HomePublicationsTILTed PedagogySection 4 Chapter 13: Explaining Complex Concepts Through Visual Metaphors Book MenuTILTed Pedagogy SectionsSection 1Section 2Section 3Section 4ChaptersChapter 1Chapter 2Chapter 3Chapter 4Chapter 5Chapter 6Chapter 7Chapter 8Chapter 9Chapter 10Chapter 11Chapter 12Chapter 13Chapter 14Chapter 15Chapter 16Book Resources Bethany LisiThis chapter explores the development and implementation of a visual metaphor assignment in a higher education foundations course, aimed at enhancing students’ communication skills and deepening their comprehension of the field’s complexities. The author initially integrated visual metaphors into weekly topics, drawing upon research concerning novice learners’ information assimilation. Subsequently, a new assignment grounded in Universal Design for Learning (UDL) principles was crafted to bolster students’ written and verbal communication proficiencies. This Visual Metaphor assignment tasked students with identifying and elucidating visual metaphors for a chosen higher education obstacle and the field itself, utilizing VoiceThread. The chapter also highlights the TILT framework’s role in structuring assignment instructions to facilitate student persistence and executive function. Related Book ResourcesThe following resources provide additional guidance on Universal Design for Learning (UDL), teaching with metaphors, and using visual metaphors to support student learning and communication. Universal Design for Learning CAST’s Universal Design for Learning (UDL) Guidelines is a web-based interactive framework that allows instructors to explore the UDL guidelines and checkpoints and includes extensive information on every aspect of the framework. UDL on Campus is written for a higher education context, includes resources on implementing UDL in curricula, and provides examples used by faculty to improve student learning. Teaching with Metaphors I recommend starting with the chapter on metaphors and analogies in the book, How to Explain Absolutely Anything to Anyone: The Art and Science of Teacher Explanation, by Andy Tharby. The chapter describes the usefulness of metaphors in teacher explanations, as they help with comprehension when students lack prior knowledge. | Tharby, Andy. 2018. How to Explain Absolutely Anything to Anyone: The Art and Science of Teacher Explanation. Crown House Publishing. Similarly, Daniel Willingham has a chapter in his book, Why Don’t Students Like School?: A Cognitive Scientist Answers Questions About How the Mind Works and What It Means for the Classroom, that explores why students struggle to understand abstract ideas. Willingham argues that because our minds prefer concrete examples, it is helpful for instructors to teach new concepts within the context of what students already know. This chapter presents the cognitive science behind the usefulness of metaphors and analogies in comprehending and communicating complex information. | Willingham, Daniel T. 2009. Why Don’t Students Like School? A Cognitive Scientist Answers Questions about How the Mind Works and What It Means for the Classroom. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. Finally, Using the “Mental Velcro” of Visual Metaphors to Guide Understanding is a recording of an “Innovative Teaching Talk” I gave at the 2022 SoTL Summit, in which I discuss what makes an effective visual metaphor, share how I used visual metaphors in my course design, and explore the visual metaphor assignment discussed in this chapter. Discussion Questions What teaching challenge is the chapter’s assignment trying to address, and how does that challenge show up in your own courses? How does the chapter’s use of the TILT framework (purpose, task, criteria) change the learning experience described, and what parallels do you see in your own teaching? What assumptions about students or learning does the chapter surface, and how might those assumptions influence assignment design? How does the assignment described in the chapter support student agency, autonomy, or choice? How does the chapter illustrate the connection between assignment design and deeper learning (e.g., critical thinking, metacognition, synthesis)? What evidence does the chapter provide that the assignment worked, and what additional evidence would you want to see? How does the chapter’s assignment align with or challenge your current beliefs about effective assessment? What aspects of the assignment design could be adapted to your discipline, and what would need to change? If you were to implement a version of this chapter’s assignment, what would be your first step—and what potential barriers would you anticipate? Share:
