Search
Logovisual Thinking – Using MagNotes in the classroom
Logovisual Thinking or LVT is a visual facilitation methodology that uses simple tools to help groups get better results more quickly, making better use of resources. It brings people together quickly and easily, changing the level of thinking and accelerating the generation of successful outcomes with shared ownership. Like oil in a machine, it smooths the way, reduces friction and improves the process.
Using magnetic tiles called MagNotes LVT provides a means of making thoughts and ideas visible. It has a wide range of applications and can be particularly useful in the classroom.
We recently received a case study by Rachel Adams from Wimbledon High School who purchased a set of MagNotes for use in a particular project. The aims of the project were as follows:
- To develop high level thinking in order that students can write well-developed, concise answers in exam situations
- To improve motivation and involvement through group work
Rachel describes how she came to use the Logovisual Thinking methods for this project
‘I had encountered much of the theory mentioned below on previous occasions and started to buy some of the kit, but it was on reading mock exam papers by my Y11 and Y12 students that I realised the gaps between what I thought that they understood and where many of them were in reality. I realised that, although very able, many of them struggled to develop the connections needed between ideas to explain and exemplify them fully in an exam context. This strategy facilitates students’ ability to bring together different ideas and link them together, to see how multiple causes lead to a variety of effects, how effects in turn become causes in a chain of events, and to look for further explanations of geographical processes.’
‘The beauty of the approach is that it is both educationally very sound and practically very easy: having decided on the question for students to discuss, they do all the work with the whiteboards/MagNotes and then clean them up afterwards. Furthermore, it is highly motivating because the students enjoy group work and learning through talking out their ideas with each other. They also appreciate the intellectually challenging nature of the activity, which requires them to take ownership of the learning process. They find it of practical value, improving their understanding and thus their ability to produce high quality written answers, which are systematically thought out.’
The student feedback was positive and some of the comments include:
- ‘I found this helpful because we put all our ideas in one space which was very successful. Also, it was very visual, and in a sense it was an already written down plan.’ Anna
- ‘It was fun!’ Catherine
- ‘Working in three groups allowed for comparison and helped to gather more information.’ Catherine
- ‘I found planning ideas on the boards helpful because it was great for grasping ideas and brainstorming in a visual way. It also helped to outline the processes involved.’ Jemma
- ‘The boards were helpful as it was easy to visualise all possible ideas. Also if you made a mistake it was easy to correct.’ Ellie
Further information on Logovisual Thinking can be found here, the MagNotes and other tools are available to purchase through our online shop.
Got any questions?
Fill out our contact form:
