Using Mind Maps in Education

Wiki defines a mind map as “a diagram used to represent words, ideas, tasks, or other items linked to and arranged around a central keyword or idea.” The concept of a mind map is that the brain does not store information in the same way as most students write notes – line by line, but in a tree-like pattern.

Some of the positives of using mind maps in education are as follows:

• Mind maps help teachers prepare for classes, assignments and for the course as a whole. It lets them set their target and build around it.
• It can be used to help brainstorm in the classroom and to increase the effectiveness of the students’ performance. The concept encourages student thinking, thus enabling them to be more than puppets who simply work mechanically, but getting them involved and making them think about what they are learning.
• It helps in breaking the monotony of the regular classes. Studies can often become dull and mundane. Mind maps allow you to use different colours while taking notes and play around with a design. It is a bit like doodling, but with a healthy educational twist.
• It encourages users to enumerate and connect concepts with the help of visual clues. It is a bit like joining the dots to form a complete picture, or to recall the complete information.
• It helps bring out the creativity of students in the classroom, forcing them to think outside-the-box.
• Mind maps are ideal teaching aids as it leads the student from the known to the unknown. The teacher begins at the main concept or idea and gradually connects it to details revolving around the idea. The learning process in this process is gradual and organised.
• The beauty of this technique is that the pace is dictated by the students and not the teacher. This is a huge advantage as even slow learners can benefit from this style.
• Too much information can often be distracting or overwhelming to students. By focusing on a single branch at a time, students can explore a particular idea without letting other ideas get in the way.

So how do we get started in using mind maps in education? The first step is to learn how to draw them.

The best way to start is to write or draw your main idea in the centre of a blank sheet of paper, placed in landscape orientation. Build subtopics from around the main topic and connect each of them to the centre with a line. Create further lower-level subtopics and connect them to specific subtopic. Continue to develop on the idea. This is a mind map.

It is also suggested that you use colours and symbols, wherever possible. Let your creativity run. Keep the topic/subtopic labels to a word or two, or maybe even just a picture. Use different font sizes and play around with the lines and boxes. Most importantly, ensure that the activity is fun for your students.

How can you use this concept of mind mapping in your classroom?

From Professional Learning Board’s online continuing education course for teachers: Technology for Education Leaders and Web Technology for Teachers