Active Learning In Virtual Environment/Mind Maps Concept Maps

Activity: #offline/long-term, #individual-work

Outline

As one of the most effective learning techniques, mind mapping can help students take better notes, improve comprehension, and foster creativity. Mind mapping helps students reignite their creativity, promoting ideas through association, and introducing an engaging, visual, and memorable approach to learning. Mind mapping is a visual form of note taking that offers an overview of a topic and its complex information, allowing students to comprehend, create new ideas and build connections. Through the use of colors, images and words, mind mapping encourages students to begin with a central idea and expand outward to more in-depth sub-topics. It uses a simple interface to create graphical representations of linked information.

Mindmap Illustration

Activity arrangement

• For example in the end of the class ask the students to make a mind map about the topic discussed in the class.
• Advice to start them with the topic of the class and then start filling their mind map.
• Invite your students to provide suggestions and add them to the board as they are given, connecting each suggestion to the center with a new line.
• Then after a while ask the students to present their mind maps and see what the students took from the class and elaborate on these results.

Pointers

• As one of the most effective learning techniques, mind mapping can help students take better notes, improve comprehension, and foster creativity.
• Mind mapping helps students reignite their creativity, promoting ideas through association, and introducing an engaging, visual, and memorable approach to learning.
• Through the use of colors, images and words, mind mapping encourages students to begin with a central idea and expand outward to more in-depth sub-topics.
• It uses a simple interface to create graphical representations of linked information.

How to use this method in online class?

In Zoom for example, tell the students that next time they need to provide a mind map of what they learned about this class and what kind of conclusions they drew about the topic discussed. Then in the next class ask students to provide their mind map and give feedback and discuss about the students mind maps and the topic in general. Point out what the students did good, what they might have forgotten that you taught was important and overall what they thought about the exercise. Also explain why mind maps are both useful to them and to you as a teacher.