Like it or not, looks, or visuals, matter in all aspects of life. Humans are attracted to and enjoy looking at visually pleasing designs as it satisfies our senses. Even in learning content, it is arguably one of the primary drivers in ensuring effective delivery. This article will go through a few reasons why visualisation, or visual design, is important in online courses.
1. Visualisation can drive motivation into the learners
The first element that motivates learners is attention. Most learners tend to feel bored or overwhelmed in certain subjects when they are faced with pages of texts. However, a well visually-designed course would grab their attention as it holds more appeal than plain texts.
Human beings are also visual by nature – 65% of the general population are visual learners. By using images, illustrations, and animations, it will reduce information overload, making it easier for the learner to be more engaged. This would motivate the learner, and accelerate the learning process.
2. Visualisation aids in better comprehension
Over one-third of the human brain is dedicated to processing visual information. It is known that people are able to remember more than 2000 pictures with at least 90% accuracy. This means that learners tend to process visuals faster than text as it stimulates their imagination, making it easy to comprehend.
Visuals also make it easier to convey and simplify concepts or processes by using charts or infographics. It can be used to represent complex topics, tell a story, amplify a message, as well as to add complementary elements.
3. Visualisation helps retain new information better
As the saying goes, “a picture speaks a thousand words”. Images or illustrations are the simplest and most effective way to make sure information gets stored as long-term memory. Visuals also have a stronger impact on the brain than words. Researchers found that recall of information after three days from a spoken lecture is only 10% or 20% and written information is 10%, while visual performance is 65%. Learners remember information for a greater percentage and longer time, especially when paired with related images.
In summary, there are a number of reasons why visualisation is significant when it comes to eLearning. However, this should not overshadow the instructional design as both are essential for effective transfer of learning.
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