Visual thinking guides

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Revision as of 05:46, 25 November 2008 by imported>WikITSysop
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Exploratree hosts a set of interactive thinking guides. This is a free web resource where you can use the guides, print them, edit them or make your own. You can share them and work on them in groups. It is aimed at schools and students, but has ideas for thinkers of all ages.

Here are some of the overall categories, names of individual diagram type and and indication of their purposes.

Develop ideas[edit]

Lotus blossom

Lotus blossom : Create lots of ideas around an issue then turn ideas into actions

Examine ideas : Investigate evidence and other views then make new ideas

Use the essence : Get to the heart of the issue then look for new ideas

Possible futures : Think about the way an issue may develop in the future

Solve problems[edit]

Knowing trees : Think through a question and identify supporting evidence

Reverse planning : Work backwards from the ideal future to a realistic present

Is / is not : Scope a problem by identifying what it is and is not

Complete reversal : Reverse a problem to stimulate new thinking when stuck

Digging up roots : Explore a problem by digging down to its roots

Explore[edit]

Futures wheel : Think through the consequences and knock-on effects

T.A.S.C. : Helps you think about and communicate any topics, issues or problems

Question things : Question everything you read, hear and see

Compare and contrast : Make comparisons between two topics

A day in the life : Seeing things as they are experienced.

Analyse[edit]

Tracking an enquiry : This thinking guide will help you to plan your enquiry

Facts or opinions : Sort out the facts from the opinions about a particular topic

Making meanings : Establish what you want to know

Scamper : Substitute, combine, adapt, modify, rearrange

Traffic lights : What changes would you make? Analyse a particular situation

Different perspectives[edit]

From a different angle : Examining a topic through a variety of different lenses

Thinking boxes : Analyse from different perspectives – local to global

Plus, minus, interesting : Evaluate by identifying pluses, minuses and interesting points

Compass rose : Examine things from a variety of perspectives

For free information about the hundreds of
visual thinking tools available, visit the

Visual Thinking Center