Engaging Minds, Enhancing Comprehension and Constructing Knowledge through Visual Representations.

Abstract

Advance organizers are used to teach specific contexts with different levels of complexity. Regardless of the educational level or context, the advance organizer (graphic organizer) is a tool that helps the learner connect the known to the unknown and remember the knowledge gained. To help in understanding this process, a case study was developed based on higher education faculty and undergraduate and graduate students' opinions on the value and usefulness of graphic organizers to connect visual language with verbal language in order to optimize active learning. Five faculty members and 17 students, both graduate and undergraduate, responded to questions about graphic organizers. Students appreciated the value of the graphic organizer and recognized the connection with prior knowledge and usefulness as a teaching strategy. Faculty members also found graphic organizers to be valuable teaching tools, and they acknowledged the value of graphic organizers in helping teacher candidates develop higher level critical thinking skills. (SLD) Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document. PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE AND DISSEMINATE THIS MATERIAL HAS BEEN GRANTED BY TO THE EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC) U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Office of Educational Research and Improvement EDU ATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC) This document has been reproduced as received from the person or organization . originating it. 0 Minor changes have been made to improve reproduction quality. Points of view or opinions stated in this document do not necessarily represent official OERI position or policy. Engaging minds, Enhancing Comprehension and 00 Constructing Knowledge Through Visual Representations 0 CNI 1.0 Cv) World Association for Case Method Research and Application Bordeaux, France June 29-July 02, 2003 Dr. Ana Gil-Garcia and Dr. Joaquin Villegas Northeastern Illinois University Chicago, IL USA 2 BEST COPY AVAILABLE Engaging Minds, Enhancing Comprehension and Constructing Knowledge Through Visual Representations Ana Gil-Garcia Northeastern Illinois University Joaquin Villegas Northeastern Illinois University CHICAGO, ILLINOIS UNITED STATES