How to effectively use visual aids in teaching

In this guide

• How to effectively use visual aids in teaching
• Benefits of visual aids in education
  • 1. Improved memory
  • 2. Visual learning styles
  • 3. Increased comprehension
  • 4. Engagement
• Types of visual aids for the classroom
  • 1. Infographics
  • 2. Images
  • 3. Maps
  • 4. Videos
  • 5. Posters
  • 6. Symbols/Icons
• Best practices for using visual aids
  • 1. User control
  • 2. High quality resources
  • 3. Targeted content
  • 4. Encourage interaction
  • 5. Simplicity
• Enhancing lessons with ClickView resources
  • Professional development/teacher support
  • Math
  • Language arts
  • Science
  • Art/Design
• Measuring the impact of visual aids
  • Student feedback
  • Assessments
  • Observation
• Conclusion

How to effectively use visual aids in teaching

We are living in an increasingly visual world. Our students are learning and interacting with content in a visual manner like never before.

A child in the U.S. is likely to see thousands of images per day (based on current estimates of screen time). YouTube and TikTok have become the most popular social media apps for young people largely due to their emphasis on visual content (Vogels et al., 2022).

Using classroom visual aids is no longer just a fun way to add designs to a lesson. It is now a fundamental component learners are expecting as part of the experience. 

The amount of time our students spend on social media can be incredibly frustrating but it also offers us insight into what captures their attention. I do not recommend that we copy the type of content they are consuming online but we can definitely learn from the delivery system if we want our classes to be more relevant and engaging.

Benefits of visual aids in education

Visual aids in one form or another have been a part of the education system for as long as it has existed. The rise of the internet and increased access to digital media sources has made incorporating visuals into learning easier than ever.

When visual aids are used intentionally and purposefully they can greatly enhance the learning experience. 

Some of those benefits include:

1) Improved memory

Information that is presented or learned using visuals is more likely to be remembered than just hearing or reading it. The addition of visual aids allows our brains multiple ways to encode the information into long term memory (Hasper, 2018).

2) Visual learning styles

According to research, roughly 65% of the population can be considered a visual learner. Utilizing visual aids increases the likelihood that you are meeting the needs of the majority of your learners (Jawed et al., 2019).

3) Increased comprehension

Imagery can add context to new information and allow learners multiple ways to construct meaning. The visuals act as a form of support or clues to improve understanding (Imagery Strategies, n.d.).

4) Engagement

Visual aids can add inspiration, excitement, and intrigue to the learning experience. (Shabiralyani et al., 2015).

Types of visual aids for the classroom

There are a variety of different visual aids that can be used to turn abstract concepts into concrete ideas. They can range from a simple icon to animated simulations with interactive components. 

Here are some suggestions to help you make learning more visual for your students:

1) Infographics

These are great for summarizing complex information in a visually appealing and digestible format. You can use infographics you find online or create your own fairly easily with a variety of free online tools. 

This also makes for a great assignment for students to create their own to demonstrate their learning about a specific topic.

2) Images

Whether you use photographs, drawings, or paintings, visual images can provide context and create intrigue about a subject. 

Starting with an image and asking students to describe what is happening in the scene is a great way to activate prior knowledge and critical thinking skills.

3) Maps

Zooming into a specific location across the world using Google Earth is a phenomenal experience but a simple printed map can be beneficial as well. 

Learning about a new location, culture or event without a physical reference point makes our brain work harder than it needs to. Being able to see and explore an unfamiliar area provides context that allows us to build new memories more easily.

4) Videos

Pairing dynamic visual imagery with verbal information engages more of our senses and allows the words and pictures to support each other. 

Fresh visual stimuli can attract and retain attention better than stagnant content.

5) Posters

Make your learning environment more immersive by displaying fresh and relevant posters around the room that connect with the learning material. 

Portraits of people being studied or artifacts/products related to the concept will help create powerful connections to the information they are learning about.

6) Symbols/Icons

Simple visual cues that represent specific actions or procedures can help your classroom run in a more efficient manner. 

I use a simple red light, yellow light, green light sign at the front of the room so students know if it is time for the change between the whole class, group, or individual activities. 

My wife has also used the Depth and Complexity icons with great success in her class for years to help students focus on different conceptual skills.

Best practices for using visual aids

Incorporating visual aids into your classroom will be appreciated by your students but there are some intentional design decisions you can make to ensure you are maximizing the impact. 

Keep the following principles in mind when selecting and utilizing visual aids:

1) User control

Allow students to manipulate and use the visual aids whenever possible. Whether that means zooming in on an image or pausing and rewinding a video. 

Different students will have different needs and they will take more agency over their own learning when tools are provided that let them use the visual aids in a manner that works best for them.

2) High quality resources

Our students are used to looking at high quality content (production value, not necessarily subject matter…) online so it is important that we use the right materials. 

Outdated or low quality visual aids will reduce the effectiveness and credibility of the material. Think about using a sketchy website to make an online purchase. It makes you think twice before trusting it with your personal information…

3) Targeted content

Visuals for the sake of visuals can be more of a distraction. 

I have a colleague that uses odd memes as often as he can in his presentations. They may be funny but they have no relevance to the material. Even if it is adding entertainment value, it is hard to argue that it is creating deeper engagement related to intended learning outcomes.

4) Encourage interaction

Emphasize the visual aids and make sure students are actively using them during the lesson. This can include discussions about their meaning or physically manipulating them to help construct meaning.

Visual aids should not be seen as just decoration to fill space.

5) Simplicity

It is easy for people without a background in design to go too far when it comes to visual elements. 

Take a moment to envision some of the logos of the world’s most iconic brands. Most five year olds could probably draw them. Visual aids will have more impact if they are not competing with a lot of other visual stimuli. 

Less is more.

Enhancing lessons with ClickView resources

ClickView has curated an amazing collection of resources that make it incredibly easy to implement visual aids into your teaching no matter what age or subject you teach. 

ClickView’s platform leverages the power of short form video content and interactive materials to connect with the needs of modern learners. Whatever you teach, I guarantee you could find resources that will enhance your instruction.

Here are some of my favorite resources that focus specifically on the role of visuals, broken down by different subject areas:

1) Professional development/teacher support

• Visual Literacy (If I convinced you at all about the importance of visuals throughout this article then definitely start here!)
• Visualizing Content for Memorable Online Teaching,
• How Young People Relate to Media
• What is Cognitive Load Theory of Multimedia?

2) Math

• The Essence of Calculus (series),
• Charts Are Like Pasta: Data Visualization Part 1, 
• Graphs and Charts
• Pie Charts: Drawing and Reading.

3) Language arts

• Analyzing Visual Text,
• Venturing Into Visuals: Visual Techniques, Body Language, Text, and Intertextuality,
• Venturing into Visuals: Analyse a Charity Poster and 
• Understanding Visual Subtext.

4) Science

• Visual Memory Game: Dinosaurs,
• The Modern Periodic Table,
• Muscles
• The Science of Floating.

5) Art/Design

• Visual Symbols Speak,
• The Art of Visual Storytelling (series)
• Media Literacy.

Obviously, this is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the wonderful resources available on this site so make sure to explore areas related to your work and let students experience the impact of these valuable visual aids.

Measuring the impact of visual aids

One of the most frustrating things about being a teacher is knowing what is working and what is not. 

Sometimes it is obvious but other times it is much more complicated. I have experienced times when students are energized and involved but end up doing poorly on the assessments. Other times, I’ll have students that appear totally disengaged only to find out later that the class or a specific topic had a major impact on their life. 

It is frustrating but also one of the elements of teaching that keeps the job from ever getting boring. 

Here are a few things to look for when determining the impact of visual aids:

1) Student feedback

Ask students about the lessons and projects in your class. Try to really hone in on the visual elements to hear their responses. This can be done informally through discussions or more strategically using surveys. 

I recommend quick and frequent check-ins to ensure you are getting accurate and relevant information.

2) Assessments

You do not need to conduct double blind experiments with your students, but begin to pay attention to student performance on assignments that include visuals versus those that do not. Also, try to track the type of visuals used to identify any discrepancies in results.

3) Observation

Closely monitor student behavior during whole class activities and individual work to see if engagement levels change based on the use of visual aids. 

I began to notice that students were much more likely to complete a homework assignment if it was a short video compared to a written article.

Conclusion

Fortunately, using visual aids in the classroom has probably never been easier. The impact that can be made compared to the time invested in curating high quality videos makes it well worth the effort.

As you probably already know from your own experience, and the ideas covered in this article, not all visuals are created equally. Adding imagery just for the sake of imagery will not necessarily improve learning outcomes.

Finding high quality visual aids is critical. The resources must be relevant to the learning goal and presented in a timely manner to ensure students find value in the connection between the visual aid associated with the information.

Emphasizing visual aids in the classroom environment will activate critical areas of the brain that will improve learning and create a more dynamic environment. In addition, it will help students develop their visual literacy skills so they can thrive in a world that continues to develop more and more visual communication platforms.

References

1. Hasper, A. (2018, September 7). Why Images are Powerful for Learning. National Geographic Learning: In Focus. Retrieved January 28, 2025, from https://infocus.eltngl.com/2018/09/07/images-powerful-learning/
2. Imagery Strategies. (n.d.). Special Connections. Retrieved January 26, 2025, from https://specialconnections.ku.edu/instruction/cognitive_strategies/teacher_tools/imagery_strategies
3. Jawed, S., Amin, H. U., Malik, A. S., & Faye, I. (2019, May 6). Classification of Visual and Non-visual Learners Using Electroencephalographic Alpha and Gamma Activities. Frontiers. Retrieved January 29, 2025, from https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/behavioral-neuroscience/articles/10.3389/fnbeh.2019.00086/full
4. Shabiralyani, G., Hasan, K., Hamad, N., & Iqbal, N. (2015). Impact of Visual Aids in Enhancing the Learning Process Case Research: District Dera Ghazi Khan. Journal of Education and Practice, 6(19). https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1079541.pdfVogels, E. A., Gelles, R., & Massarat, N. (2022, August 10). Teens, Social Media and Technology 2022. Pew Research Center. Retrieved January 28, 2025, from https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2022/08/10/teens-social-media-and-technology-2022/