A majority will learn better with the second option. It’s simply because visuals hold more appeal than plain text to those curious and intuitive young minds. Most teachers understand the power of visual aids in helping students grasp content. Visual aids such as videos and images of what's being taught is a powerful way to build student engagement and boost retention. Not only do they provide supplementary information to students, but the visual aids show images that allow them to connect a topic to what it looks like. Did you know that 80% of the information of the brain processes are visual information? You really can’t blame the brain for having such a liking for visual information. Just look at how colorful or detailed and dynamic the world is around you! The constant movement around intrigued us to continue analyzing our environment.
Further, visual aids can promote deeper thinking and build overall critical thinking skills. In fact, bringing a visual aid into your classroom opens up a whole new realm of educational opportunities. Teachers value the support that visuals lend to classroom instruction because they encourage students to make associations between pieces of information, soak up chunks of course content quickly, and function as a memory aid. It’s useful to help students explore why the visual was selected and what the key characteristics of it are, and to identify the non-essential elements of it. Here are some advantages of visual aids for learning :
a. Help your Imagination Play
The phrase “A picture worth a thousand words” is stranger to nobody. Indeed, we use visual abilities so effectively that we even have a saying to prove your imagination play and grow. Besides, the visual language is also known to have the potential to stretch “human bandwidth” which comprises absorbing, comprehending and analysing new information. It is simply because it is easy to deliver many types of concepts through pictures. Pictures are the simplest and the most effective way to make sure that the information gets stored as a long-term memory. Our short term memory processes words and can only retain about seven bits of information. Dynamic a visual piece is more engaging we become with it. On the other hand, static, repetitive information can sometimes lead to boredom.Whereas, images are directly processed by our long-term memory, where they get indelibly etched.
b. Create an Easy Communication
All of the information transmitted to brain is 90% is visual and it makes us easy to create a communication based on visuals topic. Showing students visual images, such as maps, charts, graphs, photographs and pictures of people can help students get excited about a particular topic. Visual stimulate and emotional response are linked in a simple way and these two together generate what we call memories. Hence, powerful images and visual metaphors create strong impressions and lasting memories in learners.When students are able to see a photograph of a famous explorer, they're more likely to be engaged in finding out more about his contributions to history. As opposed to text, visuals are processed 60,000x faster. This is also true for special-needs students, such as those on the autism spectrum, who often learn visually and have more trouble becoming engaged in a general classroom setting
c. Boost Your Motivation
Most of the students struggle with some of their subjects because they find them uninteresting and hence lack the motivation to put in the required efforts. Visuals are the best bet in such scenarios. Captivating images, engaging videos, interesting info graphics, etc. The beauty of visual aids lies not only in its efficiency but also in its versatility. In other words, a visual presentation can be used effectively with many other means such as auditory, verbal or kinetic. In fact, there is rarely any class being taught entirely with pictures and images only. Text and sound are definitely useful in making meaning of a particular visual. It help learners fight the boredom and motivate them to do better. Most of the images that we retained for a long time holds a special meaning to us. Therefore, in pairing new information with creative or emotionally charged visualization, we have helped add a layer of meaning to that information. So, it most likely that students are more motivated to study better with visual aids.
It’s not enough for a visual to capture attention—it should help students become more engaged. Over time, I’ve learned that aligning visual aids with course content is a deliberate process, one that is harder than I realized when I was starting out. With appropriate attention, we can ensure that our visual aids are windows to our lessons’ purpose and construction.Hence, the key is to treat visuals like power boosters for your learning courses. If irrelevant they can cause distractions from the actual topic and in worst case scenarios, put off your audience. But, if used effectively, it can add value to your online or offline lesson and draw more learners to your online education platform.
Sources:
https://flearningstudio.com/the-power-of-visual-in-teaching-and-learning/
https://classroom.synonym.com/types-audiovisual-aids-used-teaching-5108016.html
https://elearningindustry.com/visual-learning-6-reasons-visuals-powerful-aspect-elearning?__cf_chl_jschl_tk__=pmd_b56395317d24193b6527686147b579f74a538c65-1628743278-0-gqNtZGzNAiKjcnBszQa6
https://www.edutopia.org/article/making-most-visual-aids