Mind Mapping

Nancy Margulies with Nusa Maal 2002

Mapping Inner Space
Margulies, N. & Maal, N. (2002). Mapping inner space: learning and
teaching visual mapping. Tucson, Ariz.: Zephyr Press.

Notetaking: Linear vs. mapping

Our traditional methods of recording ideas encourage us to move from
one idea to the next in a sequential, concrete fashion. Note taking of
this sort can limit our ability to see the big picture, patterns, and
connections among the ideas we're recording. When mapping, we are
challenged to record ideas using not only words, but also symbols.
Thus both processing styles are engaged. (p.13-14)

Mapping shared image

Mapping a project or subject to be studied is one way of introducing
the whole and engaging our feelings. Elements of the map, details
added, and connections drawn provide the parts of the project in
context. Further, if people map their own understanding, each has an
opportunity to develop, record, and share unique perspectives on the
same topic. In workplaces there is a great deal of miscommunication
or information that is never shared because everyone involved may
view the "whole" or purpose of a given project differently. In fact, most
people have only a piece of the whole. Mapping a shared image
enables everyone to look at one document and see how the pieces
may fit together. (p.14)

Group applications
One mapper at a flip chart or large sheet of paper on the wall can
capture key ideas, enabling the group to watch as their ideas are
recorded and relationships made clear.
It is also helpful for each individual to create a document of his or her
point of view, preferences, or responsibilities. Next the group can
combine the maps to form a coherent record of their work together.
This process works well for clarifying goals, shared values, and visions
for the future.
Any member of the group can use the group's map or his or her
individual map to share ideas and insights with others by "walking
them through the map." During presentations, rather than showing
slides with sentences on them or distributing lengthy documents, a
comprehensive map can convey the overview and the details in an
engaging and memorable fashion.
(p.50)

Finding & Creating Symbols

Symbols are powerful and communicate so efficiently that you don't
realize you are taking in information. (p.62)
Symbol Search for Young Children
You can introduce symbol drawing to a group of children before they
make first maps or afterward. Often children create their own symbols
 and share them with each other. If you provide your students with a
group of symbols at the beginning, they may be less creative in
developing personal ones. (p.60)
Create Symbols as a Group
Another way to encourage young children to begin symbol making is
to use the list you created when brainstorming as a class, then ask the
children to come to the chalkboard or flip chart and draw their ideas for
the rest of the group to see. You can copy these symbols and
reproduce them on a sheet that each child can use to cut and paste
when making a map. I recommend that you encourage children to add
their own new symbols to the group symbols, as well as special lines,
arrows, and codes, even when pasting together a first map. (p.62)
Mark's comment:
Students may obtain symbols using the following technology:
Add built-in symbols of the mind mapping software or platform;
Add symbols shared by the teacher and classmates;
Find ready-made symbols on the Internet;
Edit ready-made symbols or create new symbols in any image editor
(e.g. Photoshop).

Definition
Mind Mapping is an easy-to-learn, straightforward system for
generating and organizing any ideas. Using a central image, key
words, colors, codes, and symbols, the process is both fun and fast.
(p.10)

Advantages
...we can employ systems like visual mapping that don't restrict, but
rather promote, creative thinking. (p.12)
Mapping enables us to express our understanding as we take in and
transform information into knowledge and wisdom. (p.12)

R. Baggetun & S. Dragsnes 2003

Designing Pedagogical Agents for CSCL
Baggetun, R. & Dragsnes, S. (2003). Designing Pedagogical Agents for
CSCL. In Wasson, B., Ludvigsen, S. & Hoppe, U. (Eds.), Designing for
change in networked learning environments: proceedings of the
International Conference on Computer Support for Collaborative
Learning 2003 (pp.151-155). Dordrecht; Boston: Kluwer Academic
Publishers.

Focus on how the agent interacts with users

...but rather on how to facilitate collaboration and productive
interactions. (p.152)

Mindmap program
The Mindmap program is a tool designed to support mind-mapping
principles described by Tony Buzan. The main purpose is to create a
meeting place where distributed users can brainstorm, discuss and
build joint mind maps. (p.153)
Perry Zeus & Suzanne Skiffington 2002
The Coaching at Work Toolkit
Zeus, P. & Skiffington, S. (2002). The coaching at work toolkit: a
complete guide to techniques and practices. Sydney; New York:
McGraw-Hill.

Advantages
Mind-mapping, developed by Tony Buzan in the 1970s, is an effective
method of organising information and improving thinking skills. Mind-
mapping allows us to see the big picture and the details. It enhances
the free association of ideas, generates creativity, and integrates logic
and imagination. (p.289)

Uses within coaching

Mind-mapping has a virtually unlimited number of uses within
coaching. Some areas in which the coach and coachee can employ
mind-mapping techniques include:
Presentation skills
Report writing
Brainstorming
Sales calls
Goal setting
Action planning
Personal growth
(p.289-299)

Mind-mapping for life/work balance (link)

It can be extremely useful for a coachee to use mind-mapping to
establish a visual representation of all the major aspects of his or her
life. Simply isolating the various areas of one' life can make it appear
more manageable. The coachee can then focus on each life area,
elaborate on it, and nominate features of it which are especially
rewarding or in need of rebalance. (p.290-291)

Mind-mapping for presentation skills (link)

Coaches are frequently asked to work with coachees on their
presentation skills. The coachee may be making formal
presentations to prospective clients or simply presenting his or her
views at a committee meeting. Mind-mapping makes presenting
easier and more effective. It also helps the coachee deliver the
message with more confidence and authority. (p. 291-292)

Wenli Chen & Chee Kit Looi 2006

Incorporating Online Discussion in Classroom Learning: A New Strategy
Chen, W. & Looi, C. K. (2006). Incorporating online discussion in
classroom learning: a new strategy. In Mizoguchi, R., Dillenbourg, P. &
Zhu, Z. (Eds.), Learning by effective utilization of technologies:
facilitating intercultural understanding (pp.149-156). Amsterdam;
Washington, D.C.: IOS Press.
 Ease of archiving
In-class discussion provides a permanent record of learners' thoughts
and reflection. This advantage is very valuable compared with in-class
oral discussions. During class, instructors used the online discussion
platform to circulate slides and reading materials, and the learners
also send documents to instructors and peers. On average, each
learner circulated five documents, including power point slides, mind
map, word document, PDF file, and video files.
In the in-depth interviews, many learners mentioned the advantage of
online discussion in circulating and archiving files and documents - "I
think the biggest advantage of online discussion would be archiving.
Like what I discussed in January will still be there. You can keep it in a
way that you can go back to refer to that info that was said" (Lisa);
"Whatever we have posted is also stored in the server itself so we can
always refer to them" (Gloria). Dennis's experience indicates that the
recording feature of online discussion is very useful to the learners,
especially for those who missed classes: "I missed the Classroom of
the Future session because of the national service. But the good thing
is that my friends posted their comments and reflections online. This
was very useful. It's a recorded black and white and I can see. Both
the learner and absentee can see."
(p.154)

John W. Budd 2004

Mind Maps as Classroom Exercises
Budd, J. W. (2004). Mind maps as classroom exercises. Journal of
Economic Education, 35(1), 35-46.

Classroom activities
During the exercise, it is important for the instructor to circulate among
the groups to help those groups that are having trouble getting started
and those that need prompting to broaden their thinking. Because
Mind Maps are generally not familiar to most students, the groups also
benefit from encouragement to incorporate color and small pictures as
organizational aids and prompts. Once started, however, some groups
also need to be redirected away from elaborate drawings toward more
substance. This is an informal method of continuous feedback (Huba
and Freed 2000). Circulating among the groups also gives the
instructor a chance to interact with the students in a more personal
manner than a traditional chalk-and-talk lecture affords. Lastly, the
Mind Map exercise was not graded and
lacked formal mechanisms to ensure participation of all group
members. Moving from group to group during the exercise allows the
instructor to observe the extent of participation and to get the more
passive group members to be more active. For example, I frequently
address questions specifically to the passive group members and then
turn their answers into concrete action steps on the Mind Maps. (p.39)
Mind Maps can be used to add active and collaborative learning to
courses. Students are engaged in active learning as they wrestle with
 ideas, associations, and categories in creating a Mind Map-they are
creating their own Mind Map, not simply looking at one created by the
instructor. The exercise is collaborative because the Mind Maps are
created as a small group effort. A collaborative relationship between
the instructor and students can also be established as the instructor
helps with the constructions of the Mind Maps, but as a "guide on the
side" not as the "sage on the stage". (p.40)

Janet MacDonald 2008

Blended Learning and Online Tutoring
MacDonald, J. (2008). Blended learning and online tutoring: planning
learner support and activity design. Aldershot, England: Gower
Publishing.

Electronic mind map

Electronic mind maps can incorporate pictures and diagrams as well
as text, and they can readily amended, stored online and shared with
fellow students. Software for mind mapping is available on the web.
Be aware that familiarity with new tools is not acquired spontaneously,
and your students will appreciate practice and encouragement and the
time to get to grips with its operation. You might invite students to
complete a mind map as part of a reading task and share it with fellow
students, as preparation for a face-to-face tutorial.
Of course, there is no reason why the construction of a mind map
should not in itself be a group activity, completed either online or in a
classroom. While the process of reaching consensus is very much
easier and quicker in a synchronous than an asynchronous
environment, your choice of medium will depend on the options
available to you.
(p.152)

Michael F.Ruffini
Designing an eMap to Teach Multimedia Applications Online 2004
Ruffini, M. F. (2004). Designing an eMap to teach multimedia
applications online. EDUCAUSE Quarterly, 31(4), 383-391.

eMap operations
A word more on each of these features is merited. One can easily
restructure a computer-generated maps in seconds, moving words
and trees of words around without reconstructing the entire map. This
makes the computer-generated mind map ideal for quickly creating
new ideas and ordering them into a meaningful structure. If a series of
branches gets too large, a user can collapse them by inserting and
activating a minus circle on each subtopic branch. To open the branch
subtopics the user simply selects a plus circle. (p.385)
Colored arrows, which are easy to draw and insert, can indicate
connections between terms. A user might also choose to explain
certain parts of a map by adding supplementary comments. (p.386)
With the symbol gallery, a user can even choose a set of images to
consistently associate with different types or categories of informations
 book icon to denote supplementary readings, for example, or a
teaching icon to denote learning activities. (p.387)
One of the best features of an emap is its malleability within other
computer programs. emaps (computer-generated mind maps) can
instantly be exported to a plain text file, a Microsoft Word or rich text
file, a Web page, or a PowerPoint presentation. (p.387)

Meaningful learning
Mind mapping is a powerful graphic organizing tool that can facilitate
"meaningful learning". Meaningful learning is based on cognitive
psychologist David Ausubel's Meaningful Learning Theory. In
Ausubel's view, to learn meaningfully, students must relate new
knowledge (concepts and propositions) to what they already know. He
proposed the notion of an advanced organizer as a way to help
students link their ideas with new material or concepts. Ausubel's
theory of learning claims that new concepts to be learned can be
incorporated into more inclusive concepts or ideas. According to
Ausubel, to learn meaningfully, individuals must relate new knowledge
to relevant concepts they already know. Meaningful learning can be
contrasted with rote learning which also can incorporate new
information into the knowledge structure but without interaction. Rote
learning occurs when a student simply memorizes information with no
attempt or motivation to relate that information to prior knowledge.
Rote learning
is easily forgotten and not easily applied in new learning or problem
solving situations. Meaningful learning occurs when links between new
information and the learner's preexisting cognitive structures are
connected. Mind Maps provide learners with a graphical way to
organize information and thoughts for understanding, remembering,
and are powerful tools that can be used to enhance learning.
(p.383-384)

Mind map programs

Mind map programs use words, lines, logic, colors, images, and even
sound to stimulate thinking processes. Computer-generated maps
have several major advantages over their paper counterparts: A user
can easily restructure an e map, highlight specific features of it, add
comments to the map, and export it to other computer programs and
the Web. (p.385)

Using E-Maps to Organize and Navigate Online Content 2008

Ruffini, M. F. (2008). Using E-Maps to Organize and Navigate Online
Content. EDUCAUSE Quarterly, 31(1), 56-61.

e-Map
An e-map can organize and sequence content nonlinearly on one web
page by placing the main topic in an image-centered diagram with
interrelated main and subtopic connections or branches in a radial
format. E-mapping thus offers a powerful e-learning and organizational
technique that visually displays main topics, subtopics, concepts, and
 images and the relationships between them.
(p.56)

Bill Gates 2005

The New Road Ahead
Gates, B. (2005, December). The New road ahead: where next for the
knowledge economy? Retrieved April, 18, 2009 from
http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/ofnote/12-05Newsweek.mspx

Mind-mapping software
...a new generation of "mind-mapping" software can also be used as a
digital "blank slate" to help connect and synthesize ideas and data --
and ultimately create new knowledge.

Joseph D. Novak & D. Bob Gowin 1984

Learning How to Learn
Novak, J. D. & Gowin, D. B. (1984). Learning how to learn. Cambridge:
Cambridge University Press.

What is a concept map?

Concept maps are intended to represent meaningful relationships
between concepts in the form of propositions. Propositions are two or
more concept labels linked by words in a semantic unit. (p.15)

Gill Hope 2008

Thinking and Learning Through Drawing
Hope, G. (2008). Thinking and learning through drawing: in primary
classrooms. London; Los Angeles: SAGE.

Drawing to know
'Drawing to know' is the use of drawing as a way of mapping
relationships, whether physical or abstract, geographical
(cartographic), mathematical (for example, geometrical and
topological) or scientific, enabling the sorting and classification of
observations, ideas and concepts about the physical world and
supporting the development of cognitive schema to construct broader
conceptual relationships. This mapping of the perceived world
includes the use of drawing to model abstract ideas and relationships
as well as using drawing to explore and represent the position of
objects in space. (p.120)

Relational mapping
The plotting of ideas and relationships that spread out from a single
central idea are variously called concept webs, mind maps, spider
diagrams and so on. The term 'concept plot' seems to cover all of
these diagrams, and be the one that might prove most useful. Books
that describe a whole range of diagrams that may be used in different
circumstances are sometimes sold under the banner of 'accelerating
learning'. What they are doing is teaching children to objectifying their
conceptual understanding through creating visualizations and
 employing graphics to support their thinking about specific topics.
Underlying the genre is the general premise that many different kinds
of problems have the same relational form. Since the essence of
genius is to perceive a common form in two or more apparently
incompatible, conflicting or divergent data-sets, ideas, concepts or
areas of knowledge, it is argued that if children can be taught the
basics of relational mapping, then their thinking will be so much the
more powerful. (p.127-128)

Cognitive capabilities
Providing children with a range of graphical techniques for clarifying,
analysing and seeking solutions to problem scenarios enables them to
see common forms within apparently diverse situations. These
graphical devices (which form part of the foundations of system
analysis) can be taught to children, even though their perception of the
potentials of this systematic way of thinking will be limited. They will
begin to perceive vocabulary and diagrammatic toolkit that they can
learn to apply across many different disciplines and areas of
knowledge. It may not accelerate learning, but it will enrich children's
cognitive capabilities. They will have a greater range of 'containers' in
which to store their understanding and ideas. (p.128)

Problem solving
Many of these devices are genuinely helpful in supporting the
categorization of problems and of simplifying them into known forms.
Bruner (1979) cites Weldon's assertion that the essence of problem-
solving is the ability to convert the problem into a puzzle form that is
already familiar and for which a solution or methodology is already
known. Using graphics to model these puzzle forms is a powerful
strategy. The Venn diagram, the mind map and other graphic forms
described above all fall into this category. Children can begin to
appreciate the power of these kinds of diagrams as analysis tools
through such activities as designing board games and using tree
diagrams to represent the structure of websites, and Key Stage 2
children may find it helpful to plan out the links between their pages
with pencil and paper before creating the hyperlinks on screen. They
can then check that the links they make via the keyboard conform to
their intentions. (p.128)

Hongtao Sun, Lu Wang & Hongwei Dai 2006

Resource Based Solution to Teachers' Knowledge Management
Sun, H., Wang, L. & Dai, H. W. (2006). Resource based solution to
teachers’ knowledge management. In Mizoguchi, R., Dillenbourg, P. &
Zhu, Z. (Eds.), Learning by effective utilization of technologies:
facilitating intercultural understanding (pp.409-412). Amsterdam;
Washington, D.C.: IOS Press.

Visualizing relations
Concept map, mind map and knowledge map are all successful
solutions to visualize knowledge. (Zhao, Huang & Lu, 2005)
 After instruction design and classroom instruction, teachers will get a
clearer view of the relations among the knowledge units. It is time to
provide chances for teachers to describe the relations. But it is not
ensure that they can describe it easily. Relations among knowledge
units will trouble them a lot. To solve this problem, visualization, like
concept map, could be helpful. (p.411)
Zhao Guoqing, Huang Ronghuai & Lu Zhijian (2005). Theory and
Mehtodology of Knowledge Visualization, 11(1), 23-27.

Cristine Goldberg 2004

Brain Friendly Techniques: Mind Mapping
Goldberg, C. (2004, November). Brain friendly techniques: mind
mapping. School Library Media Activities Monthly, 21(3), 22-24.

Brain works visually

In its total form, a map is a visual image. Visuals are processed and
remembered more (60,000 times faster) than text.
Other images within the total map increase the chances for memory.
A map uses many colors because color is known to stimulate the
brain. Black-and-white text turns the brain off rapidly.
With all relevant points put together on one page, it is easy for
students to see relationships as well as the big picture.
The physical process of making a map produces better memory
because of the kinesthetic involvement.
(p.22)

Classroom activities
A few examples are discussed within this article: how to help high
school students set up research papers or a paper in general, a
discussion of Jacquieline Briggs Martin's Snowflake Bentley
(Scholastic, 1999) with elementary students, and an overview of the
Big6 process for middle and high school students.
Ideas coming from Cristine Goldberg:
Show a mind map with a few main branches and let students create
the whole.
Show only the central image to let students redraw the previous map.
Show a complete mind map and let students to add their own
keywords, icons, images.

何嘉華 2006
畫出思考：「思維導圖」 的學習與運用
何嘉華 (2006)。《畫出思考：「思維導圖」的學習與運用》。香港：匯
智出版。

三大類用途
「思維導圖」對學習任何一科都有 助，學生可以用「思維導圖」做
筆記、預習、構思寫作內容、複習、計畫讀書報告、建構「專題研習」
的主題網、引導小組開會、協作學習......。 (p.66)

1. 自由隨意聯想
 「自由隨意聯想」是只有一個主題，無任何其他資料限制，可以隨意
聯想。同一個題目，各人的「思維導圖」都不一樣，因為構思的寫作
內容各有不同。聯想的過程，著重流暢性，以便產生更多意念。

2. 展示對已有知識的理解
「展示對已有知識的理解」是學生把一些已有知識，如四邊形的定
義、種類及各類四邊形的特性，展示在「思維導圖」這幅平面上，使
人看到它們彼此的連繫。又或者將學生的思考過程，用「思維導圖」
展現出來，如計算一條數學題。

3. 重新整理課文
「重新整理課文」是將一些文字，如一個單元、一篇文章或一個段
落，用「思維導圖」重新建構一次，突破傳統的純文字的限制，以便
左、右腦同時思考。

Pam Stephens & Cindy Hermus 2007

Making Art Connections with Graphic Organizers
Stephens, P. & Hermus, C. (2007, April). Making art connections with
graphic organizers. SchoolArts: The Art Education Magazine for
Teachers, 106(8), 55.

Visual learners
Visual learners are students who learn best when images are
incorporated into instruction. They usually outnumber other kinds of
learners. Research tells us that the number of visual learners in a
typical classroom is usually well above fifty percent.
... Another form of instruction that is helpful for visual learners is the
graphic organizer.
Sometimes called "mind maps" or "concept maps", graphic organizers
are illustrative tools that assist with managing thoughts, directing
learning, and making connections.

Mind mapping basics

...encourage students to make connections among their ideas.
Introduce color coding, highlighting, or using symbols such as arrows
or dotted lines to make connections. These connections assist with
organizing and later remembering crucial ideas.

Mariaan Buckle, De Wet Strauss & Mariaan Buckle 2006

X-Kit Physiology
Buckle, M., Strauss, D. W. & Buckle, M. (2006). X-Kit Physiology. South
Africa: Pearson.

Mind mapping basics

A mind map can take many forms, but it usually consists of ideas
linked by lines or arrows. Sketches, colours and different outlines
around key words can also help to make the mind map more visual.
There is no right or wrong way to draw a mind map. Each person will
draw something different that contains the same information. (p.140)

How professionals use mind maps

 In physiology, we often use mind maps to show the links between
structure and function. (p.140)
Experts in many fields use mind maps to help them link new
information to what they already know. They often redraw their mind
maps a few times before they are satisfied. Scientists also use mind
maps to map out the steps in their experiments. Medical doctors often
use mind maps to guide them when they diagnose and treat a patient.
(p.148)

Tony Buzan 1995

Use Your Head
Buzan, T. (1995). Use Your Head (Revised Edition). London: BBC
Books.

How Brain Works

...the brain works primarily with Key concepts in an interlinked and
integrated manner, our notes and our word relations should in many
instances be structured in this way rather than in traditional 'lines'.
(p.93)

Advantages over the linear form of note taking

The center with the main idea is more clearly defined.
The relative importance of each idea is clearly indicated. More
important ideas will be nearer the center and less important ideas will
be near the edge.
The links between the Key concepts will be immediately recognisable
because of their proximity and connection.
As a result of the above, recall and review will be both more effective
and more rapid.
The nature of the structure allows for the easy addition of new
information without messy scratching out or squeezing in, etc.
Each map made will look and be different from each other map. This
will aid recall.
In the more creative areas of note making, such as essay preparations
etc, the open-ended nature of the map will enable the brain to make
new connections far more readily.
(p.93-94)

Mind Mapping Laws

Start with a coloured image in the centre. An image often is 'worth a
thousand words' and encourages creative thought while significantly
increasing memory. Place the paper in a landscape position.
Images throughout your Mind Map. As No 1 and to stimulate all
cortical processes, attract the eye and aid memory.
Words should be printed. For reading-back purposes a printed word
gives a more photographic, clear, legible and more comprehensive
feed-back. The little extra time that it takes to print is amply made up
for in the time saved when reading back.
The printed words should be on lines, and each line should be
connected to other lines. This is to guarantee that the Mind Map has
 basic structure.
Words should be in 'units', i.e. one word per line. This leaves each
word more free hooks and gives note taking more freedom and
flexibility.
Use colours throughout the Mind Map as they enhance memory,
delight the eye and stimulate the right cortical process.
In creative efforts to this nature the mind should be left as 'free' as
possible. Any 'thinking' about where things should go or whether they
should be included will simply slow down the process.
(p.95)

David Hyerle 2009

Visual Tools for Transforming Information into Knowledge
Hyerle, D. (2009). Visual tools for transforming information into
knowledge. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.

How students think: Linear vs. nonlinear

...the linear representation of information, concepts, and knowledge
does not reflect how our brains work. Linear representations are, to a
certain degree, oppositional to how our minds and emotions
work...Linear lessons are not how we remember information. Linearity
is not how we think as we connect information and transform that
information into knowledge. Actually, the world around us doesn't work
that way either; it works as a dynamic, interdependent, highly complex
web of connections - much more like how a map looks. (p.10)
...speaking, writing, and numeracy in the forms most often found in
classrooms are predominantly linear representations of students'
meaning making, while most thinking processes, content information
and knowledge, and emotions are held in nonlinear associations.
(p.11)

Visual tools
While visual tools have been shown to be effective in schools,
educators need to become aware that visual tools and software
programs are now commonplace throughout the world, around the
world. Graphical software tools for organizing information are now
added to word-processing and database spreadsheets to help workers
and clients communicate smoothly as novel ideas, information,
inventories, and solutions to problems are moved through systems.
(p.5)
...all students may be engaged with visual tools at the highest levels. It
has become ever clearer that visual tools as high-quality nonlinguistic
representations are designed as practical, effective, dynamic,
collaborative, and learner centered. Importantly, these proven tools
are theory embedded, transferable across disciplines, and are
becoming part of the assessment and self-assessment processes of
learning. (p.5-6)

Students' prior knowledge

While most educators think of Mind Mapping as focused on the
 "generative" beginning point for entering a new subject, even greater
implications for learning exist when students use Mind Mapping over
time to concretely "draw" from their past knowledge everything they
know about a topic and then link newly accessed information to their
Mind Map. Drawing on past knowledge is a habit of mind essential for
transfer of information and skills to new contexts. So often in school
we talk about finding out what students already know (facts and
conceptual understandings). Yet in concrete practical terms, there are
few efficient and effective ways to assess their knowledge base.
Mind Mapping and other visual tools offer students "think time" for
showing what they know in an interrelated form so that teachers can
quickly review their webs. New information may be introduced that fills
in the factual or conceptual gaps in students' thinking, thus saving
teachers and students a great deal of time.
(p.64)

Viewing book reviews

One practical example of Mind Mapping is found in Mapping Inner
Space (Margulies, 1991), a simple format for reviewing books or
textbooks. Notice the emphasis on the metaphor of "viewing" rather
than "reporting", as a student can uncover all the pertinent details and
conceptual linkages on a single page. (p.64)
This document thus becomes a guide that could be used as a
supporting graphic for an oral or written presentation of the book. As
students create their own catalog of book reviews, they can begin to
compare different books with greater ease simply by scanning their
webs. They can see both the big picture and details for each book.
The information is much more accessible and interesting in visual form
compared to wading through pages of text to find links between books.
(p.65)

Mind mapping basics

The open form and purpose of brainstorming webs preceding from a
key concept in the center promote creative generation of ideas without
blinders. The basic techniques of Mind Mapping evolve to reveal
personal styles, especially with the addition of colors, drawings, depth,
and multidimensions. (p.64)