5.7.4 Cancelled

Visual thinking is an integral part of many forms of learning and creativity. And with ever more visual media- including emojis, avatars, icons and more, as a society we are becoming increasingly reliant on visual communication. As we edge toward a more visual world, it is critical for our gifted students to both have a foundational knowledge of visual literacy as well as to acquire the skills to express their knowledge and work creatively through multiple forms of visual expression.

In terms of creativity, research indicates that creative individuals across domains – art, science, music, etc. – most often have a preference for visual thinking. Many of our best minds have used visual thinking to make discoveries in science, engineering, medicine, and technology, and to design some of our most powerful tools. In education, research anchored in dual coding theory has provided evidence that when students work both visually and verbally retention is increased by 29% over extended periods of time.

Benefits of Visual Learning and Teaching Include: - helping students to better engage with materials - developing higher order thinking skills - integrate critical and creative thinking skills - visually - enhance tactile hands-eye-mind connections that improve the ability to recall facts and retain learning - increasing retention over time

Pavio, A. (2007). Mind and Its Evolution: A Dual Coding Theoretical Approach. New York, : Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc.

Andrade, J. (2009). “What Does Doodling Do?” Applied Cognitive Psychology 24(1):100-106.

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