Most learning materials rely on printed
text to provide information. As a visual learner, find ways to represent
information visually. Here are some ways you can do this:
Use diagrams, graphs and sketches. If you can’t find good diagrams, graphs and sketches that represent
the key messages in your topics, create them yourself. Just start drawing, even
if you don’t think you draw well. In addition, easily accessible spreadsheet
programs now allow you to create graphs for all kinds of data.
Use Mind Maps®. Organize
topics and ideas using a drawing technique called mind mapping. This helps you visualize
and understand the hierarchy and linkages between topics. Tony Buzan, in some
of his books, describes this technique in detail. In addition, some software
programs can help you easily create mind maps. The software I use is “Mind
Manager” from MindJetý.
Rather than describe mind maps in detail, I’ll let my mind map below do it for
me.
Use systems diagrams. Systems
diagrams are another diagramming technique you can use to help understand a
dynamic system, such as an engine, body, yacht or network. The traditional way
of dissecting something into separate parts, to understand their roles, often
makes it harder to understand the system. For example, it’s hard to understand
the workings of the human body by simply looking at the individual parts.
Similarly, understanding how a yacht stays in equilibrium under full sail is
hard if you only look at the sail, rudder, keel and hull individually.
The linkages between
multiple parts are usually what make these dynamic systems work. These linkages
may not be visible when the system is lying in bits on the floor, or in
separate topics in your mind. Systems diagrams help show and explain those
linkages. The diagram below is an example of a systems diagram. It shows how
various parts of an aircraft engine work together.
Use visualization. Use the visualization
techniques outlined in the Memletic Techniques chapter to help understand
various topics. If you can visualize a topic clearly and precisely, you should
have a good understanding of it. If some areas appear grey or fuzzy, this
suggests you still have some further work to do to understand it fully.
