CHAPTER 6 Nonlinguistic Representations Visualization can empower students to facilitate thought and learning Brian Doucette

Learning Targets

What we know about how knowledge is stored Dual Coding Theory (Paivio, 1969, 1971, 1990) Linguistic (language form) Nonlinguistic (imagery form) talk to students about new content have them read about new content students left on their own to generate mental imagery of new content enhances students’ ability to represent and elaborate on knowledge using mental pictures or physical sensations (i.e., smell, taste, touch, sight, or sound).

What is Nonlinguistic Representation? Definition: Generating mental pictures or physical models of information and creating graphic representations for the information.

Why is the incorporation of nonlinguistic representation important? It has been shown that explicitly engaging students in the creation of nonlinguistic representations stimulates and increases activity in the brain.

Types of nonlinguistic representations that can enhance student understanding Creating graphic organizers Making physical models Generating mental pictures Drawing pictures or pictographs Engaging in kinesthetic activities

Recommendation # 1: Use graphic organizers to represent knowledge. Graphic organizers help students understand relationships between key elements in a subject being learned. Tables, charts, word webs, and word maps are just a few of the many possibilities that can be used.

Type 1: Descriptive Patterns When to use: when representing facts about specific persons, places, things and events.

Descriptive Patterns Example

Type 2: Time-Sequence Patterns When to use: when organizing events in a specific chronological order.

Time-Sequence Patterns Example

Type 3: Process/Cause-Effect Patterns When to use: when organizing information into a casual network leading to specific outcome or into a sequence of steps leading to a specific product.

Process/Cause-Effect Patterns Example

Type 4: Episode Patterns When to use: when organizing a large quantity of information about specific events.

Process/Cause-Effect Patterns Example

Type 5: Generalization/Principle Patterns When to use: when organizing information into general statements with supporting examples.

Generalization/Principle Patterns Example

Type 6: Concept Patterns When to use: when organizing information about a work or phrase that represents entire classes or categories.

Concept Patterns Example

Recommendation # 2: Make physical models to represent knowledge. Physical models are concrete representations of the knowledge being learned Think “Manipulatives” Be sure the activity will extend students’ understanding of the knowledge

Examples: Have students construct models as they learn such as the DNA ladder representation, musical instruments, three dimensional forms or build prototypes using key concepts.

Recommendation # 3: Have students generate mental pictures to represent knowledge they are learning. The most direct way to generate nonlinguistic representations is to simply imagine a mental picture of knowledge being learned.

Teachers can help students empower learning through visualization using the five senses. Sight: What did/do you see? Smell: Where there any fragrance associations? Sound: What did/do you hear? Taste: How did it taste? Touch: What did you feel?

Examples: A social studies teacher presenting a lesson on World War I could select a picture from the textbook and involve students in describing the soldiers, sights, smells, textures, temperature, sounds, forces, and other sensory information. This will create multiple pathways for students to use for future connections. Have students in Phys Ed class visualize themselves performing a skill prior to actually doing it.

Mental Pictures Activity Time to try one for ourselves

Recommendation # 4: Have students draw pictures or pictographs to represent knowledge. Students are encouraged to draw some image that reminds them or can be associated with the new learning. It can be a drawing or a combination of pictures, symbols (or pictographs) and/or words. Have students draw charts, maps or graphs to see connections.

Examples:

Recommendation # 5: Have students engage in kinesthetic activities that represent knowledge. Students participate in an activity that involves physical movement. This movement is associated with the new learning and allows them to develop an image of the knowledge. Some examples include dramatizations, dance, music and simulations.

Examples: 4th graders studying geometry could stand up and use their arms to demonstrate the following: Radius of a circle Diameter of a circle Circumference of a circle Acute angle Obtuse angle Right angle

Probably the most underused instructional strategy, creating nonlinguistic representations help students to understand content in a whole new way. We store what we know in a language form (linguistic) and an imagery form (nonlinguistic). Teachers can empower learning connections by intentionally addressing nonlinguistic representation as part of the learning experience.

If you are interested, go to my teacher web space at http://tcdsbstaff to download: Copy of this PowerPoint presentation 26 page PDF resource document to supplement the information in Chapter 6 and provides various examples, blank templates and samples of graphic organizers

Questions or comments?