Assignment - Infographics - 078

Objective

Create a fishbone diagram in Canva that maps the root causes of low exam grades among students.

What is a Fishbone Diagram?

Before starting, look up “fishbone diagram” (also called an Ishikawa diagram or cause-and-effect diagram). It is a visual tool for tracing the causes of a problem. The problem is written at the head of a fish skeleton, and causes branch out along the bones, grouped by category.

Instructions

Step 1: Define the Problem

Write this at the head (right side) of the diagram:

“Students get low grades in exams”

Step 2: Identify Cause Categories

Use these as your main bones:

• Study Habits: No regular revision, poor time management, not practicing past papers
• Teaching and Classroom: Unclear explanations, fast pace, insufficient feedback
• Home Environment: Noise, no dedicated study space, family responsibilities
• Personal Factors: Exam anxiety, lack of sleep, health problems
• Resources: No access to textbooks, missing class notes, no internet

Step 3: Add Sub-causes

For each main cause, add at least two specific sub-causes. For example, under Study Habits: “only studies the night before the exam” or “skips difficult topics.”

Step 4: Build in Canva

• Search for a fishbone diagram template in Canva, or build the structure using lines and text boxes.
• The problem goes on the right. Main categories branch off the central spine. Sub-causes branch off each category line.
• Assign one color to each main category branch.

Design Tips

• Keep labels short - a phrase of three to five words per cause.
• Use a horizontal layout so all branches fit without crowding.
• Bold the main category names so they stand out from sub-causes.

Required Elements

• Problem statement clearly written at the fish head.
• At least 5 main cause categories.
• At least 2 sub-causes per category.
• Color-coded main branches.