Visual learning: what it is, and ways to enhance it.

A summary of the characteristics of visual learning, and how to enhance it in education.

People learn throughout their lives, and in a thousand ways. We can learn through words, images, experiences, people... Thus, there are many types and styles of learning, depending on their characteristics and the stimuli that make this process possible.

Generally, each person has a learning style with which he or she learns more easily. Today we are going to talk about a very specific type of learning: visual learning. But how do we know that "our" learning style is visual, what exactly does it consist of and what are some examples? What are its characteristics and advantages? We are going to solve all these questions in this article, and, in addition, we will know what other two learning styles exist.

The process of learning

Although most people can learn in different ways depending on the context, we do not all learn the same, and furthermore, many people learn better in one way or another..

If we extrapolate this question to the field of intellectual disability, for example, even more specifics arise, since many of these children learn better in a particular way (for example through sight, touch ...), showing difficulties in learning through other areas (although each case should be analyzed individually).

What happens when we learn better through one sense than another? In these cases, it would be ideal to maximize this type of learning in particular, without forgetting, of course, the other senses. Being able to identify which is our best way of learning will allow us to maximize our learning.

There are people who learn best through the sense of hearing (for example, listening to the teacher's explanations), others through words (reading), others through experiences... what happens with people who learn best through sight?

First of all, it is good to know it, to take advantage of it; once known, our task as teachers, educational psychologists or other professionals in the sector, and even as parents, is to to prepare and/or adapt material to enhance visual learning.. But what exactly does this consist of? Let's take a look.

Visual learning: what is it?

Visual learning is a type of learning that is realized on the basis of visual stimuliThis includes, from images, to pictograms, graphic organizers, concept maps, colors... The objective of this type of learning, which is also a teaching method, is to help pupils or students to consolidate a series of ideas through the sense of sight.

It is, therefore, a method focused on vision (and at the same time, on visual memory).

Advantages and characteristics

The advantages of visual learning are that many students who have a more developed sense of sight in their way of processing concepts, or simply who have a more developed sense of sight in their way of processing concepts.The advantages of visual learning are that many learners who have a more developed visual sense in the way they process concepts, or who are simply better at studying through diagrams/images, or who have a good visual memory, can benefit from this type of learning to a greater extent.

1. Global information

On the other hand, it is a teaching method that allows to identify information in a much faster and global way. The use of colors, for example, can increase its effectiveness.

Relationships between concepts

Another advantage of visual learning is that visualizes patterns and relationships between concepts and/or ideas more quickly, e.g., through diagrams or organizers.through diagrams or organizers, for example. All this facilitates a greater internalization of information.

Visual memory

Visual learning, as we have seen, is ideal for working with children or adults with a good visual memory. It is a type of learning that enhances this type of memory, and also, it allows working with children with difficulties in other areas but with a good visual memory (e.g., children with certain intellectual disabilities). (for example, children with certain intellectual disabilities).

Examples

We are going to see some examples of the most used elements or strategies to promote a type of visual learning (although there are more).

1. Concept maps

Concept maps involve a very visual organization of informationThey allow, in relation to a topic, to compare ideas, organize concepts...

To be understood a little better, they are schemes where information is grouped by concepts or categories in "drawers", and where these "drawers" are related to each other through arrows, for example.

2. Timelines

Timelines are another example of a technique used in visual learning. linear diagrams that allow us to place different events or elements along a chain or timeline, as the name suggests.as their name suggests. They are ideal for working on historical periods, for example.

3. Cause-effect diagrams

Cause-effect diagrams, also a visual learning technique, are representations of different elements that explain the origin of a situation or effect. explain the origin of some situation or effect.

4. Idea maps

Idea maps allow us to relate different concepts through arrows, drawings, "drawers"... they offer a very global information in relation to a subject.

How do we know that we learn better visually?

As we have seen at the beginning of the article, each person learns better through a certain sense (although there will also be people who learn equally well with one sense or another).

But how do we know if our learning style is visual? Here you will find a series of guidelines that will allow you to determine, in case it is, that your learning style is visual:

• You are a very observant person.
• You have a special facility for remembering images (and videos).
• You have a strong imagination and generate vivid images in your mind.
• You have a good visual memory.
• Images and diagrams are good for studying and memorizing.
• You have difficulty remembering or explaining verbal information.
• You think more in pictures than in words.

Other learning styles: auditory and kinesthetic.

Beyond the visual learning style, there are other learning styles. Broadly speaking, and in a generic way, there are two more: auditory learning and kinesthetic learning.

Auditory learning

People with an auditory learning style are characterized by a better recall of information provided orally/auditory (e.g. through the teacher's explanations).

In other words, they rely primarily on the sense of hearing to learn. This is an ideal style for learning languages and music.

2. Kinesthetic learning

The kinesthetic learning style, on the other hand, is characterized by being based on sensation and movement.. People with this style learn better through the body, movement, caresses, touch... it is a more experiential and "hands-on" type of learning, compared to visual or auditory learning.

It is a "slower" style, compared to the latter two, but it generates deeper learning, since emotions are often involved in it.