Visual Thinking Research Articles

Thinking eyes: visual thinking strategies and the social brain.

The foundation of art processes in the social brain can guide the scientific study of how human beings perceive and interact with their environment. Here, we applied the theoretical frameworks of the social and artistic brain connectomes to an eye-tracking paradigm with the aim to elucidate how different viewing conditions and social cues influence gaze patterns and personal resonance with artworks and complex imagery in healthy adults. We compared two viewing conditions that encourage personal or social perspective taking-modeled on the well-known Visual Thinking Strategies (VTS) method-to a viewing condition during which only contextual information about the image was provided. Our findings showed that the viewing conditions that used VTS techniques directed the gaze more toward highly salient social cues (Animate elements) in artworks and complex imagery, compared to when only contextual information was provided. We furthermore found that audio cues also directed visual attention, whereby listening to a personal reflection by another person (VTS) had a stronger effect than contextual information. However, we found no effect of viewing condition on the personal resonance with the artworks and complex images when taking the random effects of the image selection into account. Our study provides a neurobiological grounding of the VTS method in the social brain, revealing that this pedagogical method of engaging viewers with artworks measurably shapes people's visual exploration patterns. This is not only of relevance to (art) education but also has implications for art-based diagnostic and therapeutic applications.

VTS: From the Museum into the ENL Classroom

Visual thinking strategies (VTS) is a museum-based technique with promising potential for English learners' (ELs') language development and content learning. Educators in museums and school settings have enthusiastically adapted VTS to their instructional repertoires in order to bolster students' aesthetic appreciation, literacy development, critical thinking, language learning, and content learning. In this article, the authors present a vignette from a high school classroom to illustrate the powerful potential of VTS for classroom use with linguistically diverse learners. The article also considers how language teachers may modify typical VTS to constructively scaffold ELs’ learning.

Visual thinking strategies for interprofessional education and promoting collaborative competencies.

Interprofessional education (IPE) curricula require approaches that address the needs of learners from multiple professions and levels of clinical experience. Frameworks based in the arts and humanities, which can improve learners' skills in collaborative competencies such as communication and team building, remain limited in IPE. We describe the development, implementation and evaluation of a visual arts-based IPE session for over 400 interprofessional learners. During the 90-min session held in 2021, an art museum educator first guided learners through observations of art works using the Visual Thinking Strategies (VTS) approach. Subsequently, small groups of six to eight interprofessional learners and two trained facilitators explored how their observations were influenced by personal and professional identities and made connections to interprofessional collaborative practice. Two hundred eleven of the 407 student attendees responded to the post-session survey (52%). Eighty percent of the respondents agreed or strongly agreed that 'the art of observation activity is an effective means of starting discussions with interprofessional teams.' On the Interprofessional Collaborative Competency Attainment Survey, a validated tool assessing changes in interprofessional collaboration-related competencies, there was a significant increase between pre- (M = 45.73, SD = 8.05, p < 0.001) and post-session scores (M = 51.46, SD = 7.97, p < 0.001), using a paired t-test analysis. Qualitative analysis of learners' takeaways identified themes of open-mindedness, hearing other opinions and perspectives, collaboration/teamwork, patient-centeredness and awareness of biases. Our curricular approach shows how integrating visual arts-based pedagogies into IPE activities with learners from diverse disciplines and clinical experiences is both feasible and helpful for developing collaborative competencies.

Visual Thinking Skills Inclusion Level in ‎Tenth-Grade Chemistry Textbook ‎

The aim of this study was to identify the level of inclusion of ‎visual thinking skills in tenth-grade chemistry textbook in Saudi ‎Arabia. After ensuring the validity and reliability of the analysis ‎card, a descriptive approach based on content analysis was used ‎to examine all 102 shapes in the chemistry textbook. This ‎approach used a content analysis card that included five ‎fundamental skills for visual thinking. The results showed that ‎the skill of identifying and describing images has the highest ‎inclusion rate, with a percentage of 57.8% and an average level ‎of inclusion, followed by the skill of inferring meanings, with a ‎percentage of 44.8% and an average level of inclusion. ‎However, the skill of shape analysis was in fourth place with an ‎inclusion rate of 42.0% and an average level of inclusion and ‎the skill of understanding and interpreting mystery was in fifth ‎place with an inclusion rate of 57.8% and an average level of ‎inclusion.‎ ‎(Keywords: Visual Thinking Skills, Identifying and Describing ‎the Shape, Shape Analysis, Relationship-binding, ‎Understanding and Interpreting Mystery, Inferring Meanings, ‎Chemistry Textbook, Secondary School, Content Analysis

Integration Merdeka Belajar concept in development STEMC module for electrochemical and renewable energy at vocational school SMK SMTI Banda Aceh

Indonesia’s energy consumption needs to reduce its dependence on fossil energy. The Ministry of Education and Culture plays a role in developing renewable energy through vocational education by improving the quality of vocational education graduates through the Merdeka Learning curriculum. The three advantages of the Merdeka Learning curriculum are that it is simpler, in-depth, independent, relevant, and interactive. The STEM Research Center, Syiah Kuala University has initiated STEMC which can fulfill its excellence. STEMC consists of ISLE-based STEM learning activities which are one of the inquiry learning models. Electrochemistry and renewable energy educational materials have been developed using this model, to study the concepts of electric current in wires, electrolysis, and fuel cells. SMTI Banda Aceh Vocational School students are enthusiastic and happy to take part in the practicum stages. They better understand the concept of science because it combines theory and real practice. This learning module is designed with stages that help the constructivism process to increase the effectiveness of learning to be more meaningful. This module also helps students solve real-life problems by honing cognitive skills, designing experiments, utilizing technology, applying knowledge, and combining cognitive, affective, and psychomotor knowledge. As well as arousing curiosity and triggering students’ creative imagination and critical thinking.

Healthy Principal Leadership Concepts

One of the goals of a healthy principal's leadership is to produce graduates who have achievements on a national and international scale. Therefore, healthy school principal leadership is influenced by the education system that supports it. In writing this article, we will discuss the characteristics of a healthy school principal's leadership and its role in the school, the method used is literature study. The findings from this research are to ascertain the characteristics and role of a healthy school principal's leadership, especially for school empowerment. The characteristics of healthy leadership behaviors that can encourage an effective school sustainability process include having visionary thinking, strong self-confidence and trusting others, strong will, courage and consistency. The role of leadership is very necessary in supporting the process of improving the quality of education, the behavioral characteristics shown by leaders will be able to influence and move individuals or groups in the organization they lead.

The role of creative thinking in children's scientific reasoning

Theories advocate that creative thinking could be strengthened within the science curriculum, yet empirical evidence supporting a connection between the two remains limited. This study is one of the first to examine the predictive value of creative thinking (divergent and convergent thinking) for scientific reasoning, while taking task specificity and academic achievement into account. A path analysis based on data of 225 fifth graders revealed that verbal and visual convergent thinking positively predicted the construction of research questions and evaluation of evidence, whereas visual divergent thinking negatively predicted the construction of research questions. Mathematical ability proved of no predictive value for any of the creative thinking and scientific reasoning measures, while reading comprehension positively predicted verbal convergent thinking, the construction of research questions and evidence evaluation. This study illustrates how convergent thinking could be of particular relevance for children's scientific reasoning, and can serve as a starting point for in-depth research examining the role of creative thinking within scientific reasoning.

Использование визуализации информации для развития образного мышления

Imaginative thinking surpasses verbal-logical thinking in terms of speed, volume of stored information and the duration of its storage. Therefore, when solving various problems, imaginative thinking has significant advantages. However, when teaching students of non-artistic specialties, often insufficient attention is paid to the effective use of imaginative thinking in professional activities. At the same time, thanks to the use of computer and information technologies, the possibilities of data visualization have grown significantly. In the present work, possible ways of developing imaginative thinking in teaching students of non-artistic specialties using data visualization methods are investigated. The methodological basis of the study was the analysis of scientific publications and generalized practical experience in identifying the main ways of using information visualization for the development of imaginative thinking in the learning process. The article discusses the main modern methods of research visualization and possible ways of using information visualization for the development of imaginative thinking. It is shown that in order to increase the efficiency of using this thinking in professional activities, in the learning process it is necessary to pay more attention to the analysis of the visual presentation of data, as well as teaching the active use of research visualization methods and, in particular, infographics and dashboards.

Modernism in the present tense: “Dangerous” Scandinavian suburbs and their hereafters

Has modernism evolved from a means to create a utopian future to an architectural discontent co-opted for racist purposes? The planners who built mid-20th century Scandinavian, modernist suburbs conceived of them as places of innovation, possibility, and visionary thinking. By the 1970s, however, this assessment had shifted dramatically: near-monolithic media and popular representations depicted environments of failure, insecurity, and ugly architecture – despite the half-finished states of the projects at the time. As these opinions evolved into “facts,” the areas became linked to ideas of intractably dangerous designs and, later, dangerous people. This set the stage for near-continuous physical and social interventions, beginning in the 1970s and continuing into the present. Today, in Sweden and Denmark, modernist neighborhoods are labeled “problem areas,” “concrete suburbs,” “vulnerable areas,” or even “ghettos,” where residents, often with family histories of migration, live in so-called “parallel societies.” Politicians have persistently positioned them as perilous places that never joined the present. This attitude renders them symbolically malleable sites, paving the way for recent radical densifications, privatizations, and demolitions, whereby the (half-century) histories of these suburbs are typically ignored. This history of the recent past focuses on how the “blame” for the problems of modernist urbanism – especially around perceived dangers – has shifted from buildings to people to a politically convenient combination of the two, or what I label “hereafters.” I contend that discourses of “unfinished” and “dangerous” places with “criminal” residents have made modernist urbanism a perfect target for xenophobic political discourse, where buildings and landscapes have become scapegoats for less socially acceptable feelings and concerns. Yet caricatures of modernist suburbs as “dangerous” obscure the fact that these supposedly failed cities of the future are now, decades later, places with both long histories and abundant everyday life. I therefore call for new “hereafters” for modernist suburbs: narratives that understand them as living neighborhoods in the present tense.

МУЗИКАТА Е СТЕНОГРАМА НА ЕМОЦИИТЕ

The proposed article is based on a creative task set for masters studying Preschool and Primary School Pedagogy at the University „Prof. Dr. Assen Zlatarov“ Burgas. The purpose of the assignment is to stimulate the creative thinking of students in the field of music education methodology in kindergarten and primary school. The task is based on a practical application of the Perceiving Music activity. It is a kind of challenge, encouragement and manifestation of fantasy, imagination and creativity in the individual person. The participants intelligently and sentimentally walk the path of: choosing a piece of music; „transcribing“ it from sound art into verbal art; revealing through speech views, feelings and ideas presented with the expressive imagery of the individual worldview. The following are considered: thematic areas; verbal form preferences; an artistic image conditioned by fantasy expressiveness. The variety of professions and life experiences of the participants in the master’s course implies a varied range of emotionality and imaginative thinking in each of them. The creative charge with which most of the compositions are imbued brings interesting and enriching information about the sensibility, interest, attention and sensitivity of already mature individuals, regarding the interpretation and understanding of the expressiveness embedded in the musical fabric.

A third step of visual art instruction in medical education : Introduction of visual thinking strategies supported by Okayama Prefectural Museum of Art

A third step of visual art instruction in medical education : Introduction of visual thinking strategies supported by Okayama Prefectural Museum of Art

Level of visual geometry skill towards learning style Kolb in junior high school

This study aims to conduct an in-depth analysis of the visual thinking level of junior high school students with the learning style of assimilators, converges, accommodators, and divergers in solving geometry problems. The type of research used is qualitative research with a grounded theory and case study design. The subjects studied were junior high school students consisting of 6 of 56 students. Data were collected through a learning style inventory (LSI) test given to 56 students to group participants based on the learning style of the Kolb model, then a geometry problem-solving test and interviews were given to 6 students, namely two assimilator students, one converges, one accommodator, and two diverger students. The analysis is based on data from written test results and interviews. Then, time triangulation is carried out to obtain valid research data. The analysis was conducted based on data from written test results and interview results paired with video recordings. Then, triangulation of time is carried out to obtain valid research data. The results of the analysis showed that assimilator students and converger students were able to achieve at the global visual level, namely being able to carry out visual thinking activities well in solving problems, illustrate the problem correctly in geometric drawings/objects, represent problems in mathematical symbols precisely and can express relationships between images well. While accommodator and diverger students can only reach the local visual level, they have yet to be able to show every visual thinking activity well in solving geometry problems, illustrating problems in geometry drawings that could be more precise, and solving rudimentary geometry problems.

A Study on Teaching Methods and Learning Effects for Design Development of Interior Household Items Using Visual Thinking

A Study on Teaching Methods and Learning Effects for Design Development of Interior Household Items Using Visual Thinking

Learning Electric Circuits Using the STEM Approach to Improve Scientific Thinking Skills and Practice

This study aimed to determine the effectiveness of using the STEM approach in learning direct electric circuits to achieve high school students' scientific and practical thinking skills. This research is a quasi-experimental method. This study used two class groups, namely the experimental class and the control class, with the experimental class being the class group that received the STEM learning treatment. In contrast, the control class was the class group that only received the immediate learning model treatment. The research design uses a non-equivalent control group design. The research was carried out in the even semester of 2021-2022 and the place of this research was one of the schools in Serang City, Banten province. The sample consisted of two classes; one class was given the learning treatment with the STEM approach, which served as the experimental class, and the other class received no therapy and functioned as the control class. Each course has 40 students, including 20 male and 20 female students. The average age of students is 17 years. The instrument used in this study was in the form of 10 essay questions. This question covered electric current circuit material with indicators of scientific thinking ability and practice. The instrument used in this study was in the form of 10 essay questions. This question covered electric current circuit material with indicators of scientific thinking ability and practice. The data obtained after the research will be analyzed using N-Gain data analysis. The N-gain result in the experimental class was 0.67, while the control class was 0.46. The N-Gain results of the two types show the same category, namely the good category. However, the N-gain results from the experimental class show a value greater than 21% than the control class. These results prove that learning electric circuits using STEM is more effective than learning directly. The implications of this research are 1) It can foster an understanding of the relationship between the concept of electric circuits with practical skills in assembling electric current circuits, 2) Arouse students' curiosity and activate creative imagination and critical thinking, 3) Help students to understand and experiment with the scientific process.

The Effect Of STEM-Based Project-Based Learning In Improving High School Students' Visual Mathematical Ability

This research is based on the problem of the low mathematical visual thinking ability in learning mathematics. To overcome this, research was carried out using a STEM-based Project-Based Learning (PjBL-STEM) model. This study examines the problem of improving visual mathematical abilities among students who receive mathematics learning with the STEM-based Project-Based Learning (PjBL-STEM) model. This research is quasi-experimental, the design used is the Nonequivalent Control Group Design using the Purposive Sampling technique. The population in this study were high school students in Bandung Regency in the academic year 2021/2022, with the research sample being high school students in class X. The instrument used in the study was a visual mathematical ability test. Data analysis was carried out quantitatively by using the Independent Sample t-test. The results showed that (1) Overall the application of the PjBL-STEM learning model could improve students' mathematical visual thinking abilities, (2) Improved mathematical visual thinking skills of students whose learning using the PjBL-STEM learning model was significantly better than students who learned using conventional learning models.

Visual Thinking Strategies in medical education: a systematic review

BackgroundArts-based pedagogical tools have been increasingly incorporated into medical education. Visual Thinking Strategies (VTS) is a research-based, constructivist teaching methodology that aims to improve visual literacy, critical thinking, and communication skills through the process of investigating works of art. Harvard Medical School pioneered the application of VTS within medical education in 2004. While there are several studies investigating the use of VTS, there is a need to systematically assess the different programs that exist for medical education and their efficacy in improving relevant clinical skills. This systematic review aims to critically analyse the available evidence of the effectiveness of VTS in medical education to guide future research and provide a framework to adapt medical curricula.MethodsA systematic search of PubMed, PsycINFO, and Cochrane CENTRAL databases (through November 2022) was conducted to identify studies of VTS-based interventions in undergraduate and postgraduate medical education. Two reviewers independently screened citations for inclusion criteria, extracted data, and assessed risk of bias. The extracted data was then narratively synthesized.ResultsOf 5759 unique citations, 10 studies met the inclusion criteria. After reference review, one additional study was included. Therefore, 11 studies were included in our review. Of these, eight reported VTS-based interventions for undergraduate medical students and three reported interventions in residency training, specifically in dermatology and ophthalmology. The main goal of most studies was to increase observational or visual diagnostic skills. Three of the studies in undergraduate medical education and two in postgraduate achieved a statistically significant improvement in observational skills in post-course evaluations. Some studies reported increased tolerance for ambiguity and empathy.ConclusionsAlthough the studies varied considerably in study design, learning objectives, and outcomes, findings consistently indicate that the VTS approach can serve as a vehicle to develop crucial clinical competencies, encouraging more in-depth visual analysis that could be applied when observing a patient. Despite some limitations of the included studies (lack of control groups, self-selection bias, or non-standard outcome measures), the results of this review provide support for greater inclusion of VTS training in the medical curriculum.

Strategic thinking: theoretical development and assessment

PurposeThe purpose of the article was to identify the core dimensions of strategic thinking and create a measure that provides a comprehensive operationalization of the construct.Design/methodology/approachThe construct validity of the measure was assessed in two studies using four samples with a total of 985 participants. The measure was created using a multi-step process that included item development and content validation, exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis, convergent and discriminant validity, criterion validity and test-retest validity.FindingsThe exploratory factor analysis (EFA) supported the existence of the three dimensions of strategic thinking (visionary, synthetic and creative thinking) as conceptually proposed. The measure was reduced to nine items. The confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) confirmed the three dimensions and revealed acceptable factor loadings and model fit. Convergent, discriminant and criterion validity were established, and the measure demonstrated acceptable test-retest reliability.Originality/valueAn individual's ability to think strategically is vital for making strategic decisions and relevant to upper echelon theory and strategic management. The definition and core dimensions of strategic thinking are unclear in the literature, creating confusion. This study added to the literature by defining the core dimensions of strategic thinking and developing the strategic thinking assessment (STA) to measure the construct.

The Moderating Effect of Universities on the Relationship Between Leadership and Successful new Venture Creation

Purpose: The present research explores the moderating effect of universities on the relationship between leadership and successful new venture creation. Leadership is crucial for new venture creation, influencing the venture's direction, strategy, and motivation. However, the influence of universities on this relationship has still not been extensively studied. Theoretical framework: This research hypothesis proposes that universities can moderate the relationship between leadership and new venture creation by providing several leadership qualities, such as Visionary Thinking, Innovative Thinking, Communication Skills, Financial Management Skills, Team Building, Risk Taking Capabilities, and Strategic Thinking that facilitate the development and scaling up of new ventures. Design/methodology/approach: The study uses a mixed-method methodology that includes qualitative and quantitative research methods and a sample size of 512 participants (students &amp; instructors). The study focuses on private and public universities in Saudi Arabia and uses the Smart PLS tool to analyze the data. Findings: The results of this study will contribute to the existing literature on entrepreneurship by providing valuable insights into the role of universities in creating and supporting new ventures. The study's findings will help policymakers make informed decisions on leveraging university resources to facilitate the development of new experiences. The results demonstrate that Saudi University support is critical in building relationships between leadership and successful new venture creation, highlighting the importance of collaborative efforts between universities and entrepreneurs. Originality/value: Ultimately, this research contributes to developing strategies that enhance start-ups' success and promote economic growth.

IMPLEMENTATION OF THE LOCAL STUDIES PRINCIPLE OF STUDYING GEOGRAPHY BY MEANS OF EDUCATIONAL EXCURSIONS

The purpose of the article is to reveal the importance of the local studies principle of learning as a local one in students' assimilation of the content of geographical education and to show the possibilities of educational excursions in the formation of their geographical competences.&#x0D; The article analyzes the process of the formation of the local lore principle in the study of geography in publications of scientific-geographical and didactic content. The contribution of a number of scientists to the development of modern geographic local history is outlined. The role of Ya. Zhupanskyi and V. Krul in the formation of national local history in Ukraine is highlighted. The position of S. Rusova regarding the important role of the regional studies principle in the educational process is indicated. After L. Chubrei with the co-authors, we state that "The principle of regional studies involves the systematic establishment of connections between the study of geography and the knowledge that students acquire as a result of direct study of the region. Mandatory use of acquired regional knowledge in education is the main purpose of educational regional studies."&#x0D; The model programs for the study of geography were analyzed. They show the importance of educational excursions. It was established that in the program of S. P. Zapotocki, educational excursions occupy a higher priority position, especially in the 8th - 9th grades, which makes it possible to implement the principle of regional studies in education and instill in children love for their region, and then for the Motherland. The list of excursion topics in the school geography course program (S.P. Zapotocki, etc.) is highlighted. Examples of locations for excursions are offered on the following topics: "School excursion to a geological monument of one's region", "Excursion to a region with a natural landscape. Acquaintance with nearby forest/steppe landscapes, description of their condition", "Excursion to the national (local) natural park".&#x0D; It is substantiated that excursions into nature involve not only familiarization with objects or phenomena and processes occurring in it, but also the identification of relationships between individual components of nature on the one hand, and between nature and the economic and cultural activities of the population on the other. They contribute to the development of schoolchildren's observation, imagination, visual thinking, purposeful perception, the formation of a caring attitude towards nature and are a form and means of environmental education. It was established that the educational excursion is complex in terms of methodology and organization. It requires thorough preparation of the teacher and students.&#x0D; Preparing a teacher to conduct an educational excursion into nature includes: 1) formulating the purpose and objectives of the excursion; 2) choosing a route, getting familiar with it in the area, studying the nature of the tour area and its attractions; 3) determination of objects of observation, number and placement of stops during the excursion, content and methods of working with students at each stop; 4) determination of the general task and individual and group tasks for students; 5) development of safety instructions, recommendations for equipment, group and individual equipment of tour participants.&#x0D; It was established that Ternopil region is rich in attractive tourist attractions in general and geological ones in particular. Thus, there are more than 90 geological monuments of nature in Ternopil region. The largest concentration of interesting geological objects is confined to Transnistria in the south and to the structural-denudation escarpment of Podillia in the north. Excursions to caves will obviously be the most interesting for students. Verteba near the village of Verteba is an excursion destination within Ternopil region. Bilche Zolote and Krystaleva (Krystalna) in the village Crooked Mlynky, Ugryn, and Optimistichna are also used for orienteering, but the expediency of involving the latter in educational excursions is highly questionable.&#x0D; A number of examples of single-theme and multi-theme educational excursions on the territory of Ternopil region have been developed. The main focus is on excursions to geological monuments. An excursion to the Kristalna and Verteba caves is offered, as well as to the exposure of Cretaceous rocks in the village of Monastery The possibilities of educational excursions to the national natural park "Kremenetsk Mountains" and to the Chervone tract have been revealed. The contents of a one-day hiking route in the territory of Podilskyi Tovtry are proposed, with an introduction to the geological structure of the outcrops and the floristic features of rock-steppe areas.&#x0D; The itineraries of educational excursions proposed by us can be used by geography teachers of Ternopil and neighboring regions.&#x0D; We consider the development of methodological recommendations and the selection of educational locations for conducting all educational excursions provided by model programs to be promising directions for further research.&#x0D; Keywords: geographic competence, local lore principle, educational excursion, tourist trip, geosite, exposure.

The Influence of Music on the Development of the Childʼs Psyche

The article presents a theoretical analysis of the problem of the influence of music on the development of the child's psyche. It is noted that music occupies a special place in the upbringing of preschool children because of the connection with it on an emotional level. The influence of musical education on the development of attention, memory, artistic and imaginative thinking and other mental processes through instrumental performance, singing and rhythmic gymnastics is considered. The development of musical intelligence in a child in the prenatal period is presented for consideration. The connection of music with mathematics for the development of the psyche is analyzed. The influence of classical music and the Mozart effect is studied. In conclusion, the effect of various styles of music on the psyche of adolescents is considered.