ABSTRACT
Visualization is to form or recall mental images or pictures, to make visual or visible, with the intention of communication of a message. Images can be two-dimensional or three-dimensional. They can be static (as in a still picture) or dynamic (as in moving pictures or animations). There have been two meta-analyses of visualization, both including a minority of school studies, one with an effect size of 0.37 and the other 0.27. In the latter, studies in schools (n = 10) gave an effect size of 0.27, while those in college and university environments (n = 37) only had an effect size of 0.07. Dynamic visualizations yielded somewhat better performance than static, but not with lower (visual) ability students, who might have problems with cognitive load. However, many studies were in the laboratory rather than the classroom. Additionally, visualization can lead to illusory understanding.
