Concept Maps:
From Pencil to Virtual World
By Geoffrey Cain, M.S.
Instructional Designer
Tacoma Community College

What are concept maps and
brainstorming?

About Brainstorming
Rules
• Set a Time Limit
• Suspend Judgment
• Wild is Good
• Quantity, not Quality
• Everyone Participates
• Invent and Recycle
• Record Everything
• Sort Later

Roots of Concept Maps

History of Visual Thinking

Porphyry of Tyros

History of Visual Thinking (cont.)

Cross Cultural

Why Use Concept Maps?
Why?
Discover
Capture
Previous ? ?
Ideas
Knowledge

Different Types of Concept Maps
• Continuums
• Clustering
• Fishbone Maps Communication
• Cycle Maps
• Venn Diagrams
• Shape Charts
Sharing

Continuums
First
Second Third
Thing

Clustering
Clustering
Flowcharts Hierarchy
Spider Systems Org Chart

Fishbone Maps
Result
Cause

Cycle Maps
Review Read
Revise

Venn Diagrams
?
list
Aquatic
Mammals

Shape Charts
Multimodal
Online
Course
Student-
Interactive
Centered

Technology of Concept Maps
• Pencil & Paper
▫ Notebooks
▫ Large sheets
• Chalk or Whiteboard
• Overhead Projector
• Software
• Collaborative Software
• 3-d Concept Maps

Paper & Pencil

Chalk or White Board

Overhead Projector

Software

Software (cont.)

Collaborative

Three Dimensions

Second Life

Software
FreeMind
http://freemind.sourceforge.net/
Free java-based software.
MindNode Web-Based Collaborative
http://mindnode.com
Simple, free mind-mapping software Gliffy
that exports to many file formats. http://www.gliffy.com
Used in HIM101 class. Very flexible.
Cmap Tools
http://cmap.ihmc.us/ Bubbl
Emphasizes labeled linking. http://www.bubbl.us/
Personal Brain MindMeister
http://www.thebrain.com/ http://www.mindmeister.com
This is like an online version of
Dynamic 3-d software. $$
MindNode.
Inspiration
Webspiration
http://www.inspiration.com
http://www.mywebspiration.com
Includes large image database. $
An online version of Inspiration.

Resources
Concept Maps: An Introduction to Concept Maps (n.d.)
http://classes.aces.uiuc.edu/ACES100/Mind/CMap.html
Frey, Chuck (2008) The Mind Mapping Software Weblog. News, trends and
tips to help you be more productive with visual mapping technology.
http://www-personal.umich.edu/~jmargeru/conceptmap/types.htm
Margum-Leys, Jon (1999) “Types of Maps” Concept Mapping as a Prewriting
Activity: A Presentation for MACUL 99. http://www-
personal.umich.edu/~jmargeru/conceptmap/types.htm
“Memories Are Made of This” (2008) PsyBlog: Understand Your Mind.
http://www.spring.org.uk/2008/10/memories-are-made-of-this.php
Novak, Joseph D. &Canas, Alberto J. The Theory Underlying Concept Maps
and How to Construct Them. (2006). Institute for Human and Machine
Cognition.
http://web.archive.org/web/20060524112734/cmap.ihmc.us/Publications/
ResearchPapers/TheoryCmaps/TheoryUnderlyingConceptMaps.htm
Research Publications (n.d.) Cmap Tools Publications. Selected list and links
to papers. http://cmap.ihmc.us/Publications/