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The mysterious operation of the visual area in the brain: How does it affect our learning and cognition?
Visual learning has always been a learning style in which information is presented visually, making it easier for learners to understand and absorb. According to Neil Fleming's VARK model, the visual learning style effectively explains information through charts, graphs, maps, and other forms of visual stimulation. However, research shows that simply providing visual materials does not necessarily improve student learning.
An evaluation study found that using graphic organizers improved student performance in multiple areas, including memory, reading comprehension, and critical thinking. This shows that visual learning can have an important impact on the learning process.
How the brain works
When our brain generates visual images, it involves the cooperation of multiple areas, of which the visual cortex is the core. The visual cortex is located in the occipital lobe of the brain and is responsible for various structures in visual recognition, classification and learning. When we receive new visual information, the first step of the brain is to identify the information. The brain areas involved include the inferior temporal cortex and superior parietal cortex.
“The brain’s plasticity enables it to continually reinvent itself based on new information.”
After recognition, the brain uses areas such as the frontal cortex and orbitofrontal cortex to classify the information. As this process proceeds, the brain begins to encode information, which is one of the key processes in learning.
Visual learning in infancy
Between the fetal period and 18 months of age, a baby's gray matter grows rapidly. Visual learning development at this stage is mainly based on the primary visual cortex. The primary visual cortex is responsible for processing static or moving objects and pattern recognition, which plays an extremely important role in the early development of infants.
Research shows that babies can form short-term expectations as early as 3.5 months old, which means they are already able to learn through vision.
Visual learning in early childhood
From 3 to 8 years old, children's visual learning gradually matures and begins to display in various forms. Young children at this stage use motor behaviors to structure their visual learning environment and explore the world around them by bringing objects close to their visual senses. This is very different from how adults learn visually.
“Children’s visual experience is limited by body shape and movement, allowing them to focus more on learning close objects.”
Visual learning in middle childhood
During middle childhood between the ages of 9 and 14, students’ visual and learning abilities are quite mature. Research shows that visual learning styles can significantly improve students' overall learning experience compared to traditional learning methods. The use of visual materials can enhance students' interest and attention, thereby improving learning outcomes.
Visual learners organize and process information more easily, further deepening their understanding of study material.
Learning changes during adolescence
As the brain develops, the learning preferences of adolescents become increasingly apparent. Research shows that there are significant differences in learning preferences between men and women in adolescence. Men prefer manipulative activities, while women prefer to learn through diagrams and text.
“Although learning styles are widespread, there is a lack of evidence to support that teaching specific learning styles leads to better learning outcomes.”
In summary, visual learning plays a role that cannot be ignored in the entire growth process, showing its profound impact both from the perspective of our physiological structure and psychological development. Facing the ever-changing teaching methods and learning needs, we need to think about: How will future learning methods adapt to the characteristics and needs of each learner?
