Graphic organizers are a good strategy to present information in an understandable way. We talk about this excellent resource not only used in teaching and education, but also in large companies.
This type of structure allows the person to have a global vision of a certain content. In this way, graphic organizers present the central concepts in a visually attractive way , which allows the explanation to be understood at a glance. Instead of resorting to sentences that can make it difficult to assimilate information, organizers use graphic connectors, which allow our brains to link ideas according to different principles. Usually, the basic principle that these structures follow is that of hierarchy, since it favors the understanding of the content by breaking down the most general aspects into more specific ones.
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What are graphic organizers?
Making a graphic organizer requires some skill. In order to create a concept map of this type, it is important to know how to discriminate what information is essential and what is dispensable. This step is very important, since one of the characteristics of organizers is their simplicity . On the other hand, all the elements that make up the scheme must be linked in some way or another with the others. In short, an organizer must allow us to quickly weave networks between concepts.
In addition to essential concepts and connectors, an organizer can also have supporting images. In this sense, it is essential to correctly choose those that are going to be used to illustrate the scheme. It is important that the images have a universal character, that is, that they have an easy and unique interpretation without any possible confusion.
The application of graphic organizers is very diverse. Its usefulness is exploited in areas related to teaching and training. These are used in colleges and universities, but also in multiple companies . This type of visual organization of information not only facilitates the understanding of academic content, but also the work and communication in the departments of large organizations. Now that we know what graphic organizers are, we are going to discuss the different types of existing organizers, as well as their characteristics.
What kinds of graphic organizers are there?
Depending on the theme and the type of content that you want to represent, it will be ideal to use one type of graphic organizer or another. Let’s see what types there are and what their characteristics are.
1. Mapa Conceptual
Concept maps are widely used to reflect relationships between concepts . The essential elements are presented in shapes such as boxes or circles, being linked through connectors in the form of lines. These connectors can be supplemented with very short words or phrases to promote understanding.
2. Diagrama de Venn
Venn diagrams are easily identifiable. These are made from partially overlapping circles, so that each one represents a certain category. The area where the circles overlap represents those aspects that are shared between them, while the non-overlapping areas reflect the aspects that are unique to each category. The name of this structure is due to its creator, the logician and mathematician John Venn.
3. Character map
This type of structure is especially used in the field of literary creation. When creating the characters of a plot, many authors use this map to reflect the most important characteristics or events related to each one of them.
4. Summary tables
Representations through this structure are especially useful when information can be broken down hierarchically . It starts from the main ideas, so that these are broken down into complementary ideas that, in turn, are subdivided into the more detailed information. To represent this decomposition of information, elements such as keys or arrays can be used.
5. T graph
This type of graph allows you to make a comparison between two elements. Each of them has its own column, in which its characteristic aspects are detailed. This format is very useful to find differences and similarities between the two categories represented.
6. Comparative table
This format consists of a table made up of different columns, with a variable number. Each column lists the essential features of each category, so that, similarly to the T graph, we can observe similarities and differences between the compared concepts .
7. Timeline
This resource is especially used when it comes to representing historical content. Through a timeline, a chronological sequence can be reflected, so that different events are associated with their respective dates. This type of organizer is very useful for understanding the relationships between different events that have occurred throughout history.
8. Cobwebs
This organizer gets its name from its similarity to the shape of a spider web. The main concept is located in the center of the structure, so that the rest are secondary elements derived from it . Child elements are represented by arrows that connect them to the central element. In this case, unlike concept maps, no text should appear on the connecting lines. Both the central element and the secondary elements are usually represented by circles so that the relationships between categories are very visual.
9. Schemes
The schemes are structures widely used in the study, especially to facilitate the understanding of the contents and the review. The information in a diagram is reflected following the principle of hierarchy, starting from the most generic ideas or concepts towards the most specific ones. Thanks to the diagrams, it is easy to integrate the information and understand the relationships between the elements captured.
10. Sequence
Sequence chains allow different events that occur over time to be represented . Therefore, this structure is applicable to represent historical events or any process in which different stages occur. The most common way to represent sequences is through arrows that follow a circular structure. The stages or events are arranged in such a way that the structure must be read in a clockwise direction.
11. Attribute Wheel
This structure serves to put the focus on a specific element in order to delve into its characteristics. As in other organizers, both the central element and each of its features are represented with circles. In the educational field, this resource is widely used, since it makes it easier for children to remember the characteristics of the concept in question. In addition, learning can be strengthened by playing to fill in the wheel with the missing attributes.
12. Organization Charts
Organizational charts are graphical representations of the structure of a company or organization . This type of organizer is useful to represent the hierarchical relationships and the competencies of each member that makes up the business structure.
The organization charts made by companies can be merely informative, but they can also be made for an analytical purpose. In these cases, these structures can serve to detect logistics errors or improve the distribution of work. In any case, an organization chart must always be an easy-to-understand representation, with only the essential elements.
13. FUCK the DAFO analysis
This type of structure is very versatile, since it allows a matrix to represent the threats, opportunities, strengths and weaknesses regarding a situation that affects a person, company or project. This graph is especially used in the business environment, since it allows analyzing the current situation of a business to implement the necessary strategies in order to improve.
14. Idea Map
Idea maps are used to visually represent a group of ideas. It does not follow a hierarchical structure or a specific pattern, it simply seeks to collect information that can later be developed . This type of organizer is usually used in the early stages of project development, when brainstorming and drawing up the first steps of the plan to follow.
Although in this list we have been able to collect many of the ways that graphic organizers can take, of course there are many more. The most appropriate structure will depend on the type of information to be represented and the preferences of each person. As we have already mentioned, the use of this type of organizer is widespread, since it is applied not only to education but also to the business world.
Another application of this strategy, in addition to those already mentioned, has to do with learning disorders. Many children with learning difficulties have benefited from the use of graphic organizers. Capturing the information in a very schematic and visual way contributes to a better assimilation of the information , something that is very helpful in children with this type of difficulty.
At present, it is known that purely rote learning is not fruitful in the long term. It is very difficult to memorize long and complex texts of information, full of technical vocabulary and varied concepts, without strategies of some kind. For all these reasons, the organizers are a key tool. These facilitate learning and help us acquire knowledge that remains in our memory because it is based on real understanding.
To the classic question “what do you do?” I always answer “basically I am a psychologist”. In fact, my academic training has revolved around the psychology of development, education and community, a field of study influenced my volunteer activities, as well as my first work experiences in personal services.