What is a Concept Map?
A concept map is a way of representing relationships between ideas. In a concept map, each word or phrase is connected to another. Concept maps are a great way to develop logical thinking skills by revealing connections, and seeing how individual ideas form a larger whole.
Concept Maps are effective tools for:
- Outlining and understanding key concepts, their relationships and hierarchy from documents and source materials
- Assessing one's understanding of a domain of knowledge, and identifying gaps in understanding
- Creating new knowledge by externalizing tacit knowledge, or by mapping and extending the boundaries of existing knowledge
- Externalizing one's understanding or line of argument, and learning through receiving feedback and examining maps on the same topic built by others
- Enhancing metacognition, i.e. being aware of one's own thoughts and learning processes
Here's an example of a concept map:
Key Features
The Question
A good way to start a concept map is with a question.
Different questions on the same topic would produce very different maps!
Different questions on the same topic would produce very different maps!
Ideas
Every concept map comprises ideas. These could be big, inclusive ideas (e.g. "chemistry" or "film-making), or smaller, specific ideas (e.g. "titration" or "wide-angle lens").
Links
Each idea is linked to at least one other idea. These links are labelled in order to define the relationship between ideas.
Watch the video below to see how we can put these elements together, and see how a concept map works!
Further Reading
- A good overview by Joseph D. Novak who co-created concept maps.