Cognitive science research suggests that for optimal learning to occur, information has to be received and encoded along dual channels – visual (non-verbal) and verbal. What this means for instructors is that in considering how we present information to our learners, it is important to connect verbal (text/words) information with visual stimuli. Images, when used strategically to augment course content, can enhance learners’ ability to consolidate and recall information.  

Adding visual imagery to course materials (e.g. illustrations, graphs, infographics, charts, photo essays) can be both strategic and worth the time spent. Below are resources and useful visual tools for you to consider incorporating into your course materials:

• Concept maps allow for non-linear visualization which is difficult to convey with text alone. Two resources are Coggle and MindMeister.
• Infographics visualize information and data which aids in the cognitive processing of that information and data. They can be created in Canva, Picktochart, and Infogram.
• Graphic organizers visualize the relationships between facts, ideas, concepts, and information. Resources include Creately and HMH - Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.
• Images as stories express a narrative. Storytelling tools are available in Northwestern's Knightlabs.
• Images as metaphors are visual analogies and stories. Free or low-cost images available on Unsplash, Pexels, The Noun Project, Word Art, EdWordle, Flickr, Wikimedia Commons, and Pixabay.
• Specialty images: Art and architecture, history, science, medicine
• Data visualizations are graphic representations of information. Create the in Tableau or Gapminder.
• Whiteboards online that allow sharing and a wider array of visuals like Miro and Padlet

Concept Maps

Concept or mind maps are technological tools that rely on cognitive science and our understanding of how the brain organizes information to allow us to visualize ideas in flexible ways. Concept maps are a departure from the linear way in which academic information is typically organized in textbooks, which often does not account for the complex, non-linear relationships between ideas. Concept mapping tools allow for a variety of non-linear relationships to be visually diagrammed in efficient ways ranging from procedural tasks (e.g. a simple logic model) to complex relationships among multiple concepts and ideas.

Below is a concept map that illustrates the complexity of instructional design practice and the many factors that influence the design of instruction. Without a non-linear way of describing instructional design practice, it would be challenging to illustrate the array of factors involved and the relationships between ideas. This visual concept map helps to make explicit the ideas and concepts which we can use to build connections to new information. The power of a concept mapping tool is that a learner can return and rearrange the map as their understanding progresses.

Another strength of concept map platforms is that the maps can be embedded in Canvas or on a web page and that multiple group members can access the map and work on it simultaneously or view the work of other learners or groups. Below is an embedded map in progress.

Whiteboards

Using a web-based whiteboard provides instructors with another tool to increase learner interaction in their classroom by allowing them to post comments, images, videos, and links which are then immediately visible to all learners in the class. You can use a whiteboard for in-person, hybrid as well as online classes to enhance interaction between learners. 

Electronic cloud-based whiteboards facilitate:

• Collaboration while remote or in-person
• Active learning
• A learner-centered environment
• Cooperative learning
• Increased learner engagement
• Community building
• Opportunity for low-stakes assessments

Whiteboard Platforms

• Microsoft Whiteboard is included with Emory's Office 365. To try it, click in the upper-left on the nine dots when in your Emory email, select All Apps and scroll until you see Whiteboards. Next, click New Whiteboard and start working.
• Miro provides numerous ways to collaborate by free-form drawing, writing, inserting images and documents, labeling, and using note cards. Visit the Miro Help Center and view this video on using Miro for meetings and workshops. Free or paid versions are available.
• Padlet is an easy-to-use tool that allows learners to collaborate online by posting text, images, links, documents, videos, and voice recordings. Padlet allows for different visual set-ups including a wall, a canvas, a shelf, an information stream, a grid, a timeline, and a map. Padlet's function is similar to an electronic bulletin board where learners can collaborate to pull together different kinds of information: topics, themes, historical events, categories, and more. Paid or free versions available.
• Zoom Whiteboard. Sign in to your Emory Zoom account, select the Whiteboards tab and choose New Whiteboard. To view your whiteboards, select the 'My Whiteboards' tab. You can also select 'Shared with Me' to view whiteboards that have been shared with you.