Visual Learning Strategies: What to Look For in Math Learning Platforms

We have all met students who have had anxiety about the subject of math.  Some of us may have even been these students ourselves.  There are a wide variety of factors that can cause anxiety in an academic setting.  One common factor is not having the material presented in a preferred manner.  For example, if you are a visual learner and your math teacher frequently presents lessons orally with very little visuals, it will be hard for you to retain the information.  As a teacher, it is important to understand the visual components of an adaptive learning platform so that you can select one that will allow your visual learners to be successful.

There are visual images throughout every concept of mathematics.  Consider language such as "Estimate how many." and "Which object is further away?"  The images that these phrases conjure have inherent words and numbers attached to them.  When students learn to use these images, words, and numbers subconsciously, they have a much better chance at succeeding with math.

Furthermore, as students reach higher elementary school grades, they will need to understand more abstract math concepts.  The ability to visualize these concepts will be a huge asset.  For example, consider the following problem: "How do you find the surface area of a cube?"  Being able to envision the cube will greatly help you find the solution.

There are a wide variety of applications for mathematical visuals, including understanding relationships, indicating scale and proportion, and clarifying volume and/or area.  Models will assist students with interpreting, analyzing, and discussing a wide variety of data.  Students must learn to create diagrams naturally, just as they would build equations or write sentences.

It is important to consider an adaptive learning platform that includes some, if not all, of the following components.  Consider which ones will be most relevant for your students and keep an eye out for them as you are previewing each adaptive learning platform.

• Webs.  Webs illustrate how different information categories relate to each other.  They give students structure for understanding, organizing, and prioritizing the ideas and facts.  Typically the main ideas are in the center of the web with links to sub-topics on the outside.
• Concept maps.  Concepts maps link two or more concepts with words to describe their relationship.  This allows students to organize their knowledge and then expand their understanding of it, allowing them to make critical connections.
• Idea maps.  Idea maps help students begin forming their ideas when they start projects, writing assignments, and presentations.  Students can generate ideas and then follow them through to solve problems and plan their work in a visual manner.
• Plots, graphs, and charts. This category includes venn diagrams, axis or scatter plots, pie graphs (you can make fun pie charts for your elementary math students), timer series/timelines, and vertical bar graphs of stack plots.

Mikleman - Eye

Randy Glasbergen - Visual Learning Strategies

AlaskaYoung17 - Anxious Student