Learning by Producing Diagrams

Abstract

When done well, diagrams can support comprehension, inference, and learning. How about the case when learners create their own diagrams instead of just view them? Though novices typically enjoy and have some natural facility at creating spatial representations, they can easily create flawed representations. They need feedback to help them make their diagrammatic understanding more like that of experts. In this talk, I present three models of feedback. A global model where students simply see a correct diagram after they create their own; a social model where students receive feedback from one another while creating their diagrams; and, an automated model where the feedback is tightly coupled to the learner’s own diagram. I will describe the learning benefits of having students generate their own diagrams, and how different types of feedback help maximize those benefits.