Types of Visuals and Their Communication Functions in eLearning (2024)

Visual also enhances the look and feel of any eLearning course and is critical to your course's success. Lets us see how to use visuals in eLearning.

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One of the main objectives of an eLearning course is to make a strong impact on learners that facilities learning. One of the ways to achieve this objective is by using visuals effectively. Before using them one should what are the different types of visuals and their communication function.

Types of visuals and their communication functions

Not just visuals but even their functionality is important for learning. Visuals can be divided into six categories and have different functionality to represent the various types of training content. The six categories of visuals are representational, mnemonic, organizational, relational, transformational and interpretive visuals (Source: Graphics in learning by Ruth Colvin Clark). Let’s look into the communication functionality of each one of them.

1. Representational Visuals

Representational visuals are the most common visuals seen in training modules. As the name suggests, representational visuals are intended to depict the actual appearance of content. They are appropriately used to present concrete concepts and factual information related to job tasks. They can be real photographs of any concept or screen shots of a software being taught. Here we can see the photograph of Airport.

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2. Mnemonic Visuals

Occasionally employees may have to recall factual information when a job aid is not provided. In such a situation mnemonic visuals are very helpful and are a proven memory device. Here is an example of a mnemonic which is helpful to recall the seven colors in the rainbow in its correct order.

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3. Organizational Visuals

Organizational visuals helps your learner to understand the order of the course. They establish qualitative relationships among the key concepts of the course. The visual here shows the overview of the content and its sequence making it clear for the learners.

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4. Relational Visuals

Relational visuals establish quantitative relationships. Some common examples include bar graphs and pie charts. Instead of dumping paragraphs filled with numbers and percentages to show factual information, relational visuals can be effectively used to present the same in a clear and precise manner.

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5. Transformational Visuals

Transformational graphics are used to depict the movement or changes over time and are often used in combination with representational visuals to illustrate procedures and processes. Here we used a visual of a caterpillar transforming to a butterfly and representational visuals are used to show the transformation.

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6. Interpretive Visuals

Interpretive visuals helps learners in understanding the concepts or principles. When explaining an abstract concept like DNA, interpretive visuals are used to make the concept clear and understandable.

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These are the six categories of visuals and each category has specific communication functionality, so choose the right category to achieve effective communication. Have anything to say please do share!

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Types of Visuals and Their Communication Functions in eLearning (2024)

FAQs

Types of Visuals and Their Communication Functions in eLearning? ›

Put simply, visual communication is the process of conveying meaning—be it ideas, instructions, data, or other kinds of information—through graphics rather than text or audio. For many, this is a more efficient and accessible way of sharing knowledge and adding context than written communication.

What are the functions of visual communication? ›

Put simply, visual communication is the process of conveying meaning—be it ideas, instructions, data, or other kinds of information—through graphics rather than text or audio. For many, this is a more efficient and accessible way of sharing knowledge and adding context than written communication.

Why are visuals important in eLearning? ›

Our brains are naturally wired to process visual information more efficiently than text alone. Studies have shown that visuals can improve comprehension, attention span, and overall learning outcomes. By leveraging the power of visuals, eLearning courses can be transformed into captivating and immersive experiences.

What is visual design in eLearning? ›

Visual Design is how eLearning content might look in terms of colour, typeface, layout and navigation. Thinking about how the user interacts with content through the appearance of buttons and other interactive elements is also the job of the Visual Designer.

What are the three visual communications? ›

Types of visual communication: Pictorial, graphic, and video. Pictorial communication: Pictures are used to communicate ideas or information. Graphic communication: Graphics are used to create a visual message. Video communication: Videos are used to capture and share events or moments.

Why is visual communication important in teaching and learning? ›

Visual Communication:

Visual elements play a significant role in communication within educational settings. Whether through presentations, charts, or multimedia content, visual aids enhance the understanding of concepts and engage students in the learning process.

What are the 5 characteristics of visual communication? ›

Five essential Principles of Visual Communication
  • Clarity: Clarity is one of the fundamental principles of visual communication. ...
  • Design: Design encompasses the most fundamental properties of visual communication and design. ...
  • Contrast: Contrast is yet another important element of visual communication. ...
  • Proximity: ...
  • Rhythm:
Aug 2, 2022

What are visual components of communication? ›

/ˈvɪʒ.u.əl/ [ usually plural ] something such as a picture, photograph, or piece of film used to give a particular effect or to explain something: The wildlife programme has some stunning visuals. Using both words and visuals makes it easier for students to focus on and improve their writing methods.

What is the role of visuals in education and training? ›

Capture Learners' Attention

Visuals capture learners' attention, making the learning experience more enjoyable. Images, videos, and infographics attract and maintain learners' interest, leading to increased engagement and motivation to learn.

What is a visual learning style? ›

Visual learning is a type of learning style in which students prefer to use images, graphics, colors and maps to communicate ideas and thoughts. Visual learners must see information in order to learn it.

What is visualization in eLearning? ›

1) Flow charts

They are especially useful to visualize a multi-step process, a series of conditional outcomes, or a sequences of causes and effects. Flow charts work as visualization techniques for eLearning because they provide the learner with a visual relationship that's easier to remember than text.

What is visual example of learning? ›

Examples of learning methods that visual learners might gravitate towards include the use of graphic organizers such as mind-maps, flow charts, diagrams, graphs, and sketchnotes. Another example is the use of highlighters and notecards when studying information.

What is the difference between e-learning and visual learning? ›

E-learning is typically done online and includes courses, webinars, video lectures, and other online materials. On the other hand, virtual learning is more interactive and immersive, using virtual reality and other technologies to create an immersive learning environment.

What are the 4 types of communication? ›

The four types of communication are verbal, non-verbal, visual and written communication. No matter how we communicate, start by thinking about what the reader/listener should think, feel and do once they've heard or read our message.

What are the different types of visual aid communication? ›

Five common types of visual aids are photographs, infographics, diagrams, videos, and data charts and graphs, such as pie charts and bar charts.

What are the 3 types of visual media? ›

  • Answer:
  • Images. Images are among the most common types of visual media being used by online marketers today. ...
  • Videos. Videos are very engaging content. ...
  • Infographics did not exist until the digital revolution started to affect businesses.
Oct 15, 2020

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