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Introduction

The Mind Mapping method is a powerful note taking technique that uses creativity in a maximum way. While mind maps do contain facts, they show at the same time the overall structure of a subject as well as how each part relates to the other. They can help you (the teachers) or your students generate fresh connections when you/they need to use your/their creativity. The traditional way to take notes is to follow the chronological sequence of the author's thinking, whether for a lecture or when reading a book and to summarise most often using sentences and phrases rather than just keywords. Mind mapping is an alternative approach that works with the two halves of the brain by using their visualisation and associating powers and thus enhancing both memory and creative thinking. A mind map represents ideas and concepts in a graphic format. This visual thinking tool helps you to better analyse, understand, synthesise, recall, and generate new ideas and helps to structure the information. Simplicity lies in its strength, as in every great idea. In mind maps, information is structured in a way much closer to how your brain works in contrast to traditional note making or a linear text. It involves your brain in all its cognitive functions in a much richer and more analytical and artistic manner. Mind maps serve another purpose: they help with organisation and memory. Mind maps are word collections structured by the author's mental context, which are informal and necessary for the efficient operation of the mind map using colour, icons, and visual links. And it's fun, best of all!

Mindmap

The mind map technique is also known as map of ideas, conceptual map, summary table e flow diagram.

Description

What is this technique/tool about

This method is a great tool to be used by students when preparing for exams or studying a topic. The best approach is for the teacher to use it on the classroom so the VET and Secondary students to understand its applicability and how to do it on their own.

 

For which purposes is it used (why in your secondary school teaching).

Mind mapping, in essence, avoids dull, linear thinking by stimulating creativity and making note taking entertaining again. Mind maps can be used for a variety of purposes like:

  • Taking notes
  • Solving problems
  • Researching and combining information from various sources
  • Gaining understanding of complex subjects through information presentation
  • Brainstorming
  • Preparation
  • Boosting your imagination and creativity.

The advantage of mind mapping as a method is that it allows the user to capture the entire strength of the brain both at the right and the more analytical, logical, and left, which is used for spatial awareness; the sense of wholeness (Shaped), imagination, daydreaming and colours. Mind maps rely on the brain's ability to store an infinite number of associations, which, combined with their visual qualities (space, image, colour, and so on), helps them stimulate memory to store more facts. They take up less space physically and less time to produce as opposed to chronologically based notes.

Advantages:

  • Facilitates understanding and learning. The visual and hierarchical organisation of mind maps allows users to understand and retain information more effectively.
  • Stimulate creativity. By visualising connections and relationships between ideas, mind maps encourage the generation of new ideas and creativity.
  • Improve organisation. They allow information to be organised and structured in a clear and logical way, which facilitates planning and decision making.
  • Promote visual memory. The use of colours, images and keywords in mind maps strengthens visual memory and facilitates long-term retention of information.
  • They are flexible and adaptable. Mind maps can be easily adapted to different purposes and contexts and allow for easy incorporation or modification of information.
  • They encourage holistic thinking. By representing ideas and concepts in an interconnected way, mind maps help you see the big picture and understand the relationships between different elements.
  • They facilitate communication. Mind maps can be useful in presentations and discussions, as they provide a clear and concise visual representation of ideas.

Disadvantages:

  • They are not always suitable for linear or sequential information. Mind maps are ideal for representing non-linear information but may not be the best choice for information that requires a linear or sequential structure, such as flowcharts.
  • They can be difficult to handle with large volumes of information. As the amount of information increases, mind maps can become complicated and difficult to read. In these cases, other tools, such as diagrams or databases, may be more appropriate.
  • They require some learning and practice Although mind maps are intuitive in many ways, creating and using effective mind maps can take some learning and practice.

How to implement these technique/tools

Preparation, before the session:

  • Gather any materials or resources needed for the session, such as presentations, documents, or images.
  • Create an agenda for the session, outlining the objectives, activities, and timeline. Share this with the students in advance so they know what to expect and can come prepared.
  • Think about how you will facilitate the session and engage the students. Plan how you will introduce the activities, give instructions, and manage the time and discussions.

 

During the session:

Step 1: Start by writing or drawing an idea, a subject, a thought, the problem in the middle of a blank page, using landscape orientation. As soon as you think of something, you see images of it.

Step 2: Radiating subtopics from the central theme/topic. First-level associations are those tied to the central theme. This is the basic structure known as Basic Organising Ideas (BOIs), and these are branches that are spreading outwards from the main concept. The brain uses imagination and association. When associations are created, links are formed. This is necessary for memory and thinking.

Step 3: – Afterwards set down keywords associated with the BOIs, which should sit on smaller branches connected to the main branch.

Step 4: Add some colour! Colour is important in mind maps. People who use images and colour in their imagination, when learning, are better at remembering than those who don't. Show your vision, and your brain will thank you.

Step 5: – At this point, revisit your mind map, placing things in order, and numbering the branches. If needed, revise it on another piece of paper.

Follow-up, after the session:

  • Promote discussion among students on the technique used.
  • Follow up with your students to see if they have any questions or feedback about the session. This can help you to improve future sessions and ensure that students feel supported and engaged.
  • Evaluate the session to determine what worked well and what could be improved. Use this information to adjust for future sessions.
  • Take some time to reflect on the session and think about what you learned as a facilitator. Consider what strategies were effective and what could be improved for future sessions.

Examples and/or testimonials

Tools needed

To apply mind maps in Secondary Schools and VET, there are different types of mind maps. These can be mainly divided into 2 main groups according to their design or how the information is distributed. To help you understand more about what the types of maps are, the following will explain about each of them.

Different types of mind maps by design.

Circular maps: these are the ones that arrange the information in concentric rings around the central word or key word, similar to a circuit or a starfish; there are many examples of this type on the internet, as it is one of the most used models.

Tree maps: the tree type is the most common type of mind map and should be drawn in a simple way; the central title is placed in the centre or at the top and from there the secondary ideas are derived. Each idea is represented by a drawing or symbol.

Rainbow maps: in this type, the beginning of the topic is identified from the ends and the characteristics or the procedure to obtain the result or end of the topic studied are specified in the arcs.

Honeycomb map: This is a didactic game made up of central and subsequent cells that simulate a honeycomb. It is used to organise or classify any type of information.

According to the distribution of your information.

Spider map: similar to the circular distribution, the main concept is in the centre and the ideas go out from there towards the ends, the most relevant information is near the body of the spider and the secondary information is towards the edges of the spider.

Hierarchical map: this is one of the different types of mind maps that is most like the diagrams; in these, the main idea or concept is at the top. So, from there, the most important ideas arise in relation to the topic and after these topics, in turn, the corresponding subdivisions are made, so that the information goes from more to less complex.

Flow chart: in these cases, the main concept is placed to one side and the ideas that follow it are placed in a linear fashion, one after the other. This type of map is not recommended if you need to place a large amount of information.

Systematic map: works exactly like the previous model with the difference that visual guides such as lines or linking words can be used to link concepts together and make the layout somewhat more complex.

Multidimensional: of the different types of mind maps, these have gained some popularity thanks to platforms such as Prezi, where the visualisation of concepts can be done in two-dimensional, three-dimensional or both simultaneously, which gives a whole new approach to this tool.

Landscape map: this is a not so common type of map where a landscape is used as a basis for the distribution of information and on it the relevant concepts are placed using the design of the figure as a base tool; for this purpose, use is made of platforms such as.

Resources

On-line resources:

Books:

  • Mind Map Mastery: the Complete Guide to Learning and Using the Most Powerful Thinking Tool in the Universe.
  • Mind Mapping: Improve Memory, Concentration, Communication, Organization, Creativity, and Time Management: Improve.
  • Mind Maps Journal: Blank Mind Map Book, Brainstorm Notebook Help You Organize Your Thoughts & Take Notes.

Academic articles:

  • Anderson, Joseph V. 'Mind mapping: a tool for creative thinking.' Business Horizons, vol. 36, no. 1, Jan.-Feb. 1993, pp. 41+. Gale Academic OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A13594671/AONE?u=anon~246e39c1&sid=googleScholar&xid=51fce1ab. Accessed 30 May 2023.
  • Widiana, I. W., & Jampel, I. N. (2016). Improving Students' Creative Thinking and Achievement through the Implementation of Multiple Intelligence Approach with Mind Mapping. International Journal of Evaluation and Research in Education, 5(3), 246-254.

 

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