Bridging The Knowledge Gap
Exploring Advance Organisers in Visual Thinking
Imagine standing in the middle of somewhere you haven’t been before. Uncharted territory! The landscape is unfamiliar, and you have no idea where you are or the best way forward. The critical thing you need to do is find where you are and quickly! Moving in any direction fills you with fear. Cortisol floods your brain nailing you to the spot. If only you had a well-drawn map. If you did, this unknown place would instantly become navigable. Your fear of the unknown would disappear. You’d feel safer!
This is the essence of advance organisers —a bridge connecting what we know with what we want to understand.
Leveraging what you know!
The concept of advance organisers was pioneered by educational psychologist David Ausubel in the 1960s. He introduced these teaching tools to help the learning process by linking new information with what people already knew. "The most important single factor influencing learning is what the learner already knows. Ascertain this and teach him accordingly," he asserted. So, in any communication, particularly visual comms, make sure you can leverage and use what people already know! This will give you a massive head start in helping make your messages memorable and stick in the mind.
What Are Advance Organisers?
If you are anything like me, you love a good gander around a bookshop. I love to wander around, getting lost in the experience, attracted by the various titles and bobbing along with the flow and washing up on the shores of new information. However, sometimes I need a particular book, and this free association book browsing won’t help me find what I need.
Usually, bookshops have a layout; books are categorised into sections, each section arranged in alphabetical order and labelled. This gives me a foothold and I can usually navigate to where the book is. If I can’t find it using this system, the shop has its inventory on a computer and, if you ask a staff member, they can pinpoint the book within minutes. Without this system, finding the particular book I need would be a chaotic endeavour, take so much longer and leave me frustrated.
This bookshop inventory system acts like an advance organiser, piggybacking on what I already know. When I entered the shop, I was aware of the categorisation system and the alphabetising of the books and therefore was already ahead when I started looking for the particular title. Advance organisers are just like this. They are instructional tools that prepare your mind for new information. They function like the bookshop, setting the stage and providing a framework and the rules for what is to come. They can take various forms, from conceptual maps to introductory summaries, all designed to create a bridge between familiar concepts - what you already know - and some new ideas. Making sure things are categorised upfront in this way, makes learning a doddle and much more enjoyable.
From this vantage point, visual thinking and creativity gain great advantage. Knowing that the media shapes our message helps us to use several visual techniques to express more profound meanings and connections. This approach is most effectively demonstrated by our work with whiteboard animation and multi-modal techniques. Rich, immersive experiences combining visual, aural, and kinaesthetic components improve knowledge and memory.
Artistic Insights: The Cultural Olympiad
The Blue Line: Breaking
Gilles Elie's poster, The Blue Line: Breaking, uses bold geometric shapes and vibrant colours to evoke movement and energy. This artwork acts as an advance organiser, visually connecting the viewer to the dynamism and excitement of the Games, bridging abstract concepts with tangible emotions. The geometric shapes are indicative of the line markers that appear on sports courts and fields.
Don't Step On The Grass
Similarly, Pierre Seinturier's Don't Step On The Grass, a piece crafted with crayon and pencil on sketch paper, offers a nuanced exploration of the athleticism of the Olympics and the urban life of Paris combined. This artwork captures a female runner mid-stride in a lush, verdant park, symbolising energy and determination. The dynamic movement and intricate background detail act as advance organisers, linking the viewer’s perception of everyday scenes with the extraordinary spirit of the Olympics. The scene of domestic athleticism is flanked by spectators. A perfect encapsulation of sports and the public spectating.
Our Pillars And The Olympiad
At We Are Cognitive, we strive to link our core pillars—inform, teach, enable and inspire— to every topic we explore. Our work in whiteboard animation and multi-modal information envisioning is deeply rooted in the principles of advance organisers.
Inform
Just as Gilles Elie’s posters simplify complex themes and make them universal and accessible through visual artistry, we aim to make data clear and understandable. Our animations distil intricate information into simple and engaging visuals, helping viewers connect new data with existing knowledge.
Teach
In our step-by-step visual instructions, we guide viewers through processes and concepts, much like Seinturier’s art leads the eye through its narrative. By breaking down information into manageable segments, we make learning an intuitive and enjoyable experience.
Enable
Effective communication empowers action. Our films provide clear signposts, enabling viewers to make informed decisions. By preparing the mind for new information, our visuals act as cognitive organisers, guiding the audience towards actionable insights.
Inspire
Inspiration fuels transformation. Our storytelling weaves connections between ideas, much like the interplay of elements in a piece of art. We aim to touch hearts and minds, inspiring our audience to see the world through a new lens and embrace new possibilities.
Connecting The Dots
Reflecting on the use of advance organisers in our work, I often marvel at the interconnectedness of ideas. Each piece contributes to a larger, more beautiful picture. This interconnectedness is not just a method but a philosophy—a way to transform and elevate understanding.
In practical terms, advance organisers can revolutionise problem-solving. By visually laying out information, we can identify patterns, draw connections, and gain new perspectives. Educators can use graphic organisers to help students understand complex subjects, while businesses can employ visual timelines to map out strategic plans.
Today, information is abundant but often fragmented, the ability to connect dots visually is more valuable than ever. It’s about creating a narrative that not only informs but also inspires and enables action. This principle has been at the heart of our explainer videos for education platform Chegg. Each video connected ideas to make complex ideas accessible and memorable.
Further Reading
As we conclude, let’s carry forward the idea that learning and understanding are profoundly interconnected processes. By using advance organisers, we not only bridge knowledge gaps but also build bridges of creativity and insight.
For those keen to delve deeper, I recommend Visual Thinking: for Design by Colin Ware. This book explores how visual perception influences the way we process information and offers a wealth of insights into the power of visual thinking.
Until next time, keep exploring the visual world around you, and let your imagination make connections that inspire and transform.
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If you could pin down the essence of truth, could you draw it? That’s the question that lingered in my mind after speaking with Dan Ariely for my RSA Animate documentary—a project allowing me to reconnect with some of the most compelling thinkers of our time.