Imagery and E-learning

Imagery can easily be incorporated into learning design. It is an effective tool for provoking higher order thinking among learners (comparison and contrast, critical analysis, deductive reasoning etc.), providing visual example, instruction and demonstration (Marzano & Pickering, 1997). Imagery is a common method of displaying processes, techniques, properties and developing terminology comprehension among learners within the Industrial Design Technology area. Many of the learners that undertake IDT have aspirations toward undertaking trade orientated carriers (cabinet making, carpentry, fitting and turning, boiler making, engineering etc.) which require familiarity with working drawings. Working drawings play a beneficial role in product development, providing required standards and specifications for construction. Learners need to be competent in working drawing interpretation if they are to produce quality workmanship. Introducing imagery through ICTs has the potential to provide learning managers with methods of providing mentally stimulating activities for learners to extend there appreciation for the content area.



http://houseconstructionindia.blogspot.com/2009_03_01_archive.html



http://www.woodbin.com/ref/design/drawing.htm



http://chestofbooks.com/crafts/popular-mechanics/Amateur-Work-1/Mechanical-Drawing-III-Working-Drawings.html



http://www.williamcampbellmusic.com/HousePlans.html



http://chestofbooks.com/crafts/popular-mechanics/Things-To-Make-In-Home-Workshop/Piano-Benches.html

Exposing learners to a higher order thinking activities involving a range of working drawings such as the ones displayed above, attributes directly to the constructivist ideology that learners develop understanding through personal experience and linking knew to previously learnt knowledge(Good & Brophy, 1990). These working drawings are all distinctly different and all serve a certain purpose. Although they are different they still have fundamental similarities within aspects such as layout and technical standard. This means that by having an understanding of one drawing (a simple one like the trestle table for example) an individual is able to apply this comprehension, to a certain extent, to another drawing (one of the house plans for example) that portrays something completely different and still gain understanding. The fact that the drawings all have commonalities but are designed to display a completely different content makes them ideal for developing complex reasoning tools and effectively extending the learners schema (Marzano & Pickering, 1997, p.114, 191).



http://runningahospital.blogspot.com/2009_05_01_archive.html

By incorporating imagery into ICT learning experiences, learning managers are also a better equipped to cater for variations in leaning style (Leaning –styles-online.com. 2007) Imagery can also be implemented in an emotive manner, often accompanied by slogans in order to evoke desired responses among learners.