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Enhancing understanding with visual aids.

A deep dive into the effectiveness of visual aids in educational settings.

Unlock the potential of visual aids in your classroom.

As educators, we're constantly seeking methods to elevate our teaching strategies, and visual aids have emerged as a powerful tool in that quest. This comprehensive guide explores how imagery can enhance student understanding and retention, offering practical tips for integrating visual materials into your lessons.

Visual aids are not just supplementary; they're a cornerstone of effective teaching. By incorporating educational imagery into your curriculum, you can cater to visual learners and clarify complex concepts. Whether it's through diagrams, infographics, or videos, visual materials can make abstract ideas tangible and memorable.

Planit Teachers' AI teaching assistant platform takes visual learning to the next level. With tools like Lesson Plan Generators that include customizable PowerPoints, educators can seamlessly integrate visual aids into their teaching. This not only engages students but also supports diverse learning styles, ensuring that each student has the best chance to grasp and retain new information.

Creating effective visual aids is both an art and a science. It involves understanding the balance between text and imagery, the importance of color theory, and the psychological impact of certain visual elements. When done right, these teaching tools can significantly improve student engagement and facilitate a deeper understanding of the subject matter.

The versatility of visual aids means they can be woven into virtually any subject. From historical timelines in social studies to molecular models in chemistry, well-designed visuals can transcend language barriers and learning differences. They are also invaluable for summarizing information and for review sessions, making them a key component in retention strategies.

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Making the Most of Visual Aids

Three strategies for using visual aids to encourage students to engage more deeply with course content.

Most teachers understand the power of visual aids in helping students grasp content. Teachers value the support that visuals lend to classroom instruction because they encourage students to make associations between pieces of information, soak up chunks of course content quickly, and function as a memory aid.

But sometimes we teachers don’t approach the use of visual aids as carefully as we should. We may be too lax in monitoring how students interpret visuals (allowing the oversimplification of content) or how students create visuals (which shows whether they understand what should be included). As a result, students struggle to make the needed connection with course content.

As an educator who relies on graphic organizers and charts in the classroom, I have three strategies for using visual aids without sacrificing course content.

Sharing Intent

We often naively believe that a visual can stand on its own with minimal explanation. Instead, we should directly communicate to students what we hope for them to see (or interpret) based on the lesson at hand. For example, it’s useful to help students explore why the visual was selected and what the key characteristics of it are, and to identify the non-essential elements of it. And we should specify what we intend for the students to know after examining it. For instance, Professor Howard Cox’s purpose in integrating props like an officer’s cap and a replica revolver into his lectures on fiction set during the Civil War is to help build his students’ foundational knowledge about an author’s purpose and inspiration.

If time allows, I like to share a “runner-up” image and invite students to consider why the image didn’t make the cut. This discussion can deepen their understanding. And teachers can use prompts to help students reach that deeper understanding. Examples include “This image is a stronger representation of the concept because _____” and “This image makes me think about _____ from our lesson, which is important because _____.”

Activating Discussion

Most teachers encourage some level of class discourse when presenting a visual aid, but we need to go a step further. We can promote a conversation about how the visual helps in processing the course content. For example, ask students to share how the visual reinforces—or challenges—what they previously learned about relevant vocabulary terms. In my College Readiness class, we review a line graph that compares letter grades and attendance, discussing how the upward direction of the lines supports our expectations of a connection between consistent attendance and higher grades. We also question the story presented by the graph: Beyond lower grades, what consequences do absentee students face?

To increase students’ processing opportunities, use a think-aloud to get students talking about what makes a visual useful vs. the qualities that seem less important to understanding the theme or central message of the graphic or its connection to other content.

Push students to think deeper. For instance, in order to promote retrieval practice , put the visual away and ask students to break down the concepts represented in the visual relying solely on their memory. It’s important to discuss any discrepancies between what the students recall and what’s actually present in the image.

This is an excellent opportunity to explore misconceptions about the concept at hand. It’s also an ideal time to highlight any blind spots or typical areas of confusion related to the concept. For example, when sharing a bar graph, caution students that the measurement scale can lead them to misread it, especially if the y-axis starts with a random number instead of zero or if information is measured in the short term instead of the long term.

Creating Visual Aids as a Class

I believe involving students in the design of visual aids is essential to foster buy-in and learning ownership, but initially, students may hesitate to create their own visuals and take on the designer role.

Establishing design parameters for students should help. For example, limit their format options by specifying the type of graphic organizer or chart they can use, and provide time to discuss what kinds of visuals would potentially work best based on the content at hand. You can also assign a specified number of key concepts—based on the content reviewed—that students are required represented with their visual.

For students who continue to seem uncertain about creating a visual on their own, educator Matt Miller explains the value of maintaining a library of icons  (related to the topic, of course). Such a library allows students to focus on making meaning from the course material instead of becoming frustrated with the design work.

In addition to parameters, offer models. Make a point of asking students if it’s OK to share their visual with peers, and let them know why you wish to share their work. And teacher models are priceless. Dr. Deidra Gammill, a high school teacher in Mississippi, makes a habit of including images in her notes in order to provide concrete examples for her students to follow.

It’s not enough for a visual to capture attention—it should help students become more engaged. Over time, I’ve learned that aligning visual aids with course content is a deliberate process, one that is harder than I realized when I was starting out. With appropriate attention, we can ensure that our visual aids are windows to our lessons’ purpose and construction.

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Blog Data Visualization

10 Types of Visual Aids For Learning [+ Teaching Aid Templates]

By Sara McGuire , Sep 28, 2018

As an educator, you probably understand the importance of diversifying your teaching materials. After all, it has been understood for a while now that many people learn differently.

In particular, visuals aids for learning can have a huge impact on how students retain information. While words can be abstract and hard to retain, visuals tend to be more concrete and easier to recall.

Plus, when information is presented visually, it’s a lot more engaging!

Visual aids for learning can also expand beyond the realm of just classroom posters and presentations. You can also visually enhance documents like student progress reports, lesson plans , and research reports.

After all, teachers can get bored too, right?

With a beginner-friendly design tool like Venngage, creating custom visual for any topic you want to cover is easier than ever.

Here are 10 types of visual aids for learning that will engage students and help you plan and deliver lessons more effectively. I’ve also included some design tips to help you get started.

1. Educational posters to inspire and remind students 

Educational posters are a classic teaching aid that can breathe life into a classroom. Hanging posters up on your classroom walls will not only invite color into the environment, they’ll also act as helpful resources for students.

For example, here’s an educational poster that you could pin up in your classroom. The three study tips on this poster are organized with a different colored background. This is a simple  poster design trick  to help the information stand out.

CREATE THIS POSTER TEMPLATE

Meanwhile, this educational poster uses icons to visualize each different type of learner. A poster with this layout this can be useful for introducing students to new or foreign concepts (for example, words in a secondary language) because they can associate each word with a visual.

USE THIS POSTER TEMPLATE

2. Educational infographics to simplify complex information

Infographics are a perfect classroom tool because they can make complex information easier to understand.

There are many different types of infographics you can create, depending on the information you want to visualize. For example, you could make an infographic to summarize a new topic , to show a timeline of events, to visualize statistics , to explain a process –and more.

For example, this educational infographic uses a combination of charts, icons and creative text to show statistics about teens and social media. Visuals aids like these can be helpful for students who have trouble wrapping their heads around big numbers.

CREATE THIS DEMOGRAPHIC INFOGRAPHIC TEMPLATE

The cool thing about infographics is that there’s so many approaches you can take to create one. And the design doesn’t have to be complicated–just effective.

Related: How to Create a Successful Employee Training and Development Program Using Visuals

For example, this infographic uses a pattern graphic design of colorful circles to represent different vitamins. Associating each vitamin with a color can help students remember each one.

CREATE THIS TEACHING AID TEMPLATE

In data visualization, color plays a bigger role than just for decoration. Color can also be used as a tool to visualize information. Check out our guide to using colors to communicate effectively .

3. Creative presentations to keep students engaged with a lesson

We’ve all sat through boring presentations before. I’m going to go out on a limb and assume you don’t want to be the one delivering a boring presentation!

A creative presentation template can go a long way to keep your students from snoring in the middle of class. For starters, introduce bright colors and creative fonts into your slide design. You can also combine photos, charts and icons to illustrate concepts.

For example, this creative presentation uses a bold color palette that give each slide impact:

USE THIS PRESENTATION TEMPLATE

The combination of a script font with a more modern font helps makes for an interesting and unexpected design. Simple tricks like mixing and matching styles (as long as they’re complementary) can go a long way in your  presentation design .

Related: Storyline: A Starter Guide to Creating Engaging Visual Training Courses

Presenting information in a creative and visually-stimulating way can help get students excited about a topic. This presentation template uses image frames to seamlessly incorporate different pictures of foods into each slide design:

We have a tutorial for using image frames in your design, which you can access  here .

4. Educational charts to make data accessible

Simple charts are another great visual aid for an online learning platform . They can make data more approachable, and can also help reveal the stories behind data.

Look for opportunities to present information visually in your presentations, handouts, and reports, and find a chart that fits that type of information. For example, a classic pyramid chart is effective for visualizing a topic in different levels:

CREATE THIS PYRAMID CHART

Charts are also handy tools for analyzing processes. There are plenty of opportunities for you to include engaging visuals in your staff presentations, personal research, and more.

For example, a common problem that many teachers face is negotiating budgets for their curriculums, programs, and resources. Well-designed visuals can help you make a good case for your budget requests.

CREATE A CHART

Check out our guide for choosing the best charts for your data .

5. Student assessment reports with an approachable design

Since tracking students’ progress is an important part of a teacher’s job, why not make your student assessment reports more engaging with a creative design?

Younger students at the preschool or elementary school level can find assessments particularly stressful. A fun and playful design can help make a student progress report appear less intimidating.

For example, this progress report template uses a rainbow color palette, with star pictograms representing their grades:

CREATE THIS PROGRESS REPORT

You can also help students and parents understand their progress better by summarizing their progress in a chart. For example, this chart template uses a combination of a pie chart and some simple icons to highlight the main educational areas the student is being assessed on.

USE THIS REPORT CARD TEMPLATE

6. Classroom checklists to keep students, teachers and parents on track

A simple checklist can be a great tool to have in the classroom. From classroom duties to assignments for the semester, there are a lot of things that students need to keep track of.

Adding visual aids to your checklists can help make the points on the list easier to remember. For example, this simple checklist infographic  uses icons and a different color for each point:

USE THIS CHECKLIST TEMPLATE/button>

A visual checklist can also be useful for staff members, to help them remember tasks or best practices. For example, this checklist template offers tips to guide new teaching assistants:

USE THIS LIST INFOGRAPHIC TEMPLATE/button

7. Research reports to make data and insights engaging

If you want to share some interesting research findings with your students, or you want students to share their findings with you, try using a visually engaging report template . A visual report will require you or your students to identify and emphasize the most important pieces of information.

For example, this research report template uses circle icons to emphasize the study’s main findings:

USE THIS REPORT TEMPLATE

Presenting research visually can also help inspire students and staff members. For example, if you want to promote a student organization or a charity, visualizing some surprising statistics can make people stop and think about a cause.

8. School newsletters to get students, parents and teachers excited about events

A classic school newsletter can help keep staff, students and parents on the same page. Why not add some school spirit to your newsletter design ? If you start with a newsletter template, it’s easy to customize the text and visuals for every week or month.

Simply swap out the icons with ones that reflect the theme of each particular newsletter. You can also use image frames to share pictures of events at your school.

CREATE THIS SCHOOL NEWSLETTER TEMPLATE

Incorporate your school colors and fonts into your newsletter design. For example, this newsletter template uses the school’s colors of orange for the headers and blue for the sub-headers:

USE THIS NEWSLETTER TEMPLATE

Our newsletter maker offers a ton of creative newsletter templates. Why not try it out?

9. Education calendars to keep students, parents and teacher informed

Both teachers and students have a lot to keep track of. Adding some design flare to your calendar will make it a fun visual aid you can hang up in your classroom, or include to parents in an email.

Look for ways to organize the information so nothing is missed. For example, the lefthand column in this calendar template identifies the focus of each week, using an image to illustrate the ideas. This makes it easy for students to glance at the calendar and have an idea of what’s going on.

USE THIS CALENDAR TEMPLATE

10. Lesson plans to help you stay organized and to inspire other educators

As an educator, you no doubt understand the importance of being organized. Incorporating visuals into your lesson plan can make it easier for you to scan for information. It can also help inspire your creativity about a subject!

Since organization is key when it comes to lesson planning, you don’t have to go overboard with the design. Some simple design elements like icons, colorful headers, and a thematic footer can breathe life into a mundane lesson plan.

And if you want to share your lesson plans on a personal blog or with other teachers in your school, making your lesson plan engaging will make all the difference!

CREATE THIS LESSON PLAN TEMPLATE

Read More:  27+ Lesson Plan Examples for Effective Teaching

A few things to keep in mind when designing visual aids for learning:

• Make sure your information is organized and easy to understand–even if that means toning down the design.
• On that same note, keep designs relatively simple and keep text concise.
• Look for ways to visualize information using charts, pictograms, icons, and images.
• Customize templates for things like newsletters, reports, and calendars so you can easily reuse them.
• Export your teaching aids as high quality PNGs or PDFs so they will look good when you print them.

These are just a handful of the different types of visual aids for learning that you can use in the classroom. Are there any other visual aids that you like to use in your classroom? Share your tips in the comments!

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Visual Learning: Effective Strategies and Best Practices

Research shows that  65% of students  are visual learners. For this population of students, visual aids help them process learning concepts and materials more efficiently. However, visual learning benefits many students in both K -12 and higher education populations. This is why educators often use visuals to enhance comprehension, retention, and engagement. 

With advancing technology, educators can easily implement digital visual aids in their lessons and courses. In this article, we’ll take a deeper look at visual learning, highlighting the importance of both digital and physical visual resources. In addition, we’ll explore effective strategies and best practices for implementing visual resources.

What is Visual Learning?

Visual learning is a learning style that uses imagery to communicate academic concepts and information. These visual elements often include images, charts, graphics, diagrams, etc. Visual learning is one of the primary learning styles, often associated with its counterparts, auditory and kinesthetic (hands-on) learning. 

However, with visual learning, the focus is on what students can see and observe. For example, most kindergarten and first-grade classrooms utilize a word wall. The young learners use the word wall to spot sight words and build their vocabulary. Likewise, in some higher education majors, learners use graphs and diagrams to gain a deeper understanding of their studies. 

Students who prefer visual resources or require visuals to learn are known as visual learners. These learners benefit from imagery and fully immersing themselves in their academic materials. Let's take a look at five ways visual students can improve their learning outcomes. 

Some suggestions may require additional support or modification depending on the environment. For example, students may opt to use online resources such as digital flashcards and note-taking apps. Consider age, as younger students may need help connecting the dots between the visual resource and the learning objective. With the appropriate strategies, visual learning can enhance learning for everyone.

Strategies for Incorporating Visual Learning in Education

Educators want to ensure they utilize every opportunity to immerse learners in their studies and academic environment. Let’s take a look at visual learning strategies that can support students both inside and outside the classroom:

Provide Visual Aids in the Learning Environment: Educators use a variety of visual aids to support their teachings – these aids act as an additional learning resource. Decorate the classroom with useful infographics, diagrams, and other imagery. Teachers can also provide attached visual aids in their online courses, where students can access and download the 

Utilize Interactive Visual Tools: Bring visual aids to life with interactive tools like virtual whiteboards and mind maps. This is a great way to brainstorm or even invite students to interact with the aids displayed. 

Remember to Prioritize Accessibility:  Create an inclusive learning environment, ensuring every student can participate and benefit from visual resources. In some cases, educators can provide textual and auditory alternatives. 

Best Practices for Educators

When used effectively, visual content enriches the learning experience, not just as supplementary material but as a resource that directly aligns with academic objectives. To ensure students are receiving visual resources that support their learning goals, educators can follow these best practices:

Align Visual Content with Curriculum Goals: Use visual content to support educational standards and learning targets. Educators can strategically curate materials that reinforce academic concepts and lessons. Aligning resources with instructional material allows students to make connections – supporting their overall learning journey.

Measure the Impact of Visual Learning:  Assess the effectiveness of visual learning materials by observing which aids students find useful. Educators can gauge the impact of visual resources, ensuring student understanding and comprehension improves. For additional feedback, invite students to offer feedback on visual aids and explain how the resources are used in their studies.

Continuous Improvement:  With student input, educators can continue to improve the visual resources offered. In the long run, this will enhance how students interact with visual aids using digital tools and platforms. 

For greater impact and accessibility, use a learning management system that supports media integration – improving the visual learning process. Let’s examine how Canvas LMS can elevate visual learning in course and instructional design.

Visual Learning with Canvas: Elevating Instructional Design

Canvas LMS offers a collection of tools and features designed to enhance and support visual learning experiences. With Canvas' seamless LTI integrations and user customization, educators can design modules and courses that engage the learner. Visual learning resources are embedded, uploaded, and linked directly into course discussions, announcements, assignments, and modules. Overall, course design is enhanced when implementing visual aids. Learn more about the importance of instructional design . 

Students benefit from tailored academic experiences designed to help them succeed. With Canvas LMS, students have easy access to the visual resources they need at all times. 

Digital Tools to Enhance Visual Learning

Canvas makes visual learning easier for teachers to implement, offering contributory learning resources to students. In addition to ensuring your LMS has robust tools to support visual learning, see what else you should consider  when choosing an LMS .

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Effective teaching: discover the benefits of visual aids.

We often hear the saying A picture is worth a thousand words but when it comes to teaching, visuals can make a huge difference. Visual aids in teaching have become increasingly important in recent years due to the rise of technology and the prevalence of digital media. Visual aids can help students better understand materials, stay engaged in the lesson, and even improve their test scores. In this blog post, well explore the importance of visual aids in teaching and how teachers can leverage them to optimize learning outcomes.

What are Visual Aids in Teaching?

Visual aids in teaching are any type of visual material that helps to support or reinforce a lesson. This can include images, videos, diagrams, illustrations, graphs, slides, and even 3D models.

Advantages of Using Visual Aids in Teaching

There are numerous advantages to using visual aids in teaching, including:

1. Enhances Comprehension

Visual aids in teaching play a vital role in enhancing students' comprehension of difficult topics. When complex concepts are presented visually, students can more easily grasp and understand the information being conveyed. Research has consistently shown that visuals help students retain information more effectively compared to text-based instruction alone

This is because our brains are wired to process visual information quickly and efficiently. By leveraging visual aids such as diagrams, charts, and graphs, teachers can simplify abstract concepts, break them down into digestible parts, and provide students with a clearer understanding of the subject matter.

2. Improves Memory Retention

In addition to aiding comprehension, visual aids also contribute to improved memory retention. Studies have demonstrated that when students are exposed to visual representations of information, they are more likely to remember it and recall it more quickly when needed. Visual stimuli can create stronger neural connections in the brain, making it easier for students to retrieve the information later on.

This can be particularly beneficial for subjects that require memorization, such as vocabulary, historical events, or scientific processes. By incorporating visual aids, teachers can help students solidify their knowledge and reinforce their memory of key concepts.

3. Enhances Engagement

Visual aids are powerful tools for enhancing student engagement in the classroom. Traditional lecture-style teaching can sometimes lead to disengagement and passive learning. However, incorporating visuals can break up the monotony and captivate students' attention. Visuals provide a break from the constant flow of verbal information, allowing students to process the content in a different way.

This variation in teaching methods helps to stimulate students' interest and maintain their focus throughout the lesson. Visual aids can transform a static classroom into an interactive learning environment, encouraging active participation and fostering a deeper understanding of the material.

4. Increases Student Interest

One significant advantage of using visual aids is their ability to spark student interest in a subject. Many students are visual learners, meaning they absorb information more effectively when it is presented visually. By providing visuals to illustrate a concept, teachers can tap into students' natural inclination to process and understand information visually.

Visual aids can make the subject matter more relatable, tangible, and engaging. They create a connection between abstract ideas and real-world examples, making the content more accessible and intriguing. As a result, students are more likely to become invested in the material, actively participate in class discussions, and develop a genuine interest in the subject.

5. Stimulates Critical Thinking

Visual aids play a crucial role in stimulating critical thinking skills among students. When presented with visuals, students are encouraged to analyze the information, interpret its meaning, and draw their own conclusions. Visuals often require students to make connections, identify patterns, and think critically about the relationships between different elements. This process of analyzing visual information cultivates higher-order thinking skills, such as evaluation, synthesis, and problem-solving.

Visual aids prompt students to go beyond surface-level understanding and engage in deeper cognitive processing, enabling them to develop a more comprehensive understanding of the subject matter. By challenging students' critical thinking abilities through visual stimuli, teachers can foster independent and analytical thinkers.

6. Encourages Collaboration

Visual aids in the classroom not only facilitate individual learning but also foster collaboration among students . When visuals are used, they provide a shared point of reference that students can collectively analyze and discuss. This collaborative approach encourages active participation, communication, and teamwork. Students can work together to interpret and make sense of the visual information, share their perspectives, and engage in meaningful discussions.

By collaboratively exploring visuals, students can deepen their understanding of the material by considering different viewpoints, challenging assumptions, and constructing knowledge collectively. This collaborative learning environment promotes critical thinking, strengthens interpersonal skills, and cultivates a sense of community within the classroom.

7. Increases Understanding of Multimedia

In today's digital age, the ability to understand and effectively use different forms of multimedia is essential. Visual aids in the classroom serve as a valuable tool for enhancing students' understanding of multimedia. By incorporating various types of visuals, such as images, videos, infographics, and interactive presentations, teachers expose students to different mediums of communication.

This exposure helps students become familiar with the strengths, limitations, and appropriate applications of each visual medium. By actively engaging with visual aids, students develop media literacy skills, learning how to interpret and analyze visual content critically. They gain an understanding of how visuals can convey information, evoke emotions, and shape perceptions. This increased understanding of multimedia prepares students to navigate the visual-rich world we live in and equips them with valuable communication skills for the future.

8. Improves Test Scores

Visual aids can have a positive impact on student test scores. When students are exposed to visual representations of information, they are more likely to understand and retain the material. Visual aids simplify complex concepts, making them more accessible and easier to comprehend. This enhanced understanding translates into improved performance on assessments.

By reinforcing key points and facilitating better memory retention, visuals help students recall information more easily during exams. Visual aids can also assist students in organizing their thoughts, connecting concepts, and presenting their ideas more effectively in written or oral assessments. The use of visuals provides students with a visual scaffold that supports their learning, leading to higher test scores and academic achievement.

9. Enhances Creativity

Visual aids are not only effective tools for conveying information but also powerful stimulators of creativity. When visuals are used to illustrate different concepts, they ignite students' imagination and inspire them to think creatively. Visuals can evoke emotions, spark curiosity, and generate new ideas. Students can explore different interpretations of visual information, connect seemingly unrelated concepts, and discover novel solutions to problems.

Visuals provide a visual language that transcends words, enabling students to think beyond traditional boundaries and approach learning in a more imaginative and innovative way. By incorporating visuals that encourage open-ended thinking and creative expression, teachers can foster a classroom environment that nurtures students' creativity and cultivates their unique talents and perspectives.

10. Enhances Problem-Solving

Visual aids are valuable tools for enhancing students' problem-solving skills. When students are presented with visuals, they are encouraged to analyze the information, identify patterns, and draw connections. Visuals often present complex problems or scenarios in a simplified and visually engaging manner, allowing students to focus on the underlying concepts. By actively engaging with visual information, students develop the ability to break down problems , extract relevant information, and formulate effective strategies for finding solutions.

Visual aids can provide visual cues, prompts, or diagrams that guide students through the problem-solving process. They can also serve as a reference point for students to revisit and reassess their understanding as they navigate through problem-solving tasks. Through the use of visuals, students develop critical thinking, analytical reasoning, and problem-solving skills that are transferable to real-world situations beyond the classroom.

The importance of visual aids in teaching cannot be underestimated. Visuals can help students better understand materials, stay engaged in the lesson, and even improve their test scores. By leveraging visuals in the classroom, teachers can help to optimize learning outcomes and ensure that students are able to gain a deeper understanding of the material.

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Visual Aids

Read this article on visual aids. Pay attention to the purpose, emphasis, support, and clarity section. Take notes of techniques to improve presentations using clarity and simplicity. Also, focus on how to prepare visual aids.

Purpose, Emphasis, Support, and Clarity

When you look at your own presentation from an audience member's perspective, you might consider how to distinguish the main points from the rest of the information. You might also consider the relationships being presented between ideas or concepts, or how other aspects of the presentation can complement the oral message.

Your audience naturally will want to know why you are presenting the visual aid. The purpose for each visual aid should be clear, and almost speak for itself. If you can't quickly grasp the purpose of a visual aid in a speech, you have to honestly consider whether it should be used in the first place. Visual aids can significantly develop the message of a speech, but they must be used for a specific purpose the audience can easily recognize.

Perhaps you want to highlight a trend between two related issues, such as socioeconomic status and educational attainment. A line graph might show effectively how, as socioeconomic status rises, educational attainment also rises. This use of a visual aid can provide emphasis, effectively highlighting key words, ideas, or relationships for the audience.

Visual aids can also provide necessary support for your position. Audience members may question your assertion of the relationship between socioeconomic status and educational attainment. To support your argument, you might include on the slide, "According to the U.S. Department of Education Study no. 12345," or even use an image of the Department of Education Web page projected on a large screen. You might consider showing similar studies in graphic form, illustrating similarities across a wide range of research.

Clarity is key in the use of visual aids. One way to improve clarity is to limit the number of words on a PowerPoint slide. No more than ten words per slide, with a font large enough to be read at the back of the room or auditorium, is a good rule of thumb. Key images that have a clear relationship to the verbal message can also improve clarity. You may also choose to illustrate the same data successively in two distinct formats, perhaps a line graph followed by two pie graphs. Your central goal is to ensure your visual aid is clear.

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By: VariQuest Visual and Kinesthetic Learning Suite on May 13th, 2021

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The Importance of Visual Aids in Teaching

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The Benefits of Visual Aids for Teaching and Learning

Helping inspire students to study more effectively

Helping students retain information for a longer period of time

Providing an example to think about concepts

Increasing the student’s vocabulary

Helping students gain a proper view of topics and concepts

Providing hands on experience for students

Creating an atmosphere of interest

Making the process of teaching easier for teachers

Visual Aid Posters , Educational Charts, and Presentation Templates

Classroom learning can be enhanced significantly through the time-tested use of visual aid posters that teach information and concepts. These educational posters can hang on a classroom wall, serving as a convenient point of reference for students and also enhance the visual appeal of the classroom.

With the use of our creative presentation templates, you can effectively capture the attention of students. These templates can include various colors and fonts to create engaging slides that present information for illustrative learning, including photos, charts, and icons.

The VariQuest Visual and Kinesthetic Learning Suite is paired with thousands of templates, graphics, fonts, cutouts, and collections in our Engage Every Learner® Content , and because we're also visual learners, we'd like to show you! Download some free VariQuest visual aid posters here:

• Calm Down Checklist Poster
• My Holiday Traditions Poster
• Digital Citizenship and Internet Safety Poster Pack

For more information about the tools we offer for the production of visual aids for classroom teaching and learning, request a no-obligation demonstration with one of our expert education consultants - you'll be so glad you did!

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Why are visual aids important in learning?

Diversification in teaching is important to help pupils retain interest, engage in learning and to create enthusiasm.  Plus, when information is presented visually, it’s a lot more engaging.

How can Educational posters help?

Posters of the educational variety are like bread and butter and are a classic staple in the enhancement of learning.  Posters can breathe new life into an old, run down classroom and add colour, vibrancy and quality information that can be read and seen on a daily basis.  With the right mixture of pictures and text, posters can be a leading resource for any classroom environment. 

How can Maps enhance learning?

Learning about maps help children to begin to understand what is happening in the vast spaces around them.  Spatial analysis is a key skill that students can develop as they learn about the earth, geography and environmental sciences.  Learning about where countries and capital cities are situated, along with location and names of oceans, rivers and mountains, help pupils gain a larger world view than they wouldn’t ordinarily see in their daily lives.

Many students learn better when data and information is presented visually.  Take a look at our range of world maps to see how they could help with your teachings of world geography.   younger children may only be able to focus on one of our simple maps with limited detail, but as children get older they will be able to comprehend multiple factors at once, so our physical and political maps would be more apt.

‘Maps not only show the world, they lubricate its easy movement. On an average day, we will consult them dozens of times, often almost unconsciously: checking the A-Z, the road atlas or the sat nav, scanning the tube or bus map, doing a quick Google online, flying over a virtual Earth, navigating around a retail behemoth, on the hunt for a branch of Boots, watching the weather forecast, planning a walk or a trip, catching up on the news, booking a holiday or hotel. Maps pepper books, brochures, advertisements, web pages and newspaper and magazine articles: we barely notice them because they do their job so well’

Mike Parker,  2009  Map Addict

A recent geography Ofsted Research Review  makes it clear that the geography curriculum should introduce pupils to a variety of mapping, including topical and thematic mapping.  As an aside, the more competent that students are in using maps, the sounder their ability to relate to geographical concepts.  Ofsted also promotes that the geography curriculum should include sufficient opportunity to practise:

• Constructing and comparing maps
• Route-finding and categorising
• Interpreting map information to draw conclusions.
• Decoding information.

Some of the maps we offer can help with all of these points above.  Our range of ‘Our School’ maps particularly help with route finding, constructing and comparing maps.  These Maps are bespoke and centred on a particular area of interest (usually a landmark or the school itself), and encourage pupils to find and trace local landmarks, plan alternative routes to school and compare the different types of maps on offer.

Directions and symbols.

Another important feature of maps are the symbols and directions.  It’s important to help students understand what a picture can symbolise, and have them guess what different symbols on a particular map may mean.  This is a great opportunity to teach children about North, South, East and West.  Use one of our compass or weather symbols posters to help differentiate between directions or our OS Map Symbols Poster can assist with learning about different symbols associated with maps.

Teaching ideas incorporating maps .

• Urge students to find their house on one of our ‘our school’ products.  Ask them to trace their journey to and from school.  Encourage them to find local features and places of interest.
• Use one of our maps to assist them in figuring distances between countries.  How far would it be to travel to one of your holiday destinations?  What sea/ocean would you fly over?  Which direction would you fly?   What countries would you fly over?
• Ask students to draw a map of their classroom or school.  Ask them to create symbols and a map key to explain their map to others.  Now have them go on a treasure hunt using their map!

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5.14: Visual Aids

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By Sheila Kasperek, MLIS, MSIT Mansfield University, Mansfield, PA

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

After reading this chapter, you should be able to:

• Identify when and how visual aids will enhance a presentation
• Identify the different types of visual aids
• Identify effective and ineffective use of visual aids
• Apply basic design principles to slide design
• Identify best practices to incorporating visual aids in a presentation

Chapter Outline

Introduction.

• Effective Visual Aids
• Personal Appearance
• Objects and Props
• Demonstration
• Posters and Flip Charts
• Audio and Video
• Slide Layout
• Backgrounds and Effects
• Graphs and Charts
• Implementation
• Visual Aid Tips
• Review Questions and Activities

“Grifo mágico”  by emijrp.  CC-BY .

“I know you can’t read this from the back there,” the presenter apologizes to a screen so full of words you would think the entire speech had been crammed into one slide. This is just the first of a seemingly endless string of slides I can’t read, charts so full of numbers I can’t decipher the meaning, and clip art so clichéd I can’t help but roll my eyes and sigh. It is not long before I’m presented with an incredibly dense graph I can’t make any sense of since he keeps interrupting my concentration with actual talking. “When is he going to come to the point already?” I think to myself as I start to doodle in the margins of the handout of the PowerPoint slides for the very talk I’m currently sitting through. Why did he even bother with a presentation? He could have just emailed us all of the handout and saved us from this painful, dull spectacle. As he reads from his slides and belabors his statistics, my mind drifts to grocery lists and the upcoming weekend. I can think of a hundred better uses for an hour.

It seems nearly impossible to see a presentation that doesn’t revolve around a lengthy PowerPoint, so much so that you might think it was a requirement for giving a speech. The phrase “death by PowerPoint” was coined in response to the ubiquitous, wordy, and intellectually deadening presentations that focus on the slides rather than the content or the presenter. With the speaker reading directly from the slides, or worse, showing slides with text so small that it can’t be read, viewers are often left wondering what the need for the presentation is at all. A simple handout would convey the message and save everyone’s time. PowerPoint, however, is just one of the visual aids available to you as a speaker. Your ability to incorporate the right visual aid at the right time and in the right format can have a powerful effect on your audience. Because your message is the central focus of your speech, you only want to add visual aids that enhance your message, clarify the meaning of your words, target the emotions of your audience, and/or show what words fail to clearly describe.

A visual image is a simple thing, a picture that enters the eyes. – Roy H. Williams

“mwdCyborgLenses”  by em den.  CC-BY-NC-SA .

Learning how to create effective visuals that resonate with your audience is important for a quality presentation. Understanding basic principles of how visual information is processed alone and in combination with audio information can make or break your visuals’ effectiveness and impact. Incorporating visuals into your speech that complement your words rather than stand in place of them or distract from them, will set you apart from other presenters, increase your credibility, and make a bigger and more memorable impact on your audience.

• Chapter 13 Objectives, Outline, and Introduction. Authored by : Sheila Kasperek, MLIS, MSIT. Provided by : Mansfield University, Mansfield, PA. Located at : http://publicspeakingproject.org/psvirtualtext.html . Project : The Public Speaking Project. License : CC BY-NC-ND: Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives
• Grifo mu00e1gico. Authored by : emijrp. Located at : http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Grifo_m%C3%A1gico.JPG . License : CC BY-SA: Attribution-ShareAlike
• mwdCyborgLenses. Authored by : emden09. Located at : https://www.flickr.com/photos/emden09/16356102352/ . License : CC BY-NC-SA: Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike

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Definition of visual aid

Examples of visual aid in a sentence.

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'visual aid.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

1911, in the meaning defined above

Dictionary Entries Near visual aid

visual acuity

visual aphasia

Cite this Entry

“Visual aid.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary , Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/visual%20aid. Accessed 23 Apr. 2024.

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What Are Visual Aids?

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Visual aids are pictures, diagrams, graphs, and other visual tools that help explain information. They help people understand complex ideas more easily, especially if they need assistance processing information presented only verbally or in writing. Visual aids are used in classrooms, meetings, and presentations and can help keep an audience interested and engaged.

Table of Contents

• Frequently Asked Questions
• Science Person Definition

Real World Example of Visual Aids

How do visual aids work, recommended products, related topics, frequently asked question.

What are the benefits of using visual aids?

Using visual aids can make information easier to understand, especially for people who have difficulty processing information that is presented only in a verbal or written format. Visual aids can also help keep an audience engaged and interested.

What are some common types of visual aids?

Some common types of visual aids include pictures, diagrams, charts, graphs, videos, and models

How can I create effective visual aids for my presentation?

To create effective visual aids, choose appropriate visuals that support your message, keep them simple and uncluttered, and use high-quality graphics and fonts for better readability.

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Scientific Definition

What is the visual aids definition? Visual aids are visual materials that help people understand and remember information. They can be used in addition to spoken information.Visual aids are tools or materials that help convey information to an audience in a visual format. They can be pictures, graphs, charts, diagrams, videos, or any other type of visual representation that helps explain or illustrate a concept. Using visual aids can make information easier to understand, especially for people who have difficulty processing information that is presented only in a verbal or written format. For example, a chart can help show how data is related, or a picture can help explain a complex idea. Visual aids can be used in many different settings, such as in classrooms , meetings, or presentations, and they can help keep an audience engaged and interested. They can also be helpful for people with different learning styles, as they provide an additional way to process and retain information. Overall, visual aids are an effective way to enhance communication and understanding.

Meet Susie, an imaginative girl who loves to learn. Her teacher introduced the concept of visual aids to the class. Let’s see how visual aids transformed Susie’s learning experience!

• Susie learned that visual aids are magical tools that make learning fun and understandable.
• She saw a colorful slideshow about animals, with pictures and interesting facts that helped her visualize and remember their names easily.
• An incredible infographic about the solar system widened Susie’s eyes, making it easier for her to understand its vastness and remember the planet order.
• During a science experiment, a chart with colorful graphs showed how plants grow with sunlight, helping Susie understand its importance.
• Working on a group project, a large flowchart acted like a roadmap, keeping everyone organized and understanding their roles.
• A model volcano brought the concept of eruptions to life, leaving Susie amazed.

Visual aids made learning engaging, helping Susie understand complex concepts and remember information. She was excited to explore more visual aids and continue her journey of discovery.

Visual aids, like slideshows and infographics, enhance communication and understanding. They’re used in presentations, lectures, and education to engage and reinforce key points. Examples of visual aids include:

• Slideshows : Present information using text, images, and multimedia elements to keep the audience engaged.
• Infographics : Concisely present data, statistics, and information using icons, charts , and illustrations.
• Charts and Graphs: Illustrate trends, comparisons, and relationships between variables, making numerical information easier to understand.
• Diagrams and Flowcharts: Provide step-by-step visual representations to explain processes, systems, or relationships.
• Models and Physical Objects : Use physical models to demonstrate concepts, such as a solar system model in science class.

Visual aids simplify complex information, make it visually appealing, and improve retention. Incorporating them into presentations and educational materials enhances the learning experience.

This post was originally published on Feb. 19, 2023 . It was updated on Jan. 22, 2024 .

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Use of audio visuals aids in teaching and learning

The use of audio-visual materials in education is crucial today since it improves student learning. This is one of the reasons why the usage of audio-visual aids in teaching and learning has grown over time. Students can now share knowledge with others much more quickly and with instant access. Additionally, learners can now comprehend ideas and concepts more quickly and better. There are numerous different audio-visual aids accessible in the modern world such as videos, music clips, flip charts, slideshow presentations, and overhead transparencies there resources have proven essential in schools across all learning environments, from early childhood education to adult education. With the use of these resources, children have been able to concentrate more readily and acquire and remember more knowledge. As audiovisual technology has become more widely used, communication has changed and teachers can use these advances in the classroom to enhance teacher-student collaboration.

Teaching aids, according to Sunder (2010 ), improve teaching ability, draw in and hold learners’ interest, and make the teaching-learning process more participatory and knowledge-centered. In order to make the teaching-learning process result-oriented, simple, efficient, and interesting for both teachers and students, there is a clear need for and importance of teaching aids.  When it comes to teaching a new or abstract idea that could be challenging to understand or comprehend, audio-visual aids are essential. Teachers can show concepts to students using audiovisual aids in cases when they might otherwise be difficult to explain. I am a science teacher and I remember when I was teaching in a school in India most of the students faced difficulty to learn difficult topics such as photosynthesis, the naming of a chemical compound, and mole concepts. At that time, I usually used audio-visual aids so that students can understand the concepts easily.

https://sites.google.com/site/futurelivesinourhands/home/ii-nine-most-significant-topics/5-audio-visual-aids-ava

Moreover, different people have various ways of processing, absorbing, and remembering information. Some people are aural learners, meaning they process information best by hearing it rather than reading it. Others, who prefer to learn by looking, are visual learners and respond better to information presented in this manner. teachers can appeal to at least two different learning styles by using audiovisual aids while presenting the material. Additionally, Udomon, Xiong, Berns, Best, and Vike’s (2013) study on the effects of visual, and auditory on memory retention and recall showed that using two or more senses to learn information greatly improves retention and recall. The likelihood that information will be remembered is higher when it is delivered in both audio and visual formats. These tools generally help students better engage with the information and motivate them to study and they make it possible to communicate information in greater depth and detail.

https://www.afteroffers.com/visual-content-marketing/

Furthermore, The children’s television program Sesame Street was the first of its kind to use a precise and thorough educational curriculum, with specified educational aims, in its material. Sesame Street had its public broadcasting television debut in 1969. The show’s outreach objectives were met during its first season by a comprehensive and ground-breaking promotional campaign that was directed at children and their families living in low-income, inner-city homes because these populations tended to not watch educational television programs and because conventional methods of promotion and advertising were ineffective with them. A number of instructional resources for preschool settings were created by the producers for later seasons. According to a study published in the journal Early Childhood Education by Television: Lessons from Sesame Street , Sesame Street viewers, in particular those from lower-income areas, were found to be better prepared for school than their counterparts who did not watch Sesame Street. In comparison to their peers, children who watched Sesame Street scored higher on tests in science and English, had higher overall GPAs, read more books, valued achievement more, and were seen to be more creative.

https://www.american.edu/ucm/news/20191104-sesame-moland.cfm

In conclusion, audio-visual aids are essential to learning in a variety of ways, including the fact that they can be used with different learner types. Additionally, by connecting the audio-visual tools to the outside world, educators can use them to motivate students by demonstrating how the ideas they have learned can be used. The use of audio-visual aids in teaching and learning is advantageous because they engage the learner’s eyes, ears, touch, and possibly feelings in addition to their senses of sight and sound.

About the author

Thank you for your post, and your reflection! I am curious to hear more about how AV tools were used in your classroom in India? Do teachers have tech readily available for them to use? How about students? Does accessibility play a factor in students’ use of technology there? Thanks!

Thank you for your post and reflection in how AV resources have influenced your teaching and your students. Like Gilbert, I too am curious to learn more about AV resources in the schools in India. It is my understanding that there are many parts of India that have high poverty rates. Please educate us all about what a typical classroom looks like (AV related) in a regular public school.

I appreciate your thoughts and experiences working with children using audio-visual materials. I agree Digital learning taps into this easy access to information and helps students to use it effectively. A good digital learning strategy also teaches students how to be objective when searching the internet for information.

I enjoyed reading about how you use AV for science. Science is definitely not my favorite to teach, so I find myself using a lot of videos, documentaries, and pictures to explain concepts. Especially when teaching French Immersion, some concepts can be extra difficult to explain when it’s not our first language. I even watch videos first to understand so I can teach my students properly.

It was exciting to read how audio and visual presentation in classroom can affect outcomes of the knowledge , how it helps to learn anything excitedly and quickly.We provide Audio Visual systems and Integrations of best quality.

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• Published: 23 April 1949

Visual Aids to Education

• T. H. HAWKINS  

Nature volume  163 ,  pages 652–654 ( 1949 ) Cite this article

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THE application of visual aids to education has been stimulated during the last decade mainly because the value of the still and motion picture projectors is being increasingly realized. Visual aids have existed for a long time ; but it is only comparatively recently that their significance as an educational medium has been fully appreciated. This was recognized by the Havard Report on "General Education in a Free Society", which states : "Traditionally language deputises for what has to be absent. It tells us what we might see or hear. But it too often gets in the way of, or replaces, all that could give it a meaning. Now that the things and events themselves can be brought to us, the role of language is reversed. Instead of words having to explain or represent things, it is rather things or actual processes taking place before us, which explain words or call them in question."

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HAWKINS, T. Visual Aids to Education. Nature 163 , 652–654 (1949). https://doi.org/10.1038/163652a0

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Audio Visual Aids: Meaning, Types and Importance

Meaning of audio visual aids.

Any learning material which gives knowledge to us by using both audio and video features is called audio-visual tool or material. Audio visual aids are powerful learning tools that combine both sound and video features in the learning process. 

Audio visual  aids play an important in many areas like schools, teaching platforms, office presentations etc.  These aids integrate sound, images, videos, charts, and graphs to provide a good learning environment. 

According to Kinder S James , “Audio - Visual aids are any device which can be used to make learning experience more concrete, more realistic and more dynamic".

Types of audio-visual aids

Audio-visual aids can be classified as: Audio aids, Visual aids and Audio-visual aids.

The audio related tools which are used in education or learning are called audio tools. Audio aids are very common and useful aids used in various places.  In audio aids, audio is used to convey and send information. 

These are very useful in the case of illiterate and blind people because they are not able to understand what is written. There are many types of audio aids available, some of which are microphones, gramophones, telephones, radios, and recorder. 

1.  Microphones:  Microphones are popular example of audio aids. These are used in studios to record audio clearly. These are the main sources for recording audio which helps in making communication easier.

These can be of any type like wired, wireless etc. Noise-cancelling microphones are readily available on the market today and help to record sound with or without noise.

2.  Telephone:  The telephone is another audio device that has been in use for many years. It is a powerful audio device which is used for communication over large distances. It uses both microphone and speaker features which is necessary for effective communication.

3.  Radio:  Before television, radio was the most popular audio aid for multiple purposes like entertainment, and telling stories. songs, cricket commentary etc. Radio works by converting electrical signals to sound waves and then transferring them through waves in the air. it is a cheap, portable device which can be easily used by everyone.

4.  Speaker: The Speaker is primarily an audio device that is used to listen to what is recorded with the help of a mic. It is a useful audio aid used for learning and communication. It helps to convey the information to the listener. It is used to play songs while watching movies and stories.

5. Gramophone: A gramophone is a sound reproducing machine that plays audio recordings on flat discs. It was invented by Emile Berliner in the late 19th century.

Visual aids 

Such tools which provide information through images, text, charts and graphs are called visual aids. Visual aids are powerful learning aid which helps to understand and summarize the information in an easy and effective way. 

During the presentation, visual aids play an important role in making the presentation more engaging and attractive. Visual information can be easily remembered for a long time.    Let's take a look at some of the visual aids:

1. Charts: Charts are popular examples of visual aids. They contain data in a summarized form which can be easily visualized. In classrooms, various charts are stick upon the wall so that its data can be easily understood by the students.  There are of many types charts such as pie charts, bar charts, column charts, and area charts.

2. Images: Our brain learns or memorizes something in the form of images. Images can easily make us understand complex topics which we can't understand verbally. Therefore, it is the most common visual aid used in education and communication.

3. Graphs: Graphs play an important role in conveying information such as trends, patterns, relations, comparisons etc. They help to present data in a precise way to make it more readable and easier to analyze. Graphs summarize all the data and present it in a graphical form.

4. Text:   Text is the most commonly used visual aid. We can get information by reading the text. Text is the most simple way of conveying information. But textual aid fails when a person is illiterate or not capable of reading the language in which the text is written.

Audio Visual aids 

Audio visual aids are formed by combining both the features of sound and video. In audio visual aids, both audio and visual aids such as video, text, charts, graphs etc. are used in communication or in learning processes. Audio visual aids are far better than audio and visual aids  because these have both the features of audio and visual aids. 

In the educational field, audio visual aids help to understand the concept in more easier way. Because we learn better by using both senses such as eyes and ears. Our brain becomes more active, which helps us to understand the material faster and remember it for a longer period of time. The most common examples of audio-visual aids are T.V, computers, movies, video etc.

1. Television:   T elevision is the most popular Audio visual device which is used for entertainment purposes such as watching movies, web series, news, cartoons etc. It uses both audio-visual aids to convey information. It engaged viewers through various means such as compelling storytelling, emotional connection, visual stimulation, and diversity of contents. 

Telephone serves as popular and cheap audio-visual aids used by person of any age. It can also be used for educational purposes for learning complex topics of mathematics, physics etc. in an entertaining and comfortable manner.

2. Multimedia presentation:  Multimedia presentation serves as powerful audio-visual aids for offices, schools, colleges etc. It has both the features of audio and visual aids which makes it a perfect choice for explaining complex topics to a large group of students at once.  Multimedia presentations are used every day in the office to report on new projects, sales, developments, etc. in the company. 

3. Projector: Projectors stand as essential audio-visual equipment that has revolutionized the way information is presented and consumed. In business environments, projectors are used as key tools for giving impressive presentations.  It is used to display information like videos, and presentations on a large screen. It is the main medium of presenting a presentation to a large audience.

4. Computers: Computers are one of the most powerful audio-visual aids. These can be used for a variety of tasks that involve audio and video, whether it is creating multimedia presentations, watching entertaining videos or watching educational videos. In computers, we can do a wide range of tasks that need both audio and video.

Importance of audio-visual aids 

• The importance of audio visual aids is increasing nowadays because the usage of these aids helps in better communication and understanding.  

• This combination of visual and auditory stimuli creates a multi-sensory learning environment, which enhances perception and understanding. 

• Audio visual aids play an important role in many fields like businesses, schools,  colleges and other professions.

• Not all learners respond equally to traditional teaching methods. These aids accommodate visual, auditory and kinaesthetic learners, assuring inclusive and effective instruction.

• By making information more accessible and attractive, these aids increase interest and participation and make the topic easier to understand.

• Encouraging the use of audio visual aids stimulates creativity and critical thinking skills.

• Audio visual aids help the presenter in making dynamic presentations and engaging his audience. With the use of audio-visual aids, it becomes easy for the presenter to make the topic easily understandable for the audience by clearing their doubts in depth.

Thus, audio visual aids are invaluable tools for enhancing, communication and understanding across various fields.

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Audio Visual Aids in Education, Definition, Types & Objectives

अनुक्रम (Contents)

Audio Visual Aids

Audio Visual Aids facilitates the task of a teacher while teaching in the class room. These aids are very useful at the el ementary and junior stages. The use of audio-visual-aids has mechanised the education and teaching learning process.

These teaching aids are used to facilitate both audio and vi sual senses and encourage listening and observing functions. Thus these aids involve more than one sense simultaneously and learner more active. These aids develop the perception of the learner which is the basis for the understanding of any concept.

Audio visual technology is related with instructional technology.Broadly speaking, audio visual aids include all the vari ous means and techniques which a teacher may collect from his resources and display them to make the teaching appear real as well as affective.

Teaching aids can be classified into three main categories :

1. Audio Aids

2. Visual Aids

3. Audio Visual Aids

Audio-Visual Aids

1. Audio Aids : Aids which appeal only the ears are called audio aids. For Instance: Headphone, Radio, Tape-recorder, Gramophone.

2. Visual Aids: Visual aids appeal only to eyes. Following are the main visual aids: Picture, Film strips and slides, flash-card, flannel-board, black board, text books, charts, maps, models etc.

3. Audio Visual Aids: The aids which appeal to both eyes and ears are called audio-visual aids. For example: Television, Cinema, films.

We can divide audio-visual aids into two broader categories:

(1) Cheap aids, (2) Costly / Expensive aids.

(1) Cheap aids – Charts, maps, text-books, black-board, flan nel- board etc.

(2) Costly aids – Film, television , slides and film strips etc. Some other audio-visual aids are as follows:

1. Teacher- Teacher is the most suitable and effective au dio-visual aid. He can explain things more vividly with the help of gestures and modulation.

2. Simple and flexible objects – The teacher can use some aids like flannel board, bulletin board, black-bord, chair, duster, table, pencil etc. He can use them wherever and whenever he feels the need.

3. Reading material – Books, Magzines, Journals, Story Books etc. also serve the purpose of material aids.

4. Graphic Aids – Pictures, Charts, Sceneries, Maps, Cartoons, posters, etc. are also used as graphic aids.

5. Sophisticated Aids – Electronic items like computers, record, players, record-players, projectors, transparencies, tape re corder, radio, television etc.

6. Activity material- These are fieldtrips, flash card, puzzles, crosswords, word building cards, matching words etc.

7. Cultural Media- Dance, drama, puppet show, song etc.

8. Miscellaneous – Pamphlets, exhibition etc.

इसी भी पढ़ें…

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Visual aids in ambulatory clinical practice: Experiences, perceptions and needs of patients and healthcare professionals

Catherine hafner.

1 Department of Endocrinology, Diabetology, Nutrition and Therapeutic Education, Geneva University Hospitals, Geneva, Switzerland

Julie Schneider

2 Altitude 436 –Atelier graphique, Geneva, Switzerland

Mélinée Schindler

3 Department of Community Medicine, Primary and Emergency Care, Geneva University Hospitals, Geneva, Switzerland

Olivia Braillard

Associated data.

Data are available: http://doi.org/10.5255/UKDA-SN-855201 .

This study aims to explore how visual aids (VA) are used in ambulatory medical practice. Our research group (two doctors, one graphic designer and one sociologist) have led a qualitative study based on Focus Groups. A semi-structured guide and examples of VA were used to stimulate discussions. Participants were healthcare professionals (HP) working in ambulatory practice in Geneva and French-speaking outpatients. After inductive thematic analysis, the coding process was analyzed and modified to eventually reach consensus. Six focus groups gathered twenty-one HP and fifteen patients. Our study underlines the variety of purposes of use of VA and the different contexts of use allowing the distinction between “stand-alone” VA used out of consultation by patients alone and “interactive” VA used during a consultation enriched by the interaction between HP and patients. HP described that VA can take the form of useful tools for education and communication during consultation. They have questioned the quality of available VA and complained about restricted access to them. Patients expressed concern about the impact of VA on the interaction with HP. Participants agreed on the beneficial role of VA to supplement verbal explanation and text. Our study emphasizes the need to classify available VA, guarantee their quality, facilitate their access and deliver pertinent instructions for use.

Introduction

Images are used to communicate and teach in a multitude of areas. In the medical field, the recall of information transmitted orally during consultation is unsatisfactory and written documents are often not adapted to patients [ 1 ]. The use of images seems to improve understanding, attention and recall of information [ 2 ]. A lot of interest has been devoted to the development and use of pictograms to improve medication adherence [ 3 – 5 ].

For the purpose of this article we have defined “visual aids” as all media or formats that are used to give information with the aid of non-moving images (aid to verbal or written information). Images comprise photographs, illustrations, drawings, infographics (method to visually communicate information) or pictograms ( Fig 1 ) [ 6 ].

“How to Handwash?” under a CC BY 4.0 license, with permission from Altitude436, original copyright © Altitude436, 2021. Pictogram reprinted from “Vigigerme® Hygiène des mains” under a CC BY license, with permission from HUG, original copyright, © HUG 2017.

Other types of VA than pictograms (illustrations, infographics, photo stories and cartoons) have also been studied for patient education and risk communication among other fields [ 7 – 14 ]. Studies focus on a single type VA, a single purpose and take place in precise research context [ 15 , 16 ]. It is therefore complicated to understand how visual materials can take place into real daily practice with the currently available data.

While many studies focus on the process of creation and validation of visuals, this study aims to examine the way users can profit from visuals already available. We want to identify the different types of VA that are used in clinical practice without focusing on a particular visual element or a specific purpose. Our aim is to understand how they are used by HP and patients and to identify benefits and constraints in real practice. The ultimate goal is to facilitate the use of VA in clinical practice in a safe and relevant manner.

Our study took place at the at the Geneva University Hospitals (HUG) which dispenses ambulatory care of general internal medicine to a population of different socio-educational backgrounds and diverse nationalities and cultures. Geneva is undeniably a cosmopolitan canton whose proportion of foreign nationals in the population is the highest in Switzerland [ 17 ]. This illustrates the variety of nationalities, cultures, spoken languages, socio-educational and economic levels in our canton and the potential communication hurdles that can ensue.

Methodological approach

We conducted a qualitative study based on focus groups. Following a review of the literature, a guide to a semi-structured focus group (FG) was established in order to stimulate discussion. The interview guide (see Table 1 ) was validated in a pilot FG. Given the absence of modification to the guide, the pilot FG was included in the analysis.

Research team

The research team included two general practitioners, a sociology researcher and a graphic designer. One of the doctors and the sociology researcher are experienced in qualitative research and in patient education.

The research protocol was sent to the Research Ethics Council, which confirmed that in light of our methodology there was no need for a full submission. The inclusion criterion for all participants consisted of oral proficiency in French. For HP, the criterion of inclusion was healthcare practice in Geneva with ambulatory patients without focusing on a specific profession. Regarding patients, inclusion criteria consisted of having an experience of ambulatory medical follow-up in Geneva and not being hospitalized.

We carried out a purposive sampling in order to have the widest range of HP and patients. Criteria used for purposive sampling of patients were age (> 2 patients over 70 years old), native language (> 35% of non-french native language) and number of past ambulatory consultations. We aimed to have different types of ambulatory experiences (chronic disease follow up, emergency consultation, preventive care e.g.). Due to the impossibility to include non-french speaking patients in the FG, we chose the native language criteria to ensure a diversity of cultural backgrounds. The recruitment of HP was done via e-mail and posters. The pharmacists were recruited by e-mail and visits to dispensaries closest to the hospital in order to avoid too large recruitment.

The patients were recruited in waiting rooms or through posters in the hospital and in city pharmacies as well as directly by doctors working in the HUG. All participants received a gift voucher of CHF 20.—for a department store. Lunch was offered during focus groups and each participant signed informed consent.

Focus groups were moderated by the sociology researcher and took place between 24.05.2017 and 26.07.2017. One to two other members of the research group took handwritten notes of the sessions in addition to the audio recording. We have separated patients and HP for the focus groups in order to facilitate discussion within the group. The recorded interviews were transcribed ad verbatim by a remunerated external person. A proofreading was performed in order to verify the accuracy of the transcript.

Data analysis

All the members of the research group read the transcripts and established by consensus a first code list in an inductive manner with a precise definition of each code, so that the coders could refer to it during the analysis. There was no disagreement requiring an intervention of a third party.

Two members of the group have encoded the full content of the discussions using an analysis program ( Dedoose , Version 8.1.21). The totality of the content was double-coded. The list of codes was refined as coding continued, always with the consensus of the entire research team.

Three “healthcare professionals’ focus groups ” (including the pilot FG) and three “patients focus groups ” achieved data saturation. Fifteen patients and twenty-one HP participated. Patients groups lasted an hour and a half, HP sessions one hour. Table 2 enumerates specific occupations of HP and Table 3 patients’ characteristics. The 3 focus groups with HP included minimum 4 different professions.

The inductive thematic analysis resulted in bringing out five main themes: 1) identification and definition of VA 2) context of use, purpose and role of VA, 3) co-construction and reference systems, 4) accessibility and quality of VA and 5) patient-healthcare professional relationship.

Identification and definition of visual aids

When asked about examples of VA, the HP listed a multitude of visuals. Complete elaborate VA (infographics, posters, illustrated sets of cards) were cited as well as individual images such as pictograms or illustrations. Drawings, photographs and videos have also been mentioned as examples. The paper format is often used but its source is frequently digital. Original variations were also cited by patients when asked about VA such as the use of stones.

Patient: “I have a dermatologist who has stones at his medical office that are laid one on top of the other and he told me that’s the skin. So that’s the dermis, the epidermis, he showed me all the layers, but with a name.” (FG6)

While patients mostly described positive experiences with VA, a few expressed that a good explanation was enough.

Patient: “I think, a good doctor, or a good female doctor, explains it to you and for me it is enough. I don’t need images.” (FG6)

In the end, examples of VA listed by participants include a great variety of types and formats. The users do not seem to identify different categories of visual elements (pictograms versus illustration for example) but they focus rather on the roles and purposes of VA.

Contexts of use, purposes and roles of visual aids

We have identified two main contexts of use of VA. On the one hand, some VA were mainly created for use outside consultation, either by patients or HP on their own (posters, brochure, medical file etc.). We propose to call this type of VA: “stand-alone VA”. On the other hand, the majority of examples given by participants concerned the usage during consultation where a visual aid is presented/created by the healthcare professional to interact with the patient. We propose to name those VA: “interactive VA”.

Participants cited a few examples where VA were used out of consultation, e.g. posters in waiting rooms or hospital orientation signs. Their primary purpose was unilateral transmission of information or spatial orientation. These “stand-alone VA” as opposed to “interactive VA”, are used without healthcare professional’s guidance. Participants underlined that in order to transmit information, they rely considerably on the text, given the absence of verbal explanation. However, if the stand-alone visual aid is a reminder of a known information, the image alone can be very helpful.

Healthcare professional: “Afterwards, I think, these are things that are clear to us because we see them every day. But afterward, if you are a patient, it will probably, be the first time that you will be confronted with this image. There we will have to explain to him at one time or another otherwise we risk not being on the same wavelength… precisely that risks causing problems later…we start on a bad note.” (FG1)

For the majority of patients, the primary role of images in the context of stand-alone VA is to attract attention.

Patient 1: “There is too much text in relation to the image. And what must strike is the image and not the text, that’s what strikes people.” Patient 2: “Yes sometimes it’s a strong and simple image” (FG5)

This role seems important given that compared to text alone, participants were clearly more attracted to infographics combining both images and text.

Moderator: “And if there had been the text alone, you would have read it too or not?” Patient: “If there is too much reading, no. Because, finally, there are sometimes terms in the things you are given, therapeutic names, you really have to go back and ask again later to find out what it means (….).” (FG4)

However, participants underlined the risk of overloading stand-alone VA with details or a multitude of information because essential meaning could be missed.

Moderator: “Yes but why more speaking?” Patient: “Because there are less images, one can more easily catch the…. because the others, it is a bit, messy, one can’t….one doesn’t know where to look.” (FG 4)

Participants also emphasized the importance of the "tone" given to the message. Indeed, an image can also discourage the patient as exemplified by participants’ reactions (1 patient and 2 HP) to an infographic about diabetes with a seemingly frightening pictogram showing an amputated person.

Healthcare professional 1: “Well, it needs to catch attention, but I mean… Aggressive at this point…” Healthcare professional 2: “Yeah… not that it’s too aggressive either but…all the same you understand right away, it has to be understood right away.” Healthcare professional 3: “I think it’s hard to do both… that there is at the same time a reaction from the general public but also that it doesn’t scare too much, in order to de-stigmatize the disease a little, finally. As we do for AIDS-HIV.” (FG1)

Another cited type of stand-alone visual aid consists of pictograms for Hospital Hygiene Signage (Vigigerme ® ) [ 18 ]. Those pictograms were listed as examples of efficient stand-alone VA which render the transmission of information easy and became so common that patients and HP often do not need additional verbal or written information.

Regarding the use of VA during medical consultation as “interactive VA”, different purposes were identified: explanation, overcoming communication barrier, recall and situation setting. Table 4 allows to list some examples of “interactive VA”, as opposed to “stand-alone VA”, also with mention of roles, purposes, advantages and constraints.

In the context of a medical consultation, VA are often used as tools to improve communication when the circumstances are challenging (linguistic barrier, aphasia, illiteracy, hypoacusis). Some HP underlined the lack of interactive VA for translation purposes when oral communication is impossible and requested tools designed for translation. Others, on the contrary, underlined their determination to avoid substitution of oral communication with interactive VA because of the risk of misinterpretation.

Healthcare professional: “I find that […] finally, the visual tools are more… finally, useful for the patient, after, finally I find it really necessary to have, finally either to construct them with the patient, or that there is an explanation provided at the same time as the presentation of these tools.” (FG2)

Even when communication is not an issue, interactive VA are used to help with explanation of visual information, especially related to anatomy, or complex concepts (statistical risk e.g.) by representing them in an illustrated way.

Patient: “I also have a small ear problem, and then… often you can’t actually picture the problems one has, and then by drawing, sometimes it can be of help. I think it’s simpler, it’s more understandable.” (FG 4) HP can also benefit from the use of a visual as pointed out by this patient: Patient: “I think you put this in front of the doctor, who will explain this in front of the patient; well yes, it is much easier, for the doctor, for the explanation and at the same time for the patient to understand.” (FG 5)

Indeed, HP report that using an interactive visual aid is an opportunity to simplify information and therefore to select the main message to be transmitted.

Healthcare professional: “there is […] so much info now, between the Internet, applications, in any case regarding food, and I tell myself that going back to things a little bit essential, it can also help to sort info, even for professionals, for us, and then for the patients.” (FG 1)

Another purpose of use is to help with the recall of information. The interactive visual aid used during consultation can become a reminder. Indeed, participants (patients and HP) particularly cited interactive VA using a format which can be consulted at home.

Patient: “we can take it with us, it’s clear. And it was very useful to me precisely because she [his wife] was not there and when she arrived, I explained to her, I had to pull out the graph. Yes, I pulled out the graph, and voilà, really, I understand even more.” (FG 4)

Situation setting is also a purpose for the use of interactive VA when images represent situations of daily life or a future intervention. Their role is to help the patient to project himself into a different context in order to anticipate potential difficulties and answer questions.

The main common characteristic of interactive VA is how they are integrated during consultation by the healthcare professional allowing the patient to react, facilitating discussion and interaction. It can help patients to express their choices and the healthcare professional can verify the patient’s understanding.

Healthcare professional: “but even just having a little visual to have the patient confirm, whether he understood or not, is good. Whether by explanation or a drawing, he should say yes I have really understood, or not I have not understood, so that we can change the technique, in case he did not understand.” (FG 3)

The patients agreed that they also wanted to take an active role, to guide the healthcare practitioner and to create a dialogue while using interactive VA.

Patient 1: “Yes absolutely, yes, we share it at the same time.”

Moderator: “If you, you understand, he goes further, or he goes back to…” Patient 1: “See, the intestine, it’s that and that, and then etc. and then you show it all together, if you want.” (FG4) Healthcare professional: “If I can add something, a good tool is necessarily interactive, so a ready-made thing is not very effective, so the patient must have something to do, whatever the activity, but that he have something to do.” (FG 2)

The active role of the patient while using interactive VA is essential but it should also be the case in the process of creation of VA.

Co-construction and reference systems

HP identify the risk of using overelaborate symbols, not adapted to the health literacy level-education level or symbols based on an occidental cultural reference not shared by patients.

Healthcare professional: “we tend to put our images, our perceptions, or those which would correspond to our culture, and often they can be misinterpreted. I always have in mind one case in South America where in fact an alcoholic beverage was marketed with the pictogram of a pregnant woman, who should not drink, but then the population understood that if you are not pregnant, you cannot drink this beverage.” (FG 2)

A telling example is that of the medication schedule card.

Healthcare professional: “one quickly realizes that even a simple double entry table with the name of the drug on the left and schedules on top, most people don’t understand, because it’s a concept, it’s a thing we learned in school, which to us seems to be absolutely obvious, but which is not at all obvious to some people, it still remains something not simple and finally what they understand best, that’s right.” (FG 3)

Indeed, during focus groups we have not been able to identify a systematic pattern of how VA are read by patients. Some patients focused on the text, others on details of the images or the atmosphere of the VA. We also found that a too literal interpretation of images can be confusing, for example on dietary sheets representing meals where patients literally focus on the illustrated food instead of the concept of a meal: breakfast, lunch, dinner, etc.

Patient: “for me, compared to that one, it took me a little time to understand, because I know what it is about, […] because I am dieting, I know what it is about. But for someone who has normal habits […], he may think that it is an advertisement for oil.” (FG 5)

Two solutions were suggested in order to prevent the risk of confusion related to a discrepancy in reference systems of the healthcare professional and the patient: the co-construction of VA with patients was proposed by HP, and the acquisition of a common reference system by both HP and patients. The medication schedule card for example can be co-constructed with the patient. The often cited example of traffic signs supports our ability to develop and learn a common language thanks to their high visibility in our daily lives.

Healthcare professional: “I think that before SMS existed we all had the reference of the Highway Code. Since then, emoticons have become widely spread. So now do we have to create new ones or should we be inspired by them?” (FG 1)

Accessibility and quality of visual aids

Given the notion that patients and HP could learn a common reference system, participants emphasize the importance of sharing VA, enabling the construction of a common visual language. Some HP are also interested in sharing access to VA with patients.

Healthcare professional: “[…] I also think what is interesting is that the documents could be shared, […] visible both from the outside by the patients and also by us, […] it can already nourish […] consultations and also that they can already have access to the documents, perhaps before coming to consultation so they have time to read a little…” (FG 1)

HP complain that the difficulty of accessing VA restricts their use. Therefore, participants suggest the creation of a digital database.

Nevertheless, HP mention that the quality of VA should be guaranteed and the source identifiable. Some HP qualify as "Do It Yourself" the creation of VA by themselves or doing a Google search in front of the patient. HP are concerned about an inappropriate message or a misunderstanding if VA are not validated.

Patient-healthcare professional relationship

Patients seem to appreciate any effort aimed at conveying clear information to them. They appreciate being adequately informed and often report situations where medical jargon or the complexity of the information limits their understanding. The fact that an image is drawn or explained by the healthcare professional seems to add value to the tool.

Patient: “I think a drawing by a doctor, I don’t ask that he is fully professional or a graphic designer, but that he explains to you with a drawing and that he explains it to you at the same time that he does it, then it’s meaningful […]. Yes, precisely very meaningful because my doctor did this for me.” (FG 4)

Thus, any effort to convey clear information, whether it takes the form of a visual aid or not, is appreciated and probably strengthens the relationship.

We have observed that patients are concerned about the time of interaction with the healthcare professional.

Patient: “Because it takes work on the part of the doctors. And when I see that they barely look at the person…they’re stressed out there because there’s the other one waiting (…). At the start, well he gives an explanation (verbal) (…) but then I don’t know if we can still look at the drawing, there indeed… the time…” (FG 5)

Any tool which may end up as a substitute for this exchange with a healthcare professional would constitute a threat to the patient-healthcare professional relationship. However, VA which synthesize information or focus on key points are cited as beneficial for recall because HP sometimes do not have time to summarize or repeat the main points at the end of an interview.

Discussion and conclusion

Summary of results.

HP described a variety of contexts for the use of VA with different roles, formats and sources. They question the quality of certain VA and seem restricted by the lack of easy access to referenced tools. Co-construction of VA is a significant asset to them.

Patients experienced difficulty identifying what VA are and how they are useful. Concern was expressed that they will replace the interaction with HP.

We have found that VA are highly appreciated when they replace or supplement written information without being a substitute for oral explanation. Patients appreciate that HP transmit quality information to them but the challenge is the synthesis and simplification of explanations.

Strengths and limitations

The purposive sampling may have selected participants interested in VA and patient education. The broad scope of the VA and the single site methodology might limit the exhaustiveness of the results. As in any qualitative study, data collection and analysis may be subject to bias. However, our research team of various professions and career paths has brought wealth and weight to the qualitative analysis. This study is innovative by its transversal approach to various areas of care and the active participation of both patients and HP.

Our transversal approach revealed that participants are exposed to a wide diversity of VA (pictograms, illustrations, infographics, etc.). Both HP and patients do not distinguish VA by their visual type (pictograms vs illustration, e.g.), but rather by their purpose (information vs situation setting e.g.). Participants emphasize the importance of general aesthetics and the need to catch the patient’s attention. This fact validates the importance of collaboration between patients, HP and graphic designers to take into account purposes as well as visual needs [ 2 , 19 , 20 ].

Our study underlines the difference between a stand-alone visual aid given out of consultation and an interactive visual aid used with a patient by a healthcare professional during consultation. Only the latter provides an opportunity to initiate dialogue and make the patient active. This finding is paramount to this study as most of the benefits and constraints of VA identified in this study are related on how the VA is used as an interactive visual aid (vs a stand-alone visual aid) rather than which VA or graphic type should be used.

The main risk of using VA described by both HP and patients is misinterpretation, especially when VA are used as a support out of consultation and without explanation or when the patient has a different cultural background. Without distinction of context, recommendations on the use of VA agree on the importance of verbal and/or written explanation to accompany graphic elements in order to reduce the likelihood of misinterpretation [ 2 , 21 ].

The literature has demonstrated the risks of communicating exclusively with the use of graphical symbols because they are not inherently universal [ 22 – 24 ]. A study proposes the creation of pictogram "sets" when translation is not possible but they must be adapted and validated for the target population [ 25 ]. Cultural background is essential to validate VA for a specific population. However, we were not able to define any specific pattern of reading patterns or preferences of patients of similar characteristics in our study, underlying the complexity of this topic and the need of further individualization of a VA.

Many participants (patients and HP) express the importance of being able to personalize VA and even co-construct them during consultation. The benefit of integrating the patient in the creation of visual media is mainly developed in the literature for the creation of visual databases for a specific population [ 20 , 26 ]. In patient education, the co-construction of a pedagogical aid, whether in the process of creation or during consultation, is considered necessary to encourage patient engagement [ 21 , 27 ]. Co-construction of an interactive visual aid is then not only a creation process with the possibility of individualization but it can also become a pedagogical process [ 20 ]. HP should however be trained for such an approach.

Although our findings emphasize benefits of VA when they are used as interactive VA rather than stand-alone VA, verbal communication around VA is not frequently assessed in research studies. The recommendations focus rather on the necessity of pointing to images while talking or explain the benefits of an image for a specific purpose as compared to another [ 2 , 6 , 28 ]. We think that the addition of instructions for use is thus necessary. This would ensure pertinent and safe usage and guide HP to promote dialogue and partnership with the use of interactive VA.

The HP state many constraints to the use of VA in their practice: complicated access and lack of guarantee of quality. These elements are consistent with the literature which underlines the importance of following through the processes of creation and validation of VA [ 2 , 3 ]. The authors note the significant cost of this type of development and the lack of an accessible free database [ 16 ].

The concept of learning a visual language is addressed by HP. The creation of universal pictograms or pictograms personalized for each individual is unrealistic [ 16 ]. Research avenues are proposed in this direction to determine whether exposure to a repeatedly occurring visual language associated with a verbal explanation could make acquisition possible [ 22 ]. Given the limitations cited above, an interesting prospect would be the coordination of all efforts to create a common visual language and teach patients and HP to understand and use it, similarly to traffic signs.

Current research highlights the strengths of integrating VA into medicine as well as the constraints. VA integrated in consultation can become valuable tools for explanation, fostering dialogue with the patient, supporting learning and cultivating the therapeutic relationship. The main constraints don’t question the VA usefulness or efficacy but rather the processes that might endanger their use: lack of access, quality assessment or individualization to the patient need or preferences. Future research should shift from “which” standardized visual aid should be used to “how” to integrate them into daily practice.

Practice implications

VA are useful in clinical practice for different purposes as information, overcoming communication barrier, recall or situation setting, but should not replace oral communication. VA should be co-developed with patients, knowing that a unique VA can’t be adequate for all patients. HP and patients should be able to personalize them in the way that VA supports patients to express their needs and preferences. The development of a common reference system might also be an alternative to ensure VA’s adequacy with different profiles of patients. VA should also be easily accessible and their quality guaranteed to enable their use in daily practice.

Funding Statement

The funders (Edmond J. Safra Foundation) had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript. Funds were used to pay for salary for one person to transcribe verbatims and fees for one author (JS), as well as for various costs related to the organization of the study. Three of the authors are employed by HUG, while one author: Julie Schneider is an independent graphic designer (at Altitude 436), her time producing materials for the study was financially compensated, without any conflict of interest. The funder provided support in the form of salaries for authors JULIE SCHNEIDER, but did not have any additional role in the study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript. The specific roles of these authors are articulated in the ‘author contributions’ section.

Data Availability

• PLoS One. 2022; 17(2): e0263041.

Decision Letter 0

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PONE-D-20-29419

Visual aids in clinical practice: experiences, perceptions and needs of patients and healthcare professionals

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Reviewers' comments:

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Reviewer #1: Many papers have been published about visual aids. This manuscript adds relevant additional knowledge to current insights based on qualitative interviews. The research question is well embedded in literature, the methodology fits, the results are described clearly. My main issue is that I would expect some more citations to illustrate the findings, as some paragraphs don’t use any citation at all. I have the following minor issues as suggestions for further improvement.

• When was the study performed?

• Focusgroup: what number of participants was your aim? What were criteria for purposive selection (e.g. gender, age, health literacy, experience)?

• With respect to the criteria for purposive selection: did you find any indication how the results were influenced by these criteria? Did you look for conflicting evidence?

• The definition of VAs is somehow problematic, as you did leave this to the focus group (and later you give direction to the discussion by giving examples). Hence it is not clear what kind of VAs this research addresses.

o In general, I believe this is not problematic in the context of this paper. As the results show, different types of VA were named during the FGs.

o Please discuss this (also with respect to more modern/complex interventions that include visual material, such as instruction video’s, animations, instruction games).

o Did you notice any differences in benefits and limitations with respect to the type of VAs?

• Please include the interview guide in the manuscript (not as supplement).

• The use of citation seems unbalances (no citation in the first paragraphs, appropriate citations in the second part)

• I believe line ‘117 Professions of healthcare participants’ can be skipped.

• Paragraph Identification.

o Please support your findings in this paragraph with appropriate citations.

• Paragraph context

o I believe Table 2 might be skipped as the information is well covered within the text.

o Illustrate the first part ‘context’ with citations

o Should the text below the Table be part of the Title of Table 3 ‘Purposes and roles of visual tools with cited examples (not exhaustive) and their advantages and constraints of use.’?

o Line 214, page 12. What is the active rol (as this is not clear)? Please give an example: The active role of the patient while using “visual tools” is essential but it should also be the case in the process of creation of VA.

• I believe the paragraphs Summary of results and Strengths and limitation should be part of the discussion

Discussion:

• Some more limitations might be discussed, such as the interview guide, the very broad scope of the topic (ranging from pictograms to games).

• Discusion please include the following aspects in your discusion

o How do the cultural background and patient characteristics such as age, gender and disease characteristics influence the need for VA, and what cultural aspects are most relevant in this context?

o Co creation: very interesting topic. Is this meant in the context of development of VA, or might this also apply to the use of VA during every single consultation?

o How should be accounted for diversity in health literacy in the use and development of VAs?

• Statement concerning data availability: it seems that the underlying data (complete transcriptions, analysis and audio-taped focusgroup interviews) are not available. I do not believe this is needed for this paper. However I believe the statement that “all data underlying the findings described fully available, without restriction, and from the time of publication” is not true.

Reviewer #2: Overall impression

The authors describe a study consisting of focus groups with patients and healthcare professionals on the use of visual aids in ambulatory medical practice. Their aim is to understand how visual aids are used and to identify benefits and practical constraints. The authors conclude that there is a need for visual aids in medical practice, that patients are concerned about replacing the conversation with visual aids and that practitioners are looking for support with access to high quality materials. It is a topic worth exploring, with a commonly-used methodology and great to see a multidisciplinary researcher team. However, there are major weaknesses in the paper with regards to presenting the data (i.e., only for some part of the Results are data presented in a way that shows they follow from the interview; other sections read more like the authors' interpretations) and logic (i.e., conclusions are drawn that do not seem to follow from the presented data and that are not in line with the presented research questions). In addition, the practice implications to create a database with visual elements does not seem to follow from the study findings.

1. The introduction should ideally begin with an explanation of the problem that will be addressed in the study, along the lines of “In the medical (…) adapted to patients”, lines 47-49

2. 41-42: The definition of visual aids appears to be incomplete. The description seems to cover ‘visual’ without focussing on the role of ‘aid’

3. The examples in lines 42-43 are incomplete and not very informative. There are several mentions of ‘.etc’ in the first few pages (lines 38, 42, 52) where it would be more appropriate to present a fuller context.

4. 52: the ‘therefore’ does not follow logically from the sentence before. The authors may want to consider adding something like “It is therefore difficult to draw evidence-based conclusions on what can be considered good practice…”

5. The described methods generally sound appropriate, but are not tailored to the question on insight into current use of visual aids, for which you would preferably have a wider cross-section. The described method would be better suited to address the question on stakeholders’ perceptions on helpful ways(/barriers) to use visual aids instead.

6. In addition to this, the focus group guide (supplementary file) does not appear to address practical constraints, which is one of the indicated research questions.

7. Line 99-100: Please expand on why the separation of patients and HCPs seemed important or how it helped facilitate discussion, e.g. did they feel more comfortable to share their stories?

8. Line 109: Please provide the intercoder reliability for the double-coded section.

9. Major issue - This section does not meet standards for qualitative reporting. It is generally unclear what was discussed in the interviews and what is interpretation by the authors (e.g. line 214-215: “The active role … creation of VA”). It is also unclear whether findings were mentioned once by a single stakeholder or whether there was group consensus – it would be helpful to add numbers or general indicators (“the group agreed that..”). Quotes should be added, like in section 178-202. The summary of results (283-291) indicates the potential of interesting findings from the interview data, but this is not adequately presented in the results section.

10. It is great to see the diversity of healthcare professionals included. I am missing the characteristics/demographics of the patient participants. Characteristics such as being a chronic vs new patient, age, literacy levels and cultural background can have great impact on preferences for the use and look of visual aids.

11. 125: what do the authors mean with “complete elaborate VA”?

12. 129-135: this is more a methodological consideration re the researchers’ use of language in the interviews than a result to report.

13. 142+145: the authors make a distinction between ‘visual support’ and ‘visual tool’. However, the language used for this distinction is not very intuitive. If I understand the difference right, I would suggest using ‘stand-alone visual aids’ vs ‘interactive visual aids’. This is in line with what the authors state in line 206 that ‘the main common characteristic of visual tool is their context of use’.

14. 164: The authors list ‘some examples of visual support’ in table 2. This list needs to be extensive, as the aim of the work is to understand how visual aids are being used.

15. 166, Table 2 – also, 174, Table 3: Were the roles of the visuals and advantages and constraints of use discussed in the interviews, or are these the authors’ interpretations?

16. 166, Table 2: The body of the text talks about the importance of ‘tone’ and ‘frightening pictogram’. The table does not mention emotional effects as a consideration for use.

17. 174, Table 3: The authors may want to think about a more specific term for ‘Communication’ as a purpose, as explanation and situation setting are also forms of communication.

18. 185: Could the authors clarify what they mean with ‘typically visual information’?

19. 230: Could the authors clarify what they mean with “we have not been able to identify a system of how VA are read by patients”

20. 238: Who offered this solution of co-construction?

21. 248: Did the patients and healthcare professionals mention it was a good idea to learn a common reference system or do the authors make this claim based on literature?

22. 258: Who suggested to create a digital database? Seems like a pretty big leap from a conversation about the use of visual aids, and most patients not having much experience with it as the authors describe, to them suggesting the development of a digital database.

23. 265-266: “We have senses… been explicitly stated”. This is not data but the authors’ interpretation.

24. 295-296: Could the authors please elaborate on how their experience has helped to mitigate bias in the research

25. 298: If the authors were interested to explore stakeholders’ perceptions on potential uses of visual aids, the statement regarding generalisation might be true to some extent. But findings on how visual aids are being used in a single location are not necessarily generalisable to different healthcare context. The authors should be more realistic and specific about the extent to which their findings are generalisable.

26. Although there appear to be some interesting findings, this section is confused as well. It presents some data that is not apparent in the results section, e.g. lines 332-33: “several healthcare professionals… for translation purposes” and lines 343-345: “the healthcare professionals… context of the patient.”

27. 307: While I see how the classification of visual aids in practice can be helpful for the research team, I am not convinced that this is a priority finding in the context of use of visual aids and barriers and facilitators in practice. Perhaps the authors can restructure the discussion to place more emphasis on discussing the research questions.

28. 302-303: These sentences seem to contradict each other: “they do not… by their graphic characteristics” vs “…emphasize the importance of aesthetics”, which is shaped by the graphic characteristics.

29. 356: The conclusion does not answer the research question of how visual aids are used in ambulatory practice and identifying practical constraints. Instead, the conclusions mainly focus on integrating visual aids in clinical practice, although it does seem to address the question on benefits of visual aids in practice.

30. 363-364: I am unsure what this conclusion is based on.

Practice implication

31. 366-368: This might be a helpful project, but does not follow from the described work and could have been proposed regardless of the specific study findings.

32. Spelling/grammar could be improved in places, e.g. leave out ‘have’ in several instances (lines 34, 104, 113…)

33. I would suggest to make the title a more specific: single-site and ambulatory care

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Reviewer #1:  Yes:  Sander D. Borgsteede

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Author response to Decision Letter 0

11 May 2021

Thank you for your detailed reading and your helpful comments. We have given all attention to all the comments and answered all of them in the Revision letter.

Submitted filename: Revision letter final 10.04.docx

Decision Letter 1

15 Jun 2021

PONE-D-20-29419R1

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Additional Editor Comments (if provided):

One reviewer has now commented on the revised draft of your manuscript. As you well see, he has some remaining comments to further improve upon your manuscript. In particular, the point raised about whether or not ethical clearance has been obtained to perform your study should be clarified.

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1. If the authors have adequately addressed your comments raised in a previous round of review and you feel that this manuscript is now acceptable for publication, you may indicate that here to bypass the “Comments to the Author” section, enter your conflict of interest statement in the “Confidential to Editor” section, and submit your "Accept" recommendation.

Reviewer #1: (No Response)

2. Is the manuscript technically sound, and do the data support the conclusions?

Reviewer #1: Partly

3. Has the statistical analysis been performed appropriately and rigorously?

4. Have the authors made all data underlying the findings in their manuscript fully available?

5. Is the manuscript presented in an intelligible fashion and written in standard English?

6. Review Comments to the Author

Reviewer #1: Some minor remarks (line numbers from version with track changes):

Definition of VA (introduction): you seem to focus on non-moving images, also illustrated by your examples. Please add this to your definition.

Methods: include in the manuscript when the interviews were performed.

Approach: purposive selection: please include your criteria for selection of HP as well (including motivation). You should mention some key characteristics of these professionals (experience, gender) as well, and mention if the were distributed well over the focus groups

Ethics (p6, line 102-103): it is not clear if the proposal was submitted to the Research Ethics Council or not. The authors state: 'full submission was not required'. Does this mean that there was a procedure that the Counsil approved a brief version of the protocol? Or was the protocol not submitted nor judged in any respect at all?

Minor detail (p7, line 123) authors state that seperation of patients SEEMED important. It looks like this WAS CONSIDERED by the authors, and not based on a result of this study.

Results (p 17, line 287, semantic point): main characteristic of interactive VA was their context of use. I doubt if you can call this a characteristic, if this is part of your definition. It is valuable to read how HP and professionals interact with VA, but this is not be both an essential element of the definition and a characteristic.

P20, line 370: please include a citation for 'pateints fear time of interaction with HP may be suppressed' as this seems an important point that comes back in the summary of results.

In my opinion, the abstract does not cover your main findings. You might consider to include the concepts of stand alone and interactive VA, and the purpose of VAs in the abstract.

7. PLOS authors have the option to publish the peer review history of their article ( what does this mean? ). If published, this will include your full peer review and any attached files.

Author response to Decision Letter 1

Thank you again for the helpful comments. We have answered all of the comments/questions in the attached rebutal letter (revision letter).

We thank you for the delay that allowed us to work on the changes.

Submitted filename: Revision letter.docx

Decision Letter 2

12 Jan 2022

PONE-D-20-29419R2

We’re pleased to inform you that your manuscript has been judged scientifically suitable for publication and will be formally accepted for publication once it meets all outstanding technical requirements.

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Acceptance letter

24 Jan 2022

Visual aids in ambulatory clinical practice: experiences, perceptions and needs of patients and healthcare professionals

Dear Dr. Hafner:

I'm pleased to inform you that your manuscript has been deemed suitable for publication in PLOS ONE. Congratulations! Your manuscript is now with our production department.

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on behalf of

Dr. Barbara Schouten