Concept Map: Guide to Concept Mapping Visual Elements

A concept map is a diagram or graphical tool that visually depicts the relationship between different concepts. Concept maps are useful for brainstorming, knowledge-sharing, and the retention of information. Visual representations of concept maps can include graphic organizers, graphs, flowcharts, or timelines.

In the 1970s, educator and researcher Joseph D. Novak at Cornell University developed concept maps to research children’s abilities to learn scientific concepts. Since then, the concept map has been a learning tool in educational settings and a knowledge-sharing tool in business and health care. Psychologist David Ausubel’s assimilation theory of learning states it is easier to discover new knowledge if it links to something the subject already knows, which helps to explain why the use of concept maps can be helpful.

Concept maps and mind maps both encourage brainstorming and problem-solving, but the two differ in the following areas:

• Source: Visual tools like concept maps use external sources to create a visual knowledge base, whereas mind maps are for brainstorming, during which individuals develop new concepts for the map.
• Topic: Subtopics do not interconnect in mind maps, which typically focus on one main topic with several related topics. On the other hand, concept maps can contain multiple big topics and subtopics that might or might not interconnect.
• Visualization: You can organize concept maps using a visual hierarchy or a free-flowing web. By contrast, mind maps have one central idea from which related thoughts radiate outward.
  

People typically organize concept maps hierarchically, with the more general concepts at the top, leading to more specific related ideas at the bottom. The essential visual elements of a concept map include:

1. 1. Arcs: These are lines or arrows that connect the different ideas. You can label arcs with linking words or phrases that explain the connection between the concepts.
2. 2. Boxes: You can also organize concept maps in a more free-flowing structure, with a central idea that branches out into different ideas. Not all ideas have to link to one another. A concept map can start with one main idea, then branch out into two different ideas with arcs and linking words. This structure, known as propositional structure, might include boxes or circles to separate ideas.
3. 3. Nodes: Each of the main ideas within the concept map is a node. Use arcs to connect multiple nodes.

You can use a concept map in the following ways:

• To boost brainstorming sessions: The organization of a concept map works well for collaborative learning. Participants can work on developing a concept map in a classroom or office, and these concept maps foster the discovery of new ideas.
• To consolidate knowledge: Creating a concept map can help to distill information from various sources into a single coherent narrative or collection of ideas or resources.
• To educate on a complex idea: The visual elements of a concept map can encourage critical thinking and help learners understand and retain complex information.
• To see the big picture: Concept maps can help students and employees understand prior knowledge and identify lacking information. Visually mapping out the information fosters big-picture thinking.

Diagraming a concept map is easy, and you can do it using templates from concept-mapping software or freehand it on a simple whiteboard. Try these steps to create your own concept map:

1. 1. Brainstorm the parking lot. List the words, facts, themes, key concepts, and ideas you associate with the main topic. This extensive list of ideas is also known as the “parking lot.”
2. 2. Choose a main topic. Identify the central concept or focus question connecting every element you brainstormed. This can be a problem to solve or an idea you want to explore.
3. 3. Connect the concepts. Once you have a rough layout of the concept map, create linking phrases that tie together different ideas or groups of ideas.
4. 4. Draw a rough sketch. Decide how you want to structure your concept map and create a rough sketch. Perhaps you want a hierarchical structure, a free-flowing structure, or a propositional structure. Figure out the central topics, the related subtopics, and the more specific ideas. Create boxes around your nodes (ideas) and draw arcs to connect the different nodes where appropriate.
5. 5. Review the map. Look over the concept map and revise it as necessary, adding any ideas you think are missing or modifying any linking phrases. You can also add color to emphasize different concepts and make your concept map more understandable.

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