A survey of a range of introductory university level textbooks in the social sciences found little use of network diagrams (NDs), i.e., graphic representations of processes, organizations, systems, and mechanisms. NDs can be viewed as a text/picture hybrid medium with titles and captions serving to qualify and identify the meaning and status of…

Flowcharting, a skill used to program computers, can be used to teach reading skills. Like programing, flowcharting requires knowledge of a particular content area and an understanding of how to process the information. Skills such as identifying the main idea and supporting details, sequencing ideas or statements, and distinguishing relevant from…

An approach that uses diagrams to illustrate systems of influence is described and proposed as a medium for cross-cultural communication. The approach, entitled System Dynamics, facilitates representation of complex interactions, and has been used in a variety of scientific and professional fields since its inception in the 1950's. Influence…

This study explores the interpretation of two types of flow diagrams composed of different visual elements intended to communicate the same meaning. Using linear and cyclical diagrams, the study focused on whether, given a series of diagrams using linear elements and a series using cyclical elements, both types of visuals convey the same message…