Dr Kate Esser : Pictures into words, visual dyslexic learners and academic writing

1. Dr Kate Esser: Pictures into words, visual dyslexic learners and academic writing NADP Spring Conference, 29/04/10

2. Overview • How do visual or dyslexic thinkers address demands of literacy based learning? • Some visual learners, especially dyslexic ones, struggle to express themselves in writing • This presentation explores the relationship between dyslexia, visual thinking and resultant difficulties with writing • Suggestions are made as to how practitioners may address these in relation to teaching

3. Visual thinkers and dyslexia • What is a visual thinker? • Are visual thinkers necessarily dyslexic? • Dyslexia and visual spatial skills, and visual giftedness . • Right brain versus left brain • Critique of right brain versus left brain debate

4. Language and writing difficulties • Difficulties with processing language • Receptive and expressive language • Difficulties with the writing process • Visual thinkers and the writing process

5. Academic demands • HE assessment and the demands this places on dyslexic learners • Academic writing and self esteem issues and frustrations • Clarifying purpose of academic writing • Feedback to foster writing development

6. Promoting inclusion in writing • 1 Be aware of your own learning style and mode of teaching • 2 Be aware of your student’s learning style/s and assess appropriately • 3 Adopt methodologies which offer success to all learners • 4 To be aware of the needs of students whose learning style may be diametrically different to yours • 5 tudents should be able to work within their learning preference for a proportion of their learning

7. Implications for practice • Teach to strengths • Learning style, not learning disability • Recognise how successful learners have bridged the gap between visualisation and writing • Recognise and support learning diversity

8. References • Davis, R., D, (1994) The Gift of Dyslexia. Why Some of the Brightest People Can’t Read and How They Can Learn, Souvenir Press: London • Department for Education and Skills, (2004), A Framework for Understanding Dyslexia, London • Coffin, C., Curry, M., J., Goodman, S., Hewings, A., Lillis, T., M., Swann, J., (2003) Teaching Academic Writing: A Toolkit for Higher Education, Routledge: London • Cottrell, S (2001) Teaching Study Skills and Supporting Learning, Palgrave: London • http://www.drflorance.com/, accessed 02/07/08 • Grant, D (2005) That’s the Way I Think: Dyslexia and Dyspraxia Explained TrenthamBooks • Grow, G (1994) ‘The Writing Problems of Visual Thinkers’; www.longleafne.net/ggrow/WriteVisual/WriteVisual.html, date accessed 02/07/08 • Holsanova, J (1997) ‘Verbal or Visual Thinkers? Different Ways of Orienting in a Complex Picture’, in Proceedings of the European Conference on Cognitive Science, pp. 32-37, www.lucs.lu.se/People/Jana.Holsanova/PDF/Holsanova.1997.pdf, date accessed 02/07/08 • Jamieson, C., and Morgan, E., (2008) Managing Dyslexia at University. A Resource for Students, Academic and Support Staff, David Fulton: London • Messaris, P (1994) Visual Literacy: Image, Mind and Reality, Westview Press: Colorado • Mortimore, T (2003) Dyslexia and Learning Style: A Practitioner’s Handbook, Whurr: London • Pollak, D (2005) Dyslexia, the Self and Higher Education: Learning Life Histories of Students Identified as Dyslexic, Trentham Books: Stoke on Trent • Prashnig, B (1998) The Power of Diversity: New Ways of Learning and Teaching through Learning Styles, Network Education Press: Stafford • Reid, G (2003) Dyslexia: A Practitioner’s Handbook, (John Wiley: Chichester) • Reid, G (2005) Learning Styles and Inclusion, Paul Chapman Publishing: London • Reid, G and Wearmouth, J (2002) Dyslexia and Literacy: Theory and Practice, (John Wiley: Chichester) • Schmeck, R, R (ed.) (1988) Learning Strategies and Learning Styles, Plenum Press: New York and London • Shindler, J (2004) ‘Teaching for the Success of All Learning Styles: Five Principles for Promoting Greater Teacher Effectiveness and Higher Student Achievement for All Students’, www.oswego.edu/plsi/teachingacrosstype.htm, date accessed 02/07/08 • Student Partnership for Assessment, Change and Evaluation (SPACE project), • Sword, L (2002) ‘I Think in Pictures, You Teach in Words: The Gifted Visual Spatial Learner’, www.nswagtc.org.au/ozgifted/conferences/SwordVisualSpatial.html, date accessed 02/07/08