Concept Mapping

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Concept Mapping

• Mara Alagic

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How Memory Works?

• The brain stores information in memory sites by
  establishing structural links between synapses
  (connection between neurons or brain cells)
• The number of branches that a neural process
  makes and the number and efficacy of synapses
  determine long term memory

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How Memory Works? (2)

• Short term memory appears to be stored
  differently and in a variety of ways
• It is believed that a familiar stimulus can set
  up "harmonics" of memory sites making connections
  to many other bits of stored information

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Structuring Information

• Thinking is a complex process thoughts may flow
  or leap or digress and return to the main idea
  again
• If is difficult to follow the presentation if it
  is not structured so that we can make connections
  with previous knowledge

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Concept map

• Concept mapping arose from Ausubel"s cognitive
  educational psychology
• According to Ausubel, a given teaching strategy
  does not necessarily assure meaningful learning
• Both the students background and learning
  approach determine a strategys effectiveness

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Graphic organizers or Concept Mapping or Mind
Mapping?

• Descriptive Concept Map
• Showing what we know Numbers in the Environment
• Inspiration
• Exploring Mars

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Concept Map Development

• The process of concept map development has a
  similarity to individual brain-storming
• A logical sequence shown by the inter-connections
  of facts links the ideas in an hierarchical order

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Why Concept Maps?

• Teaching and learning with concept maps utilizes
  visual and organizational features of the mind,
  to improve learning and confidence.
• It takes time to develop a map speed comes with
  experience. Reference Novak, J. D, and Gowin,
  D. Bob, Learning how to learn, New York,
  Cambridge University Press, 1984.

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Concept Mapping and Curriculum Design
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Concept Map A Learning Tool

• Providing students with learning tools that
  integrate information helps learning
• taking notes
• problem solving
• planning study - as an organizer
• preparing for examinations - identifies the
  integration of topics
• planning essays or larger reports

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Making a Concept Map (1)

• Choose a topic/concept
• Write down major terms/concepts about the topic
• Identify the most general, intermediate,
  specific concepts
• Begin drawing the concept map
• Concepts are circled
• Place the most general concepts at the top/center
• Place intermediate concepts below/next to general
  concepts
• Put specific concepts on bottom/further

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Making a Concept Map (2)

• Draw lines between related concepts
• Label the lines with "linking words" to indicate
  how the concepts are related
• Revise the map