{"id":18263,"date":"2020-08-18T21:33:37","date_gmt":"2020-08-18T10:33:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/creately.com\/blog\/?p=18263"},"modified":"2024-09-11T02:53:37","modified_gmt":"2024-09-10T15:53:37","slug":"visual-note-taking","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/creately.com\/blog\/education\/visual-note-taking\/","title":{"rendered":"The Ultimate Guide to Visual Note-Taking for Students and Teachers"},"content":{"rendered":"
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In the age of digital education, note-taking has taken on a new role. Where classes are held online over Zoom calls and lessons are explained with the help of an online whiteboard<\/a>, note-taking is also increasingly becoming more digital in form. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Students and teachers are using online document editing apps and visual collaboration tools<\/a> to record and share information instead of writing everything down in a book. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The use of visuals to map out ideas and to showcase interrelationships <\/a>between them has become extremely popular over the last few decades, especially because visuals help the brain process information much faster and enhance memory and understanding better. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In this post, we\u2019ll dive into simple yet powerful visual note taking techniques students and educators can use along with tips on how to use them effectively. Whether you choose to do it by hand or use a digital tool like Creately<\/a>, these methods can help you record information much faster in a structural manner.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Templates provided are free and can be edited online; you can export them and take printouts or you can use them right away on Creately during your classes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What is Visual Note-Taking?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Visual note-taking, also known as graphic visualization, visible thinking, and sketchnoting, combines both text and visuals to record information that is shared or experienced. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

As opposed to the traditional text-heavy form, visual note-taking makes use of images, structuring, connectors, and text to record information in a way that makes sense to the note-taker and helps them understand and comprehend the information quickly and easily.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Visual Note-Taking Techniques <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Visual note-taking represents information non-linguistically, which entails using pictures or drawings. While you can use sketches or doodles, you can also use more structural methods such as the ones listed below. You can also combine both sketching and the following diagram types for visual note-taking in a way that best suits you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mind Maps<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Mind maps are an easy yet powerful way to capture thoughts and visualize them in a logical manner. The tool focuses on relationships and hierarchy, hence it\u2019s ideal for simplifying complex ideas. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

A mind map<\/a> connects information around a central idea or topic. It has subtopics branching out of the central idea, revealing greater details about the subject and how they are interrelated. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

During note-taking, you can use mind mapping to record ideas without losing what\u2019s about to come next. Plus it provides a good structure to your notes and helps them from getting messier or too crowded. Even if you are not adding any drawings, you can incorporate the elements of color and connectors into your mind mapping<\/a> activity to make it more effective in terms of visual note-taking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Mind<\/a>
Mind Map Template (Click on the template to edit it online) <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

How To Do a Case Study Analysis Using Mind Maps<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Concept Maps <\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Concept maps are another great way to record knowledge. It also incorporates keywords, shapes, and connectors to visualize concepts. The central topic goes at the center and related ideas are placed surrounding it. They are then connected by arrows that have a brief explanation (1-2 words) on them to explain the type of relationship between the two ideas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

By using a concept map<\/a> for note-taking you can easily organize your ideas, dig deeper into concepts, and find relationships that you would have missed when you heard about it first.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Concept<\/a>
Concept Map Template (Click on the template to edit it online) <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The Ultimate Guide to Concept Maps<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

How to Use Concept Maps for Studying and Organizing Information<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Flowcharts <\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Flowcharts visualize the flow of a process or event step by step leading to its outcome. It\u2019s a great tool to graphically capture the thinking process in a logical and organized manner during note-taking.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In business use, drawing a flowchart<\/a> involves the use of many symbols, however, for education purposes, the basic shapes of Start and End (oval), Process (rectangle), and Decision (diamond) will suffice. Arrows are used to connect the steps and indicate the flow of action.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Flowchart<\/a>
Flowchart Template <\/a>(Click on the template to edit it online) <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Ultimate Flowchart Tutorial<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Flowcharting Basics: How to Create a Simple Flowchart<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thinking Maps <\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Thinking maps include 8 visual-verbal learning tools that help visualize our thinking and thus give concrete images to abstract thoughts. Thinking maps enable meaningful learning as they help organize ideas and information in a way that is easy to understand.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

They also help break down complex information into easily comprehensible sections and discover connections in between. And they can be very useful during critical and creative thinking<\/a> exercises. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

They include,<\/p>\n\n\n\n