Mayflower Team | Thursday, August 25, 2016
Learning Strategies #3
A picture is worth a thousand words. Although it may sound like a cliché, there are situations in which pictures convey information more efficiently and effectively than words. As far as learning and note-taking is concerned, the beneficial role of drawing cannot be overestimated. Doodling, sketchnoting and graphic recording involve creating visual material, and, as can be seen from the infographic below, have numerous advantages. Doodles (bazgroły or gryzmoły in Polish) are often done by students who are daydreaming or losing interest during classes. Doodling is often perceived as a waste of time but according to Sunni Brown, the author of “The Doodle Revolution”, it is a powerful tool that helps people think and become more creative. Sketchnoting (notatki rysunkowe) and graphic recording (zapis graficzny) are both examples of visual note-taking; they combine words, pictures and colour, and can be taken on paper or in a digital form. Visual learners (refer to our 7 Learning Styles) love the techniques presented below but other types of learners can also find them very useful.
Below the infographic, we present a list of web resources from which you can learn more about doodling, sketchnoting and graphic facilitation. And the good news is: you can apply the techniques right now as no particular drawing skills are required. Unleash your creativity!
For more information & guidance visit:
1. A blog by Sunni Brown, who is the leader of the Doodle Revolution.
2. ROHDESIGN, a service and blog run by Mike Rohde, a designer, author, illustrator, sketchnoter.
3. Sketchnotes 101: The Basics of Visual Note-taking, an article by Craighton Berman.
4. Sketchnoting in Education, a very informative article by Kathy Schrock.
5. Sketcho Frenzy: The Basics of Visual Note-taking, a film by Claudine Delfin.
6. Visual Thinking, an article and a series of films by Dave Gray.