By Islam Hafez, OSU College of Forestry
As technology continues to advance, students are now more susceptible to shorter attention spans and information overload. During an entire course, students are exposed to tons of new information. One key challenge with such a plethora of information is that students struggle to organize and connect the various pieces of information that they acquire. In response, instructors must adapt their teaching methods to meet this challenge. More specifically, instructors need to design courses and learning experiences that support students in making meaningful connections between various pieces of information. Visual learning can be a critical component of resilient teaching that offers a solution to engage and support students in comprehending and organizing complex concepts that they learn.
Visual maps are an example of visual learning tools that could be incorporated into various teaching methodologies, and they offer several advantages in both classroom and online teaching. For instance, these maps are effective organizational tools that help students to structure their thoughts and understand the relationships between different concepts. In addition, when done in a collaborative environment, visual maps can foster a sense of engagement and cooperation among students that enhances their overall learning experience. Also, these maps are not only going to help students remember the knowledge they learned, but also how to use it and articulate it.
One specific example of visual maps is the debate map. Unlike other types of maps, debate maps visually represent the structure and flow of arguments and offers a comprehensive view of the discussion. In addition to the visual representation aspect of it, they also facilitate critical thinking and analysis between students. This is achieved through the organization of arguments and counterarguments, the collaborative brainstorming of ideas, articulation of arguments, and identification of logical connections between different points.
The flexibility of incorporating visual maps in learning activities is a key advantage. Depending on the goal of the debate or argument, these techniques may vary from sticky notes, board drawing, or using online platforms. On one hand, online platforms may be used to leverage specific aspects of the presented argument and facilitate more structured, multi-scale, and in-depth discussion. On the other hand, the hands-on activities using sticky notes or board may promote brainstorming and stimulate creativity and critical thinking. This flexibility allows instructors to create a dynamic environment that targets a wide range of learning preferences.
To conclude, in a time of rapid technological advances, it is important for students to learn how to retain, organize, and use the knowledge they learn. This will enable them to navigate various level of complexities and challenges that are currently associated with the current educational system. It is important to note that visual maps may not be appropriate for every class, but incorporating visual maps in some parts during class will be valuable for students and will help them comprehend the various types of knowledge that they learn in class and apply in their lives.
About the author: Islam Hafez is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Wood Science and Engineering in the College of Forestry.
Editor’s Note: This is part of a series of guest posts about resilience and teaching strategies by members of the Spring ’24 Resilient Teaching Faculty Learning Community facilitated by the Center for Teaching and Learning. The opinions expressed in guest posts are solely those of the authors.
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