ISSUE
07
A publication of the
Centre for University
Teaching
University Teaching
January
2011
Seeing Ideas
Differently: Using
Visual Aids
Think about it!
• Information developed
with a Web 2.0 visual
aid are not saved on
your computer. Be sure
to keep track of what
you or your students
have produced.
• Selected tool should
help deliver maximum
information while
causing the fewest
distractions.
• Take the time to test
and learn about the
visual aid you want
to use to ensure that
the product content
is appropriate and in
line with the course
objectives.
• Ensure that the
complexity of the
tool does not hinder
the understanding of
information; it is better
to work with a simple
tool that your students
have no trouble using.
Manuel Dias
Centre for University Teaching
Like many Web 2.0 applications,
visual aids have become very popular
with a large number of users. There
are several explanations for this
success: for one, these tools are easily
accessible, available anytime online
and free to use. In addition, a wide
variety of tools is available, whether
you are transforming a document
into a text cloud, exploring different
visual representations of data, or
creating animations from static
content. Lastly, the intuitive quality
of visual aids means users quickly
become adept at using these tools.
What are visual aids?
Visual aids are applications that are
accessible online and allow the user
to represent data in graphs, keyword
clouds or mind maps. The idea is to
transform written content into a visual
form in order to better understand
and interpret it. Depending on what
the user requires, one tool might
be more effective than another
in terms of teaching students and
making difficult concepts easier to
understand.
How do they work?
The first step is to select a tool that
best suits the information that is to be
presented or interpreted. Using certain
online tools is very simple and entails
two functions: copying and pasting
content into a black box. In such
instances, the only important aspect
is the transfer between incoming
and outgoing information. The tool’s
internal functions and technical
aspects are all handled automatically,
a fact that in large part explains the
popularity of visual aids (Kurkowski,
2009).
Why use visual aids in
teaching?
By representing fundamental concepts
as graphs, keyword clouds or concept
maps, these visual aids can help with
students’ comprehension. These tools
are useful resources to assist students
in their learning and to help them make
Wordle™ can
be used in
class for the
following:
Visual aids can
facilitate the
comprehension
of concepts and
complex ideas.
• Writing and language
exercises where
students can find
the words used
repeatedly;
• Carrying out a writing
style exercise in order
to find repetitious
language as well
as correct common
errors;
• Analyzing language
(finding repetition of
words, for example);
• Working on
vocabulary in
language classes;
• Writing summaries;
• Performing
brainstorming
activities and
assessing students’
pre-existing
knowledge before an
activity;
• Presenting key
concepts for the
course or activity.
connections between concepts, help
discuss ideas and analyse the content of
a text.
For the professor, a visual aid offers the
perfect opportunity to introduce difficult
material in an engaging and stimulating
manner while also maintaining control
of how the material is presented in
order to ensure it is understood.
In addition, visual tools help engage
students in the classroom and effectively
integrate dynamic learning.
Finally, visual aids facilitate group or
“collaborative” learning where students
have the opportunity to exchange and
share different ideas that are then
expressed in a shared visual format.
Below are descriptions of visual tools
placed into three main categories:
keyword clouds, graphs and concept
maps.
Keywords clouds
Some visual tools help by taking words
and making them into keyword clouds.
The concept is simple: in the space
provided, the user can enter a phrase
or a text with a single click and get a
graphical representation of the content
in the form of a word cloud. The words
appear in different sizes depending
on how frequently they appear in the
text. Common words such as “and”
or “of” are not represented as they
may mask the desired effect. These
tools allow for a degree of creativity,
as word clouds can be configured in
various shapes and colours. The user
can also decide on which colours to
use and how to position words. Lastly,
these tools allow you to save a copy to
your computer or to print your work.
Graphs
Some visual aids help users create
graphical representations from a
database as a way of comparing
values, connecting various elements,
analyzing text (keyword clouds or word
trees), or working on geographical
maps. This is the case with IBM’s
“Many Eyes,” which features 16
different
visualization
models,
although the user must create an
account to access them. In addition,
some tools publish other users’
models, providing an opportunity to
comment on work that has already
been created. These graphs can be
more or less elaborate, depending on
the amount of information provided
by the user.
and modified (including colour, font,
etc.). Once completed, the user can
print a mind map or import it in as an
image (JPEG, PNG). However, a mind
map can be added to or modified after
the fact, but will require a free user
account to be created first.
Sites for creating keyword clouds:
Conclusion
• Wordle
• TagCrowd
• Tagxedo
Web 2.0 visual aids have gradually
emerged in recent years and have
spread throughout university teaching.
These simple and free applications
make for particularly effective tools that
support student learning and enhance
their understanding of complex
concepts or components. Moreover,
visual tools are of interest thanks to
their ability to facilitate collaboration
between students and professors, as
well as to stimulate discussion that can
Sites for creating concept maps:
• Bubbl.us
• MindMeister
Sites for creating graphs:
• Many Eyes
Mind maps
The website Bubbl.us is a handy tool
for creating mind maps in just a few
clicks. The user enters keywords into
frames or bubbles; they can create new
bubbles, link them and amalgamate
ideas. The bubbles can be easily moved
energize a classroom.
Further Reading
Kurkowski, P. (2009). 7 things you
should know about date visualization II.
EDUCAUSE Learning Initiative. Available
at: http://net.educause.edu/ir/library/
pdf/ELI7052.pdf.
Perez, S. (2009). The Best Tools for
Visualization. Available at: http://
readwrite.com/2008/03/13/the_best_
tools_for_visualization#awesm=~oE4Y
A0EHis1Wvg.
Viégas, F., Wattenberg, M. and Feinberg,
J. (2009). Participatory Visualization
with Wordle. IEEE Transactions on
Visualization and Computer Graphics.
Vol. 15, N°6. Available at: http://
ieeexplore.ieee.org/stamp/stamp.
jsp?arnumber=05290722.
URFIST Info. (Décembre2007). Visualisation
collective. Outils d’information, pratiques
informationnelles,
réseaux
sociaux.
Available at: http://urfistinfo.hypotheses.
org/126.
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