Concept mapping tools are worth spending some time getting to learn. You’ll code break, meaning make, understand, use, create, collaborate, and share with a specific digital tool of your choosing.
Let’s get started with some basic information, and then explore ONE concept mapping tool.
What is Concept Mapping and why do it?
Concept maps organize information visually using categorizations and taxonomies. Putting ideas together in some way helps you build understanding and make sense of complex conceptions. For your inquiry project, you should make a relatively simple map that contains ‘big ideas’ in the main ‘nodes’, also called parent nodes. Then, using connecting lines, these should branch out to an additional 3-5 ‘child nodes’, resulting in approximately 20-25 essential elements you hope to address in order to answer your inquiry question. Sometimes numbering the parent nodes and child nodes can help create a linear structure or sequence of your main ideas into the framework for a presentation.
A key consideration when creating a concept map is the use of colour, shapes, sizes, colours, line variations, line width, and spacing. Since your map should or could include URL links, images, or media, these need to be placed in the map carefully.
Becoming familiar with the purpose, topic, concepts, and the digital application you intend to use is an essential step to incorporating this tool into your teaching practice and using it for this course.
FIRST: consider which tools fit your personal style – will your map be paper/pencil/marker created or will you try one of the suggested digital tools.
THEN: watch introductory screencast videos to learn how to use your selected digital tool. Additional video resources are available through a search of You Tube and Vimeo.
Do some ‘code breaking’ to follow the directions for sharing your map with others – either using a URL or download a PNG (image file) or a PDF (text/image file).
Here is a short list of concept mapping tools and options for your consideration:
- Google Draw – this is the easiest way to create a concept map since you can share the link with your instructor and classmates with the permissions for all other Google tools in your Lakehead G-Suite tools.
- concept map – free example that you can add to your drive and adapt
- Google Draw – concept map about creating concept maps by Alice Keeler (@alicekeelerorg)
- simple, free, online – Mindmaps (while this may be free and easily accessible, it has limitations.
- Canva – free online concept mapping template
- Mindmup – website and support page with extensive links
- Lucidchart – 3 free maps (pricing has limitations to available options); watch the intro video
- Mindomo – 3 free maps (this is the concept mapping tool used in previous CDL courses since it was licensed for use in Ontario schools, which was discontinued in 2020) – still one of Helen’s favourite choices.
- Coggle – 3 private diagrams; unlimited public diagrams [pricing options];
- Coggle Tutorial Introduction [video, 2013, 1:05 min]
