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Editor's Notes

1. I will briefly cover what concept mapping is and how to get started creating concept maps using the free iPad app Idea Sketch.
2. Here are a few questions you may have as an instructor. You may have heard that instruction is optimized when you are starting from where you students are in terms of their understanding of the course concepts, but how can you get at this prior knowledge? You probably use exams and projects to assess your students. Are there any other ways that can help you determine what your students have learned? Also, the lecture has been denigrated lately in the media, but most experienced instructors realize that it still can be an effective means of providing instruction to their students. There is a time and place for it. But, is there a way to provide information to students in a way that is meaningful for them and may help them remember key concepts better? What can help lecturers reach visual learners? Concept mapping is one technique that can address all of these questions and more.
3. So, what is a concept map? On the screen here is an example of part of a map I created on the brain anatomy. While reading passages from a book, my eyes started to glaze over and I realized that I need to DO something with the content in order to remember it and fully understand it. I chose to create a concept map. As shown here, concept maps are created with concepts connected with propositions in a hierarchical structure. This is different from a mind map which has a spoke structure, meaning the broad main idea is located in the center with details sprouting out around it. Mind maps also do not contain propositions, a very important feature in concept maps. Each connection reads like a small sentence, but the graphical representation provides excellent cues for remembering. It is a good way to determine the level of understanding. The number of concepts and levels in the hierarchy shows how much is understood. Concept maps of novices and experts differ greatly.
4. How do you create a concept map? There are three steps. First, you start with a focus question. In this example, the focus question might be ¡°How do brain cells differ?¡± Then, you come up with a list of concepts. Finally, you connect the concepts hierarchically with propositions.
5. Now that you know what concept maps are and how to create them, how can they be used in the classroom. There are many ways you can use concept maps. Here are a few ideas on a continuum from teacher-centered uses to student-centered, meaning who is the one creating the map? As discussed earlier, adding your own concept maps to your lecture slides and notes provides your students with a nice visual representation of the content you are covering. You could also provide a partially-completed concept map to your students and have them complete it in a kind of quiz or self-check. You could provide your students with a focus question and list of concepts and have them create their own maps. Or, you could assign a concept mapping activity whereby students come up with their own focus questions, list of concepts, and maps, over, say a section of their textbook.
6. You can certainly create concept maps with paper and markers. There are several technological tools available that can help you create attractive, eye-catching maps that can be easily shared with others and incorporated into presentation tools like PowerPoint. One tool is the free iPad app called Idea Sketch. The rest of this presentation covers how to create a map, called Ideas in Idea Sketch. After installing the app and opening it for the first time, you will see a blank gray screen. To create a new idea, you first tap on the Ideas button in the top left of the screen and tap the plus sign.
7. Give your new map, or Idea, a name and click save. You can also choose what kind of connectors your map will have. You can change these later if you wish.
8. Now, you need to add your concepts and propositions to your map. On the top right of the screen, you tap on the plus sign to add a shape. Provide a title, select the color, shape, font size, etc. and click save.
9. Here is the beginning of a concept map in Idea Sketch. Note that I use different shapes for concepts and propositions. I also use different colors to denote the different levels in the hierarchy. Colors and shapes are excellent cues to help when remembering information. To move a shape in Idea Sketch, you tap and hold on the shape until it gets larger, and then you can move it to where you want it on the screen.
10. It¡¯s very easy to connect shapes. You tap on a shape and then swipe over to the shape you want to connect it to.
11. By tapping on the wrench button in the upper right, you have several options. You can share your map via email. This is a good way to include it in with your PowerPoint slides. Just email it to yourself and insert it.
12. One final feature I wanted to point out about Idea Sketch is that you can also view your map or Idea in outline format.