Concept mapping tools allow you or your students to visually depict a system by creating a map in which nodes represent ideas or facts, and lines or arrows between nodes represent relationships (for example, cause-and-effect relationships, a category and sub-cate gory relationships, and so on).

Concept maps have been around for many centuries: the third century philosopher Porphyry of Tyre advocated their use as a means of visually representing knowledge; Carl Linnaeus used them in the eighteenth century as a basis for his taxonomy of plants and animals; and they came to be formally studied as a learning tool in the 1970s at Cornell University by Joseph Novak, who based his work on the learning theories of David Ausubel. Since then, software programs have come to facilitate the creation and sharing of concept maps; some programs also allow several users to collaborate on the same concept map.

Specialists make distinctions among concept mapping, cognitive mapping, mind mapping, and semantic networks, but for the general user they all share one feature: the visual depiction of relationships among ideas or things.

General Functionality

Making a concept map with a concept mapping tool is typically quite easy: you create nodes by double clicking your mouse, and then pull the cursor from one node to another to create a connecting line or arrow.

Typically, the nodes can be enhanced with labels, images, colour, text that pops up when a cursor rolls over them, and hyperlinks to other online resources.

Many concept mapping tools also feature collaborative capabilities, so that users in separate locations can work on the map in succession or simultaneously.

Some concept map tools are cloud-based while others require that you download and install a program onto your PC.

Evidence of Efficacy

1. Concept mapping forces students to identify connections, and apprehend them more deeply, than traditional approaches such as reading or writing about a concept. Additionally, concept mapping makes use of dual coding; that is, the students learn the material both from the text labels found on the concept map as well as the visual structure of the map. For some students, concept mapping can ease their cognitive load by allowing them to focus on essential relationships, rather than on decoding a written text. Overall, the literature affirms that concept mapping has a positive impact on learning outcomes.
   
   
2. “Horton et al. (1993) conducted a meta-analysis of 18 classroom-based concept map studies. They reported (over 14 studies) that concept mapping by students raised post-test achievement scores by a mean of .42 standard deviations. The mean effect size for 3 studies using teacher-prepared maps was .59.” — Nesbit, John C. And Olusola O. Adesope (2006). Learning with concept and knowledge maps: a meta-analysis. Review of Educational Research, 76(3). Page 415.
   
   
3. There is some evidence that low-ability students, perhaps specifically those with low verbal ability, obtain greater benefit from instructional diagrams than do high-ability learners — Nesbit, John C. And Olusola O. Adesope (2006). Learning with concept and knowledge maps: a meta-analysis. Review of Educational Research, 76(3). Page 420.
   
   
4. “The meta-analysis found that, in comparison with activities such as reading text passages, attending lectures, and participating in class discussions, concept mapping activities are more effective for attaining knowledge retention and transfer. Concept mapping was found to benefit learners across a broad range of educational levels, subject areas, and settings. Much of this benefit may be due to greater learner engagement occasioned by concept mapping in comparison with reading and listening, rather than the properties of the concept map as an information medium. There is evidence that concept mapping is slightly more effective than other constructive activities such as writing summaries and outlines.” — Nesbit, John C. And Olusola O. Adesope (2006). Learning with concept and knowledge maps: a meta-analysis. Review of Educational Research, 76(3). Page 434.
   
   
5. “Efficacy studies reveal that when Concept Mapping is used in a course of instruction, it is better that it be an integral, on-going feature of the learning process, not just some isolated ‘add-on’ at the beginning or end. In this regard, Concept Mapping appears to be particularly beneficial when it is used in an on-going way to consolidate or crystallize educational experiences in the classroom, for example, a lecture, demonstration, or laboratory experience. In this mode, learners experience an educational event and then use Concept Mapping in a reflective way to enhance the learning from the event.” — Canas, Alberto (2003). A summary of literature pertaining to the use of concept mapping techniques and technologies for education and performance support. The Institute for Human and Machine Cognition.
   
   
6. In an Applied Health Sciences course at the University of Waterloo, students responded favourably to their concept map assignments:
   1. “…very beneficial in showcasing what I had learned over the semester”
   2. “…the concept mapping forces you to engage more directly in your work and seek a deeper understanding….I found the concept mapping to be a very valuable exercise.” 

Instructional Challenges

Concept Mapping Tools can address the following Instructional Challenges in these ways:

1. My students seem to forget one unit of material as soon as we move on to a new one.
   Throughout the course, have your students continually build a concept map that is based upon the accumulating course content. As new content is introduced, students will have to continually return to the content that has already been presented, in order to determine how the new content fits into the system that the map depicts. The instructor should review the concept maps each week to keep the students on task.
   
   
2. My students just want to know “the right answer.”
   Have your students review each other’s concept maps. As students see how their peers have created different concept maps, they will come to appreciate that there is no single answer and no single approach to the content. (This is not to say that all concept maps are equally good; however, it’s entirely possible to have two (or more) concept maps that differ radically, but are equally successful in depicting the complexities of a system.)
   
   
3. I don’t have a sense of whether my students are keeping up or understanding the material.
   Concept maps are effective at revealing gaps or misconceptions in a student’s understanding. In an essay, students can often “write around” something that they don’t fully understand; with concept maps, it’s more difficult to disguise or bury a gap or misconception.
   
   
4. Students come to class unprepared (for example, without having finished assigned readings).
   Throughout the course, students are required to continually build a concept map that is based upon the readings that are assigned before each class. In particular, they are required to show connections among the various readings. The instructor reviews each student's concept map at the end of every week.
   

Click here to learn more about Instructional Challenges.

Best Practices

1. Concept mapping should be fully and continually integrated into a learning experience, not just tacked on.
   
   
2. Concept mapping should perhaps be used with weaker students, as studies reveal that they tend to especially benefit from it.
   
   
3. The more actively engaged students are in the construction of a concept map, the more they will likely learn. Accordingly, while it might be helpful to give students a completed concept map, it is probably better to have students develop their own concept maps. If that task is, at first, too challenging for them, you might give them a partially completed concept map and have them finish it; or, you might give them the structure of the map, and have them label the nodes and arrows.
   
   
4. Having students collaborate on developing concept maps is often effective.
   
   
5. If you incorporate concept maps into an assignment, decide in advance what criteria you will use to assess their concept maps, and convey the criteria to your students. You might, for example, assign 1 point to each node in the concept map, 2 points for links between nodes, 3 points for each level in the map’s hierarchy, and so on. Alternatively, you might take a more “subjective” approach: rather than counting numbers of nodes and lines, you simply aim to gauge the overall quality of the concept map, as you might do with an essay.

Other Resources

1. A Concept Map about Concept Maps
   
   
2. Learning with Concept and Knowledge Maps: A Meta-Analysis (PDF)
   
   
3. A Summary of Literature Pertaining to the Use of Concept Mapping Techniques and Technologies for Education and Performance Support
   
   
4. Diagram.ly isn't exactly a concept mapping tool, but it does allow you to easily create effective diagrams.

Specific Products

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