Research suggests that visual aids for learning gives improved content comprehension, consumption and retention. Our brain is mainly an image processor rather than a word processor. This is because the part of our brain processing visuals is far more powerful than the part of our brain responsible for processing words.
Visuals are easier to remember and they work like sticky notes that simply stick to our memory. Words are harder to process. Especially when the given information is not delivered in your native language. This means that it becomes harder for the human brain to digest and retrieve such information.
Does that mean we should only deliver learning with the help of images?
No, it doesn’t! It is nearly impossible to deliver learning content without using words. Words and visuals should always be used to complement one another. However, using powerful and easy digestible visuals support to overcome learning barriers. Thus boosting learner retention. Therefore, infographics are a particularly strong tool to help achieving such results.
But what are infographics?
The word itself is quite self-explanatory. It is the combination of the words “information” and “graphics”. Infographics are all about telling a story. They help you structure data and make it visually appealing to your audience. Besides learning, infographics are widely used in marketing since they catch people’s attention. This is because this type of visuals help reducing cognitive loads. They are mainly used when there is:
Visuals are sticky notes to our memory!
… a lot of data that is shared with the learners.
There is a time and a place for spreadsheets, case studies, and academic whitepapers. Most people have trouble interpreting data when it is communicated in text format. This is the reason why we are not keen on creating monthly reports.
You are able to catch the visual compartment of the human brain by turning cold and boring statistics into compelling visuals. This will help you to have a greater influence over your audience’s learning retention.
… proven interest in making content more digestible.
Infographics force you to simplify the presentation of your learning content. Using infographics makes it easier for your learners to digest your content.
However, we need to make sure that we have fully understood the concept of these visuals. It is important to remember that the design plays an important role in any infographic. The structure, colors, elements and amount of words are what make up the design. It is how we create the design that enable us to use this learning tool to its full potential.
… a strong need for increased learning retention.
Visuals are proven to improve student focus and learning retention by more than 300 percent. As a result, most of our learners recall up to 65 percent more of what they have learned compared to students using purely text-based learning materials.
Are you interested in learning more about infographics?
On our webpage, you can find resources to help you create effective infographics. If you’re inspired to learn more, enroll in our online course on Creating Learning Infographics.
This detailed online course will walk you through all the necessary steps to design effective infographics for your learning offerings.
The MINDSED Team.