Definition
Graphic organisers are visual structures that students use to sort, compare, sequence or connect information, scaffolding their thinking in purposeful ways and making their understanding visible.
Students engage in a process where they:
- group, sort or categorise information within a structured format
- highlight key similarities and differences, organise steps in a process or connect ideas meaningfully
- represent relationships, patterns or hierarchies in their understanding
- break down complex information into smaller, manageable parts.
Design considerations
When designing graphic organiser assessment, use the identified formative focus to consider:
- what information, ideas or data students will need to organise, compare or sequence
- which type of graphic organiser (for example, Venn diagram, t-chart, flowchart, cause and effect chart, table) best structures the intended thinking.
For you and your students, consider:
- whether the structure is familiar and accessible, or whether students will need modelling or scaffolding before use
- what scaffolds (for example, worked examples, procedural prompts or alternate models) will clarify your expectations, and ensure all students can access and respond to the task
- what digital tools or drafting and annotation techniques may help to capture students’ understanding.
Aim
Graphic organisers help assess students’ ability to:
- understand an idea or concept, or how or why a process works
- explain their thinking or connect ideas
- apply their learning in different ways or in new situations.
Timing
Graphic organisers are helpful throughout a learning sequence:
- before teaching to check prior learning or uncover misconceptions
- during the lesson to check student learning and guide teacher response in real time
- after learning when time between lessons is needed to analyse evidence and decide whether to revisit or move forward
- across lessons to track how students build, connect or transfer learning over time.
Evidence
Students demonstrate their learning by responding to purposefully selected scaffolds.
In the classroom
These examples show how assessment with graphic organisers can provide evidence of students’ ability to use structured formats to sort, compare, sequence or connect information in purposeful ways.
- Cause and effect charts: students organise reasoning by mapping causes and outcomes, making relationships and patterns visible.
- Flowcharts: students sequence events, stages or processes to demonstrate order and progression in their understanding.
- KWL charts (Know, Want to know, Learnt): students record prior knowledge, focus their inquiry and reflect on new learning, guiding their thinking and metacognition.
- Tables or grids: students classify information into categories or criteria, revealing conceptual links and organisational thinking.
- T-charts: students define and explore concepts by organising two-sided information, such as pros/cons or fact/opinion.
- Venn diagrams: students compare similarities and differences to identify relationships between ideas or concepts.
