Concept/mind mapping

Concept/mind mapping:

This week we explored the design cycle and how a product develops from initial idea to completion.  You can see my interpretation of this cycle above in the form of a mind map which I created using bubbl.us.  This was the first time I had used this particular program however I did have previous experience with online mind maps as I used iMindMap for a University assessment piece last year.  I found that this program was incredibly easy to use as a new account could be created for free within minutes and the program could be used directly after this.  There were also lots of icons on the screen to tell you how to use the function such as 'tab' to create a new bubble and 'CTRL Enter' to create a linking bubble off another idea.  In addition, there was an option available to customise your bubble and text colour or use the colours provided by the bubbl.us team, this allowed you to either be creative or get your information across efficiently with colours pre-selected.

I discovered that there are many benefits to online concept/mind mapping as opposed to traditional concept mapping with a pen and paper.  These include; the option to change and select different fonts and colours to enhance the mind maps aesthetic appeal, quick and easy edit options and the opportunity for people to share their work across a range of platforms just to name a few.  This could be beneficial to students within the classroom as this function is a quick, easy, editable way to share information between peers and educators on a range of different topics.  A Stanford University paper also relates concept mapping to three main theories created by Joseph Novak which outline how this form of text and brainstorming can enhance students learning.

According to Novak (1960) there are three theories which concept mapping is based around which are Dual coding theory, Schema theory and Cognitive load theory.  Dual coding theory discusses that verbal learning and visual learning go hand in hand and that images and graphics such as those used within a concept map can enhance student's learning in terms of recall and understanding (Stanford University, n.d.). Schema theory refers to students ability to use prior knowledge to understand and deconstruct a text down to key ideas (Stanford University, n.d.) often represented in brainstorming similar to the mind map function.  The final theory, Cognitive load theory relates to ensuring that the working memory is not overloaded and that there are opportunities to group information into smaller, more manageable chunks or refer to prior knowledge (Stanford University, n.d.).

From the information above it is clear that concept/mind mapping has a purposeful place within a 21st century classroom to enhance students learning especially in terms of organising key ideas, linking this to prior knowledge and retaining knowledge.  The way of the future however, may be to use concept mapping as an online learning tool where students have ultimate control over all elements including text information, colour, layout and sharing options.