Learning better is one of the most important things you can do as a student. Whether preparing for a big test or trying to get ahead at work, it’s essential to know how to learn efficiently. Unfortunately, there are many different types of learners, and not all learning methods will work with every person’s brain type. This means that if your natural learning style is visual, it can be extra difficult for you to find an effective way to study material. Luckily, there are some great resources available online that can help visual learners learn better.
Graphical Representation
Graphical abstracts are a fantastic option for visual learners who find it difficult to remember information. Graphical representations can summarize information to make it easier for you to understand and retain the knowledge. The graphical summary should:
- Be concise—it should have only the most important points, not every detail. Making your summary concise will help you avoid getting overwhelmed by the amount of information being presented, which can happen when too many details are included in an article or book.
- Summarize each section of an article or book by using shapes and lines that connect these sections visually on one page, making it easy for visual learners to follow along and understand how everything fits together as well as remember what was said earlier in this section without having any trouble with recall later on down the line tomorrow morning at work during your daily lunch break with coworkers around noon-ish time slot today when lunchtime comes around again after lunch hour begins approximately 4:30 pm (or so). If necessary, add bullet points about each section, so readers know what topics will be covered within each major topic heading listed at the top left corner(s) of the graph paper sheet(s).
Infographics
These are visual representations of data intended to present complex information quickly and clearly. Visual learners can benefit from this presentation style because it allows them to process and retain information more easily due to the visual nature of infographics.
Infographics are particularly helpful when you want your audience to understand complex ideas in a short amount of time.
Pictograms and Symbols
Pictograms are visual representations of an idea, concept, or object. Think about the signs you see at a rest stop along the highway: restroom, drinking fountain, and vending machines are all examples of pictograms. They’re also used in many other ways—to communicate ideas.
Pictograms can help people learn: signs on highway exit ramps often use symbols (like arrows pointing up) instead of words so everyone can understand them. For example, when someone sees an arrow leading up from the words “Exit 35” onto another ramp sign with an image of paw prints underlined by six lines indicating “Dogs allowed on leash only,” they’ll know that this exit is for dog walkers who don’t want their pets running around freely while they’re driving through town.
Videos
Videos are among the best ways to learn. If you’re a visual learner, you know how important learning through watching is for you. Videos can explain complex concepts in a way that text or diagrams alone couldn’t do justice, or even just as an easy way to illustrate something that would be difficult for your brain to process otherwise.
Videos also can help students learn how to do things themselves—like tie their shoelaces.
Videos can be a great way to teach students, but they can also be used as a tool for self-learning. If you’re unsure how something works, watching someone else do it might help clear things up in your mind.
Kinesthetic Learning
Kinesthetic learning uses your body to learn. For example, if you’re trying to remember something that happened in a book, you might picture the scene and act out how it would happen. This helps you remember what you’re reading.
Kinesthetic learning can be effective for visual learners because it involves using all of your senses (sight, sound, touch, and smell). When we use kinesthetic learning in school or work settings, we are tapping into multiple senses at once—which helps us retain information better than when we only use one sense at a time (like just hearing something or looking at it).
Take Away
Visual learning is a powerful tool. It can help people retain information better and understand concepts more clearly, which is great news for those struggling to remember or process things quickly. But there’s more to it than that—visual learners are often highly creative, intuitive, and empathetic, able to see solutions where others can’t. Take some time today to explore the five resources we listed above. They’re each different and offer unique ways of visualizing information, but they all have something in common: They’re designed with visual learners in mind. These resources will help you give yourself a boost as well as learn more about how others think about learning differently than you do.