Visual Thinking and Image Reading in Education Degree Students
Urchegui Bocos, P., Betegón Blanca, E., Carramolino Arranz, B., & Irurtia Muñiz, M. J. (2021)
Abstract
Visual Thinking (VT) is a cognitive construct that is increasingly relevant to explain the mental representation we make of the world and the surround reality, based on perception and spatial reasoning. These concepts are associated with intelligence and are significant for education in both the artistic and scientific fields. We carried out a descriptive investigation of the VT construct with 314 students of the Degree in Education at the Universities of Valladolid (Spain), Boston and Harvard (USA).
The Visual Thinking Scale (VTS) carried out ad hoc is used for the analysis of visualization factors (static and dynamic), proportional reasoning and image reading. The static visualization deficit stands out in the visual references of the visual field itself and this is linked to the objective reading (structural and optical-geometric) of the image. Proportional reasoning in the analysis of shapes and angles shows notable differences between its conceptual consideration and visual reading. Considering the relationship between the different representation systems used in educational modeling (graphics, maps, drawings, photographs and their forms of animation), a cognitive approximation of this deficit is established with the difficulties of graphic interpretation, in both the creation and the visual interpretation of these resources.