By: Judith George
The Open University, Scotland.

A concept map or a mind map is a visual representation of the links or associations between different concepts or pieces of information.

Uses
At the end of a tutorial, in the last 10 minutes, to consolidate learning, check understanding
At the start of a session, to map where students are

Resource Guide (info)
Preparation time: moderate to low
Student time: low
Time to administer: low
Time for analysis: moderate
Additional resources: none

“Does this sound familiar to you too?”

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“We will do it”
means
” You will do it”

“You have done a great job”
means
“More work to be given to you”

By: Dr. Jack Yensen
Editor-in-Charge of eLearning

This is the first of a series of 4 linked articles that attempts to construct some strategies for learning. This, the first article, describes concept maps, and illustrates how to construct them and how to use them. The articles that follow will be organized as shown below:

• Concept Resource Maps
  • What are they and how do I use them
  • How do I find resources quickly and easily
  • JITROD Strategy (Just In Time Resources On Demand)
  • Using a JITROD template
• Learning Objects
  • What are they and how do I use them
  • How do I assemble a learning object
  • How do I use objects
• Books to Wooks
  • A brief journey from Gutenberg to 2002
  • An example of a Wook

Given sufficient interest, it is the intent of the author to build a set of CE courses to address each of these articles. Any person completing these courses should be able to design, build, deploy and manage concept maps, concept resource maps, learning objects and wooks.

By: Chris Kreger

A particularly good way to organize information about a problem or subject is to construct a “concept map.” Construction of concept maps helps us pull together information we already know about a subject and understand new information as we learn. (Sur comments –> This is called Constructivism).

Concept maps consist of nodes and labeled lines.

Figure 1

Node is the name for important terms or concepts. Nodes are usually depicted with circles drawn around the term or concept, such as the nodes for “Living Things” and “Plants” drawn above (Figure 1). Lines between nodes show which concepts are related. The label on the line tells how or in what way the concepts are related. For example, plants “are” living things.

We can use concept maps when we begin working together on a problem, during the problem solving steps, and at the end of problem solving.