Study Tips & Tools

Concept Maps

Your picture of how ideas relate to each other

Also known as mind maps, these tools are simply a way to visualize a concept. 

Concept maps are diagrams that related different elements of a concept to each other and/or to the main idea.  These diagrams can be simple or complex—depending on your own style of learning and what helps you understand the concept.

One easy way of drawing a concept map is to draw a box with name of the concept:

 

Then add boxes that help define or clarify or describe the concept: 

 

You can add as many layers as you need to fill out what you need to learn about the concept:

Notice that the above map emphasizes only certain aspects of the concept of "anatomy."  It could certainly be more complete.  It could also emphasize things a little differently --in a way that would make more sense TO YOU.  The idea is to draw a map that makes sense to you --that helps you learn what you need to learn about the concept in a way that you can "see the concept" easily.

As you can see, there are many styles of concept maps and different degrees of complexity. 

Remember, both MAKING the map and STUDYING the map will help you learn. 

Here are just a few examples from the A&P Learning Outlines: 

	Click the image for an enlarged view of a "plan of attack" using both antibody-mediated immunity and cell-mediated immunity
	The "big picture" of respiratory function Click on image to enlarge it
	Role of medullary respiration centers in quiet and heavy breathing Click image to enlarge it

All of the examples given just above were made with the computer software Inspiration, which is available on some of the computers in the Science Resource Room at SCC (ADM 2411). There is also a web version called Webspiration.

You may also want to try FreeMind which is a free software program for mind mapping.

More concept mapping tools

bubbl.us FREE web-based mind mapping tool

Cayra FREE software download

CoMapping subscription-based cooperative/group mind-mapping tools

 

Want to know more?

For more examples and how-to hints on concept mapping, check out the links in the list below.

Concept Maps - related articles from my blog The A&P Student

Learning, Creating, and Using Knowledge: Concept Maps(tm) As Facilitative Tools in Schools and Corporations  

The Mind Map Book: How to Use Radiant Thinking to Maximize Your Brain's Untapped Potential  

How to Mind Map: The Ultimate Thinking Tool That Will Change Your Life  

Concept Mapping A great place to start learning about concept maps and how they work

Concept Maps on Various Topics has links to general articles on concepts maps as well as some examples (a few are Chinese because this source is in Hong Kong but most are in English)

Mind Maps - a powerful alternative to conventional note taking  A brief general article on how to make concept maps

Concept Maps A nice intro to concept maps from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, with How-to and samples

IHMC Concept Map  This page is very long and detailed (and is written with a lot of education jargon) but gives a solid introduction to concept maps

Graphic Organizers  This page has many short, simple handouts that show you how to make different sorts of concept maps.

WriteDesign On-Line - Graphic Organizers  This site has numerous examples of different types of concept maps

Learning Skills Program - Concept Mapping Simple description of how to make and use concepts maps.

Mind Maps in Medicine  Collection of sample mind maps related to medical studies