath the medial temporal lobe of the cerebrum primarily in the forebrain.Schacter, Daniel L. 2012. ''Ps ...
-diencephalic region, is essential for transforming perceptions into memories. With the coming together of tasks of recognition, categorization and learning;
schema The word schema comes from the Greek word ('), which means ''shape'', or more generally, ''plan''. The plural is ('). In English, both ''schemas'' and ''schemata'' are used as plural forms. Schema may refer to: Science and technology * SCHEMA ...
s help make the process of encoding new information and relating it to things you already know much easier. One can remember visual images much better when they can apply it to an already known schema. Schemas actually provide enhancement of
visual memory Visual memory describes the relationship between perceptual processing and the encoding, storage and retrieval of the resulting neural representations. Visual memory occurs over a broad time range spanning from eye movements to years in order ...
and learning.


Infancy


Where it starts

Between the fetal stage and 18 months, a baby experiences rapid growth of a substance called
gray matter Grey matter is a major component of the central nervous system, consisting of neuronal cell bodies, neuropil (dendrites and unmyelinated axons), glial cells (astrocytes and oligodendrocytes), synapses, and capillaries. Grey matter is distingui ...
. Gray matter is the darker tissue of the brain and spinal cord, consisting mainly of nerve cell bodies and branching dendrites. It is responsible for processing sensory information in the brain such as areas like the primary visual cortex. The primary visual cortex is located within the occipital lobe in the back of infant's brain and is responsible for processing visual information such as static or moving objects and pattern recognition.


The four pathways

Within the primary visual cortex, there are four pathways: the
superior colliculus In neuroanatomy, the superior colliculus () is a structure lying on the roof of the mammalian midbrain. In non-mammalian vertebrates, the homologous structure is known as the optic tectum, or optic lobe. The adjective form ''tectal'' is commonly ...
pathway (SC pathway), the middle temporal area pathway (MT pathway), the
frontal eye fields The frontal eye fields (FEF) are a region located in the frontal cortex, more specifically in Brodmann area 8 or BA8, of the primate brain. In humans, it can be more accurately said to lie in a region around the intersection of the middle fronta ...
pathway (FEF pathway), and the inhibitory pathway. Each pathway is crucial to the development of visual attention in the first few months of life. The SC pathway is responsible for the generation of eye movements toward simple stimuli. It receives information from the retina and the visual cortex and can direct behavior toward an object. The MT pathway is involved in the smooth tracking of objects and travels between the SC pathway and the primary visual cortex. In conjunction with the SC pathway and the MT pathway, the FEF pathway allows the infant to control eye movements as well as visual attention. It also plays a part in sensory processing in the infant. Lastly, the inhibitory pathway regulates the activity in the superior colliculus and, later, is responsible for obligatory attention in the infant. The maturation and functionality of these pathways depends on how well the infant can make distinctions as well as focus on stimuli.


Supporting studies

A study by Haith, Hazan, & Goodman in 1988 showed that babies, as young as 3.5 months, are able to create short-term expectations of situations they confront. Expectations in this study refer to the cognitive and perceptual ways in which an infant can forecast a future event. This was tested by showing the infant either a predictable pattern of slides or an irregular pattern of slides and tracking the infant's
eye movement Eye movement includes the voluntary or involuntary movement of the eyes. Eye movements are used by a number of organisms (e.g. primates, rodents, flies, birds, fish, cats, crabs, octopus) to fixate, inspect and track visual objects of interest ...
s. A later study by Johnson, Posner, & Rothbart in 1991 showed that by 4 months old, infants can develop expectations, but was tested through anticipatory looks and disengagement with stimuli. For example, anticipatory looks exhibit the infant is able to predict the next part of a pattern which can then be applied to the real world scenario of breast-feeding. Infants are able to predict a mother's movements and expect feeding so they can latch onto the nipple for feeding. Expectations, anticipatory looks, and disengagement all show that infants can learn visually, even if it is only short term. David Roberts (2016) tested multimedia learning propositions, he found that using certain images dislocates pedagogically harmful excesses of text, reducing cognitive overloading and exploiting under-used visual processing capacities


In early childhood

From the ages 3–8 visual learning improves and begins to take many different forms. At the toddler age of 3–5, children's bodily actions structure the visual learning environment. At this age, toddlers are using their newly developed sensory-motor skills quite often and fusing them with their improved vision to understand the world around them. This is seen by toddler's using their arms to bring objects of interest close to their sensors, such as their eyes and face, to explore the object further. The act of bringing objects close to their face affects their immediate view by placing their mental and visual attention on that object and just blocking the view of other objects that are around them and out of view. There is an emphasis placed on objects and things that are directly in front of them and thus proximal vision is the primary perspective of visual learning. This is different from how adults utilize visual learning. This difference in toddler vision and adult vision is attributable to their body sizes, and body movements such that their visual experiences are created by their body movement. An adults view is broad, due to their larger body size, with most objects in view because of the distance between them and objects. Adults tend to scan a room, and see everything rather than focusing on one object only. The way a child integrates visual learning with motor experiences enhances their perceptual and cognitive development. For elementary school children, aged 4–11, intellect is positively related to their level of auditory-visual integrative proficiency. The most significant period for the development of auditory-visual integration occurs between ages 5–7. During this time, the child has mastered visual-kinesthetic integration, and the child's visual learning can be applied to formal learning focused towards books and reading, rather than physical objects, thus impacting their intellect. As reading scores increase, children are able to learn more, and their visual learning has developed to not only focus on physical objects in close proximity to them, but also to interpret words and such to acquire knowledge by reading.


In middle childhood

Here we categorize middle childhood as ages 9 to 14. By this stage in a child's normal development vision is sharp and learning processes are well underway. Most studies that have focused their efforts on visual learning have found that visual learning styles as opposed to traditional learning styles greatly improve the totality of a student's learning experience. First off, visual learning engages students and student engagement is one of the most important factors that motivated students to learn. Visuals increase student interest with the use of graphics animation and video. Consequently, it has been found that students pay greater attention to lecture material when visuals are used. With increased attention to lesson material, many positive outcomes have been seen with the use of visual tactics in the classrooms of middle-aged students. Students organize and process information more thoroughly when they learn visually which helps them to understand the information better. Students are more likely to remember information that is learned with a visual aid. When teachers used visual tactics to teach middle-aged students they found that students had more positive attitudes about the material they were learning.Farkas, R. "Effects of Traditional Versus Learning-Styles Instructional Methods on Middle School Students" ''The Journal of Educational Research''. Vol. 97, No. 1 (Sep. – Oct., 2003), pp. 42–51. Students also exemplified higher test performance, higher standard achievement scores, thinking on levels that require higher-order thinking, and more engagement. One study also found that learning about emotional events, such as the Holocaust, with visual aids increase middle aged children's empathy.


In adolescence


Brain maturation into young adulthood

Gray matter is responsible for generating
nerve impulse An action potential occurs when the membrane potential of a specific cell location rapidly rises and falls. This depolarization then causes adjacent locations to similarly depolarize. Action potentials occur in several types of animal cells, c ...
s that process brain information, and
white matter White matter refers to areas of the central nervous system (CNS) that are mainly made up of myelinated axons, also called tracts. Long thought to be passive tissue, white matter affects learning and brain functions, modulating the distribution ...
is responsible for transmitting that brain information between lobes and out through the spinal cord. Nerve impulses are transmitted by
myelin Myelin is a lipid-rich material that surrounds nerve cell axons (the nervous system's "wires") to insulate them and increase the rate at which electrical impulses (called action potentials) are passed along the axon. The myelinated axon can be ...
, a fatty material that grows around a cell. White matter has a myelin sheath (a collection of myelin) while gray matter doesn't, which efficiently allows neural impulses to move swiftly along the fiber. The myelin sheath isn't fully formed until around ages 24–26. This means that adolescents and young adults typically learn differently, and subsequently often utilize visual aids in order to help them better comprehend difficult subjects. Learning preferences can vary across a wide spectrum. Specifically, within the realm of visual learning, they can vary between people who prefer being given learning instructions with text as opposed to those who prefer being given instructions with graphics. College students were tested in general factors like learning preference and
spatial ability Spatial ability or visuo-spatial ability is the capacity to understand, reason, and remember the visual and spatial relations among objects or space. Visual-spatial abilities are used for everyday use from navigation, understanding or fixing equi ...
(being able to be proficient in creating, holding, and manipulating spatial representations). The study determined that college-age individuals report efficient learning styles and learning preferences for themselves individually. These personal assessments have proved accurate, meaning that self-ratings of factors such as spatial ability and learning preference can be effective measures of how well one learns visually.


Gender differences

Studies have indicated that adolescents learn best through 10 various styles; reading, manipulative activity, teacher explanation, auditory stimulation, visual demonstration, visual stimulation (electronic), visual stimulation (just pictures), games, social interaction, and personal experience.Eiszler, C. F. (1982). "Perceptual Preferences as an Aspect of Adolescent Learning Styles". According to the study, young adult males demonstrate a preference for learning through activities they are able to manipulate, and young adult females show a greater preference for learning through teacher notes visually or using graphs, and through reading. This suggests that Women are more visually stimulated, interested in information that they can have physical direct control over. Men, on the other hand, learn best through reading information and having it explained in an auditory fashion.


Lack of evidence

Although learning styles have "enormous popularity", and both children and adults express personal preferences, there is no evidence that identifying a student's learning style produces better outcomes, and there is significant evidence that the widely touted "meshing hypothesis" (that a student will learn best if taught in a method deemed appropriate for that student's learning style) is invalid. Well-designed studies "flatly contradict the popular meshing hypothesis". Rather than targeting instruction to the "right" learning style, students appear to benefit most from mixed modality presentations, for instance using both auditory and visual techniques for all students.Coffield, F., Moseley, D., Hall, E., Ecclestone, K. (2004)
''Learning styles and pedagogy in post-16 learning. A systematic and critical review''
. London: Learning and Skills Research Centre.


See also

*
Learning styles Learning styles refer to a range of theories that aim to account for differences in individuals' learning. Although there is ample evidence that individuals express personal preferences for how they prefer to receive information, few studies have f ...
**
Auditory learning Auditory learning is a learning style in which a person learns through listening. An auditory learner depends on listening and speaking as a main way of learning.Kostelnik, M.J., Soderman, A.K., Whiren, AP. (2004). Developmentally Appropriate Cu ...
**
Kinesthetic learning Kinesthetic learning (American English), kinaesthetic learning (British English), or tactile learning is learning that involves physical activity. As cited by Favre (2009), Dunn and Dunn define kinesthetic learners as students who prefer whole-bod ...


References


External links


Articles and resources about the visual learning style for students and instructors


{{DEFAULTSORT:Visual Learning Learning methods Infographics Information technology management Neuro-linguistic programming concepts and methods