How to make a concept map

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Revision as of 06:42, 21 January 2009 by imported>WikITSysop (→‎Focus question)
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“A good way to define the context for a concept map is to construct a Focus Question, that is a question that clearly specifies the problem or issue the concept map should help to resolve. Every concept map responds to a focus question, and a good focus question can lead to a much richer concept map”[1] (Cañas and Novak)

When you feel you have a focus question that gets to the heart of the subject you intend to map, you will add boxes containing the concepts related to the question. Where you can, add linking phrases showing how the concepts are related, but if you have not decided how they are linked, leave the linking phrase empty or the concepts unattached.

Building a concept map – an example[edit]

Let us suppose that you have been asked to prepare a paper on the place of reason and emotion in management.

First you develop the specific focus question that this map will attempt to answer.

Focus question[edit]

How are emotions and reason balanced in organizational management?

You record this in the map, and add the three essential concepts that must appear.

Management-reason-emotions1.png

asdasd

Management-reason-emotions2.png

asdasd

Management-reason-emotions3.png

asdasd

Management-reason-emotions.png

Concept maps while reading or studying[edit]

  1. Place the main concept at the top of the page.
  2. While reading or gathering information, add concepts.
  3. If you know how they are related to the top one, add in the new concept and try to write how they are related (the link description).
  4. If you do not yet know how they are related to the top one, note them on pending list on a separate piece of paper, with any notes that may help describe the link later.
  5. As you build the next layer of concepts, link to those when you can.
  6. Each time you add a concept, look for other relationships to the added concept.
  7. Each time you add a concept, consider whether you know enough to add any of the concepts currently on the pending list.


Concept Maps for youngsters[edit]

  1. Give students Post-It notes with terms on them, related to the subject being taught.
  2. On a large sheet of paper on the wall, have them group the notes where they think they go. This is somewhat like clustering.
  3. Leave these open for changes as new concepts are introduced to the class, and let the students move the notes as they learn.
  4. When finished, draw lines connecting the notes.
  5. Walk all students around the maps, having them grade other’s maps – do they make sense?


Deeper concept maps[edit]

If you are looking for ways to take concept mapping to a deeper level, this quote from Cañas and Novak may give you some useful ideas:

“Objects or things are key building blocks of the universe, and they are also key building block of knowledge. We use words, usually nouns, to label objects. Events are the other key building blocks of the universe, and also for knowledge.

“When we focus on events, we are usually asking how something happens, and concept maps emphasizing events, using verbs, … tend to be richer in explanations, whereas concept maps focused on objects tend to be more descriptive. In general, concept maps showing explanations require more deep or dynamic thinking. We have observed, however, that most concept maps deal with objects, not with events, and propose that through the proper focus question, and through questioning in general, we could move towards the dynamic thinking that is required to build concept maps showing explanations.”[1]

See also[edit]

Concept maps


References[edit]

  1. 1.0 1.1 Re-examining the foundations for effective use of concept maps Alberto J. Cañas and Joseph D. Novak
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