Visual mapping: a tool for design, development and communication in the development of IT-rich learning environments

Visual representations have long been advocated by educators as cognitive tools to enhance student learning. However, visual mapping of concepts and ideas are also part of the design and development tools of graphic and interface designers (drawings and sketches), media producers (story boards), and programmers (flow charts). In higher education settings, the use of visual representations that show the key conceptual relationships and patterns in a content domain have the potential to become used as cognitive tools to facilitate educational decision-making about the choice of appropriate technologies to support student learning. In this paper, examples of visual representations, including concept mapping and graphical representations, which have been used successfully in the development of coherent educational environments will be discussed. The focus is the use of visual mapping as a cognitive tool to facilitate communication and understanding between the academically diverse members of the team who develop complex educational environments that incorporate interactive multimedia (IMM), and information and communication technologies (ICTs). This approach recognises the prior knowledge and visual skills that many IMM and ICT developers possess.