![]() ĭiagrams can contribute to both message encoding and decoding (i.e., the production and the comprehension of communication), thus being of value to both the communicator and the communication receiver. When appropriately used, diagrams can clarify and/or complement verbal information presented in speech or text, so that both verbal and visual channels of working memory are utilized, thus facilitating more efficient cognitive processing. KeywordsĪlongside problem solving and thinking, communication is one of the areas of human activity where diagram use is considered to be beneficial. These findings are discussed in terms of needs, opportunities, and challenges in instructional provision. However, there were also redundancies, as well as unclear, schematically erroneous, and overly complicated representations in some of the diagrams that the students constructed. Useful functions that the diagrams served included clarification, summarization, integration of points, and provision of additional information and/or perspectives in visual form. Analysis focused on identifying the kinds of diagrams produced, and the effectiveness with which those diagrams were used. The aim of this study therefore was to contribute to addressing this gap: it comprised a qualitative exploration of 12 undergraduate students’ diagram use in two essays (in which they were asked to include at least one diagram). Consequently, current understanding about student capabilities in this area is very limited. ![]() Requiring diagram inclusion in essays, for example, would be almost unheard of. Furthermore, instruction on diagram use for communicative purposes is uncommon in formal education and, when students are required to communicate what they have learned, the usual expectation is they will use words – not diagrams. However, although diagrams are extensively used in printed and digital media, people in general rarely construct diagrams to use in common everyday communication. Using appropriate diagrams is generally considered efficacious in communication.
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