Graphic organizer
A graphic organizer, also known as knowledge map, concept map, story map, cognitive organizer, advance organizer, or concept diagram, is a communication tool that uses visual symbols to express knowledge, concepts, thoughts, or ideas, and the relationships between them.[1] The main purpose of a graphic organizer is to provide a visual aid to facilitate learning and instruction.[1]
Forms
Graphic organizers take many forms:
Ishikawa's Cause & Effect diagram (fishbone chart)
- Relational Organizers
- storyboard
- fishbone -- Ishikawa diagram
- cause and effect web
- chart
- Category/Classification Organizers
- concept mapping
- KWL tables
- mind mapping
- Sequence Organizers
- Chain
- Ladder
- Cycle
- Compare Contrast Organizers
- Concept Development Organizers
- story web
- word web
- circle chart
- flow chart
- Options and Control Device Organizers
Enhancing students' skills
A review study concluded that using graphic organizers improves student performance in the following areas:[2]
- Retention
- Students remember information better and can better recall it when it is represented and learned both visually and verbally.[2]
- Reading comprehension
- The use of graphic organizers helps improving the reading comprehension of students.[2]
- Student achievement
- Students with and without learning disabilities improve achievement across content areas and grade levels.[2]
- Thinking and learning skills; critical thinking
- When students develop and use a graphic organizer their higher order thinking and critical thinking skills are enhanced.[2]
See also
- Visualization
- KWL table
- Thinking Maps
- Four Square Writing Method