Why diagrams are useful
EU-funded scientists have investigated why diagrams are successfully used to convey information and support reasoning. Despite the ubiquitous use of diagrams to convey information and support reasoning, there has, until now, been no consensus about why a diagram can be successfully used. Scientists in France, as part of the 'Diagram based reasoning' DBR project, have revealed the advantages of diagrams over linguistic representations, insisting that their findings will have immediate and far-reaching consequences for teaching practices.
To reach their conclusions, the DBR research team carried out a series of experiments, including an analysis of various diagrams to draw up a classification system. Hence, the diagrams were divided into two categories. The first group was made up of those diagrams with a 'static' use: the user simply extracts a piece of information from the diagram and for this reason the diagram promotes her memory.
The second group included diagrams with the 'more interesting' dynamic use, whereby the user infers some new piece of information from the diagram, and does that by modifying or 'manipulating' it. Within these two categories, the DBR researchers further distinguished between the diagrams according to the degree of correspondence between the particular diagrammatic format and the structure of data conveyed by a particular diagrammatic format.
The researchers then graded the correspondence: for example, linguistic descriptions were graded as having zero degree of correspondence and scientific images a very high degree of correspondence. Naomi has 12 candies. How many boxes will he need to pack to fit 40 candies? What number appears the most often? How many children are there in total? Open image in new window. An analysis of residuals after Chi-squared tests identified proportional differences.
Table 1 shows the frequencies with which each kind of diagram was included with each type of problem, with asterisks indicating those proportionally significantly higher or lower.
Concrete diagrams were often used with Change, Combine, Vary, and Visualize problems, suggesting that they are helpful in facilitating the four arithmetic operations and understanding of the problem scenario and contents. Number line diagrams were often used with Compare and Vary problems, suggesting that they are helpful when comparing measurement quantities and performing proportional calculations.
More abstract diagrams Tables and Graphs were used with Organize problems. Concrete diagrams and Graph were used with Visualize problems to support visual search.
These results suggest the possibility of scaffolding in diagram use, first by using more concrete diagrams and then progressing onto more abstract diagrams like graphs when more complicated inferences need to be made. Table 1. Corresponding frequencies between problem types and kinds of diagrams. Acknowledgment This research was supported by a grant-in-aid 20K received from the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science.
Daroczy, G. Uesaka, Y. Ayabe, H. Kintsch, W. Personalised recommendations. Cite paper How to cite? ENW EndNote. Using a diagram is more effective than a narrative-based process. This is especially important in the business world where information constantly disseminates and the need for accuracy, speed and comprehension is paramount. In the bright and shiny world of desktop publishing, colorful presentations that catch the eye can mean the difference between listeners absorbing your information or turning your concept down.
A presentation depending heavily on diagrams can both maintain your listener's attention by giving them something engaging to look at and by allowing them to absorb the information in consumable, memorable chunks. A diagram is also helpful in distilling your lesson plan or presentation into simple concepts, which allows your listeners or students to quickly comprehend your outline.
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