Well I feel that e-learning should aim to provide a collaborative learning environment, in which the teacher and pupils become learners, faciltators and researchers. The use of e-media facilitates the learning process and the communication of knowledge, helping self-actualisation and the unfreezing and reframing of our perceptions. Visual media play a key role in this process. I set a challenge to some 12 year olds last week to present their ideas about how the countries in Europe are different. Words, sound any form of presentation could be used. It is interesting that a majority chose visual representation in pictures, maps and boxes and arrows to produce diagrammatic displays. In critiquing each other presentations, the class praised those who used clear visuals, were economic with words and had a high a varied content of graphs, diagrams and maps.

It seems to me that for most pupils the use of the visual is stimulating, enjoyable and forms a lasting image or impression. Planet Earth the BBC TV series is an inspirational example of the power of the camera to take learners on a journey. Equally though so are few clips put together by a group summarising their own research or setting out an explanation or description of a topic. I watched with one of my classes an animated explanation of the problems of deforestation acted out in front of a digital camera by a pupils and some of his friends using simple props at home. We all enjoyed it and a stimulating debate followed.

Yesterday I was demonstrating the basics of an Interactive Whiteboard to an Economics teacher knew to the equipment. One aspect that struck them about the technology was the ability to build up graphs in segments and play the process back and forth to enhance understanding. This is a small example but it underlies the power of the visual and how new technology helps us focus on this important vector of learning.

We live in an increasingly visual world and our pupils access much publicly available information visually so it we should aim to harness this familiar media and their visual acuity to enhance learning.

However for me an exciting and liberating aspect of visual representation of ideas is that you are not confined to rows of text. For example accessing information set out as an ideagram – some form of diagram communication your ideas helps to increase creativity. Because there is now no obvious route – left to right as in sentences, visuals tend to unfreeze perceptions, we soon begin to have a choice of our route through information. You can think organically and capture ideas more easily as they grow. It may be a messy process in creation, however it does aid in depth and rapid thinking. I have found that using Inspiration software (concept mapping software – using terminology in its broadest sense) has helped pupil capture ideas quickly. One interesting point that I have experimented with is allowing learners to assign ideas with a symbol or picture. Many seem to find this a help to recall.



Edited 1 times. Last edit at 02/07/07 18:26 by Michael Smith.