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How to Use Visual Aids to Promote Student Learning
How to Use Visual Aids to Promote Student Learning
Every student learns differently, but many students benefit from visual aids. Read on to learn the benefits and how to implement visual aids with ease through a poster maker machine.
You’ve likely heard the famous quote, “if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid.” Similar to a fish, each student has their own strengths and weaknesses. Each student learns differently and requires unique support in various forms.
One of these forms is through visual learning. According to numerous studies, 75% of all information that our brains process is sourced visually (Raiyn, 2016). When we talk about visual learning, we’re referring to information that is presented through visual formats such as images, flowcharts, diagrams, video, graphs, cartoons, coloring books, slideshows or Powerpoint presentations, posters, movies, games, and flashcards (Raiyn, 2016).
Visual learning further inspires visual thinking, whereby learners understand information better by associating ideas, words and concepts with images (Raiyn, 2016). Additionally, students with disabilities may require visual support in order to communicate with their teachers, peers, and to promote independence.
Now that we know the benefits of using visual aids, how do we use visual aids to promote students’ learning?
- Pick appropriate visual aids based on the lesson, classroom, and age group of your students.
You likely know your students and their developmental levels very well. When selecting visual aids for your classroom, it’s important that the aids you choose are appropriate for your classroom age group and are relevant to the lesson you’re teaching. Some examples of ways to implement visual aids in your lessons are through:
- Developing a graphic organizer
- Creating a chart or graph
- Vocabulary lessons with images
- Identifying key concepts (e.g. grammar)
- Encourage class discussion and inquiry
- Present an image as a writing prompt
- Use a bubble map or flow map
- Use visuals to illustrate a math problem or concept
- Anchor chart to represent lesson
- Schedule for the day
2. Now that you’ve selected the appropriate visual aids, it’s time to create your visual aids.
As mentioned, you can use technology to show Powerpoint presentations and videos to your class. However, it is also beneficial to have physical visual aids present in your classroom and throughout your lesson plans. You can easily create visual aids through Microsoft Office software such as Word, Powerpoint, or Excel. You can also create aids through Adobe products or you can purchase premade templates and aids through various education blogs and marketplaces.
3. Once you’ve created your visual aids, it’s time to print and implement them.
You can print your visual aids using a poster maker machine, like the Education Pro Poster Maker. Many educators print their classroom posters at Staples or Kinko’s, but with a poster maker machine, you’re able to print full color posters and banners at the touch of a button from the comfort of your classroom. We know how busy educators are – convenience is essential.
It’s not always easy to accommodate every student in your classroom, but with the countless benefits of visual aids and the ease of creating them through a poster maker machine, we hope you’re ready to start creating killer visual aids to support your visual learners.
Sources:
Raiyn, J. (2016). The role of visual learning in improving students’ high-order
thinking skills. Journal of Education and Practice, 7(24), 115-121. Retrieved from
