Concept Maps

Creating a concept map: 
This example of a concept map was created using the online website http://bubbl.us/
I found this to be time consuming but effective for organising information simplistically.

The concept of how mind maps work is explained in

Tony Buzan's mind mapping video where he refers to concept maps as a thinking tool which reflect externally what goes on in our heads and, how thinking and memory can be enhanced by using imagination and association with words, pictures and branches. For visual learners concept maps would enhance most students' abilities to absorb and retain new information. Concept maps elaborate new learnings by chunking and linking information in a simplistic way and are are considered to be an invaluable tool for teaching.  This chunking provides students with the ability to understand and make links between different pieces of information and to remember that information more effectively. It also enables students to access and clarify their understandings more efficiently. (McInerney & McInerney, 2006)

Benefits:

• facilitates learning and recall
• clarifies similarities between concepts

Classroom uses:

• for comparison activities
• generalisation/principle patterns 
• cause-effect patterns
• organisational patterns
  

Challenges:

• students require indepth training before skills are developed proficiently
• concept relationships can be oversimplified and important information can be left out.

References
Marzano, R. J., & Pickering, D. J. (1997). Dimensions of Learning, Teacher's Manual.
(2nd ed)Aurora, Colorado: McRel.

McInerney, D.M., & McInerney, V. (2006). Educational Psychology, Construct Learning.(4th ed) French Forest, NSW, Australia: Pearson.