screen capture of concept maps

Concept maps and mind maps

Concept and mind maps are tools for organising and representing knowledge and relationships graphically

Samples

Concept maps - example outputs

Sample outputs of the concept mapping tool CmapTools.

Source Developed by Marty Cielens for a range of teaching and learning contexts.
URL NA
Use Various VET audiences
Delivery Concept mapping software, such as CmapTools.
The output of many of these technologies can be exported for the web and therefore integrated into other e-learning resources.
Customisation Easy to create
Availability The software to create mindmaps is readily available

Concept maps - example outputs 2

Sample outputs of the concept mapping tool CmapTools.

Source Developed by Marty Cielens for a range of teaching and learning contexts
URL http://cmap.ihmc.us/Publications/ResearchPapers/TheoryCmaps/TheoryUnderlyingConceptMaps.htm
Use Example of a variety of types of concept maps generated with learners
Delivery Generated using Concept mapping software, such as CmapTools.
The output of many of these technologies can be exported for the web and therefore integrated into other e-learning resources.
Customisation Easy to create
Availability The software to create mindmaps is readily available

Concept maps - example outputs 3

Further outputs of the concept mapping tool Inspiration.

Source Factors of Immigration (sic) Concept Map
URL http://www.inspiration.com/productinfo/inspiration/using_insp/index.cfm?fuseaction=socialstudies
Use

Example of a variety of types of concept maps generated with learners exploring reasons for immigration.

Additional examples are available here.
Delivery Generated using Concept mapping software  Inspiration (commercial product).
The output of this software can be exported for the web and therefore integrated into other e-learning resources.
Customisation Easy to create
Availability The software to create mind maps is readily available (see Resources below)
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Why include concept and mind maps?

Using concept maps places central emphasis on the influence of learners' prior knowledge. It allows learners to modify existing concepts and form new linkages. Some of the main uses of concept maps are:

  • to generate ideas (eg brainstorming)
  • to design a complex structure (eg complicated texts, large web sites)
  • to communicate complex ideas
  • to aid learning by explicitly integrating new and old knowledge
  • to provide a framework for making internal knowledge explicit in a visual form that can easily be examined and shared
  • to assess understanding or diagnose misunderstanding.

Features

Mind maps have only one main concept. Trainers then draw together the five to ten main ideas that relate to that word through discussion or brainstorming with their learners. Relationships between ideas can then be discussed and represented to provide  a kind of visual map of the learners' thinking.  A mind map is like a visual representation of a thinking process that lets learners quickly generate an large number of ideas, and at the same time organise them by placing each idea next to what it is related to. In training contexts, mind maps can be helpful to explore complex topics, identify issues or explore ideas with learners through a participative process.

Concept maps are useful tools for organising and representing knowledge, critical thinking or planning. A concept map explores several concepts. These concepts are enclosed in circles or boxes, and a connecting line between two or more concepts indicates relationships between concepts or propositions. Words on the connecting line can specify and describe the relationship between the two concepts. Learners quickly help build a visual representation of the relationship or tension between concepts from a particular situation or idea.

A mind map can usually be represented as a tree, while a concept map may need a network representation.

Maps help trainers to take learners through an interactive process to tease out what learners within the  group know (or don’t know) and to share knowledge and experiences.

They are a several software tools available which help trainers and learners to build mind maps and concept maps (see the Tools and resources section below)

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Integrating concept or mind maps

Design steps

  1. Select a theme and then identify related key words or phrases.
  2. Order the concepts (key words) from the most abstract to the most concrete and specific.
  3. Group concepts that function at similar level of abstraction and those that interrelate closely.
  4. Arrange concepts in to a diagrammatic representation.
  5. Link concepts with linking lines and label each line.

In reviewing concept and mind maps with learners consider:

  • Are the concepts and relationships correct? Are important concepts missing? Are any misconceptions apparent? What supplementary learning might you need to consider?
  • Is the concept map laid out in a way that relationships between concepts are apparent and easy to understand? Can learners easily build new knowledge into their concept map as they acquire it?

Assessment

Concept and mind maps tend to be used more often for the initial stages in a learning sequence. However they may be used in an assessment situation where they can demonstrate a learner's ability to describe the broad picture or understand complex inter-relationships.

Instructional intelligence: Mind mapping and concept mapping

Includes advice on conducting a concept map with learners and a sample rubric for evaluating a concept map.
http://www.yrdsb.edu.on.ca/page.cfm?id=III000133

Technical notes

If you decide to use concept and mind maps in an online setting, you will need to have the technical skills to operate the mind mapping software over the internet.

Skills

You will need to be able to draw out connections for learners and use appropriate questioning techniques.

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See also

From the Framework

More resources from the Australian Flexible Learning Framework

Tools and resources

Social bookmark for this strategy

http://del.icio.us/designelearn/catergorise

Last modified: 15/9/08