Graphic organizer
A graphic organizer is a visual layout that sorts information into boxes, lines or columns so you can see how ideas relate. Common types include the concept map, mind map, Venn diagram, KWL chart, flowchart, timeline and Frayer model. You choose one by the job: compare, sequence, define, or brainstorm.
In more detail
It works because it turns a pile of text into structure. You decide what the categories are, what goes where and what connects. That decision-making is where the learning happens, not the drawing. It also pairs words with a visual layout, which is the idea behind dual coding.
Pick the type by the question you want to answer. How are these two things alike and different? Use a Venn diagram or a T-chart. In what order do things happen? Use a flowchart, a timeline or a cycle. What are the parts of a topic? Use a mind map, a concept map or a bubble map. What do I know and what do I want to learn? Use a KWL chart. What does this word really mean? Use a Frayer model.
The common mistake is copying text into boxes, which feels like work but trains nothing. Fill it in from memory first, then check the source and correct it. A finished organizer is also a good study sheet, because you can cover it and rebuild it the next day.
Common graphic organizers and what each is for
| Type | Best for | Shape |
|---|---|---|
| Concept map | How ideas connect, with labeled links | Boxes joined by lines with linking words |
| Mind map | Brainstorming and an overview of one topic | A central topic with branches |
| Venn diagram | Comparing two or three things | Overlapping circles |
| KWL chart | Reading and starting a new unit | Three columns: know, want to know, learned |
| Flowchart | Steps in a process | Boxes joined by arrows |
| Timeline | Events in date order | A line with dated points |
| Frayer model | Defining one word or concept | Four boxes around a center |
Example
Before a biology exam on cell division, Mia makes three organizers from memory. A flowchart of the four phases of mitosis: prophase, metaphase, anaphase and telophase. A Venn diagram of mitosis and meiosis, with what they share in the middle. A Frayer model for the word chromosome. Then she checks each one against her slides and corrects the gaps in a different color.
How to use it
- 1
Name the job first: compare, sequence, define, brainstorm or connect ideas.
- 2
Pick the type that matches the job, using the table above.
- 3
Fill it in from memory on a blank page before you open your notes.
- 4
Check it against your source and correct mistakes in a different color, so you can see what you missed.
- 5
Add labels to the links or one example to each box so that every item is specific.
- 6
Cover it the next day and rebuild it, then keep only the version you can draw without looking.
How StudyPDF does this
StudyPDF builds the overview type for you. A mind map is one of its seven kinds of material, an interactive map you can pan, zoom and expand, built from your own slides and notes. For the other types, such as Venn diagrams and flowcharts, you draw the layout yourself, and Bo can answer from your material what belongs in each box, with citations that link to the page. Then turn the content into flashcards or a quiz and test yourself from memory.
See also
Common questions
Is a graphic organizer the same as a concept map?
No. A concept map is one type of graphic organizer, the one that shows how ideas connect through labeled links. Other types, such as the Venn diagram, KWL chart and flowchart, do different jobs.
Do graphic organizers help you learn?
They help most when you build them yourself, because choosing the categories and the links is the learning. Fill one in from memory, then check it. Copying a finished organizer, or filling it in with the book open, helps much less.
Put it to work on your own course
Upload your lectures and ask Bo. Cited answers, plus flashcards, exams, and more built from your material.