Mind Mapping

Challenge and Selection

Transmission of knowledge present in the information by teachers does not guarantee an effective  understanding of the student in a large class room which has been a great challenge from time to  time. Here I used Mind mapping as a technique to educate third year engineering undergraduates in  an Engineering Institution. This tool was employed as a part of teaching methodology for Signals and  Systems course. Conventional teaching methods involve problem solving on boards as normal chalk  and talk method it works only for a small group of students. To address the large class room visual  techniques must be used as 65% of students are visual learners.

Conceptual mapping that I implemented has two major purposes. One is to help students gain and  maintain an understanding of the overall conceptual structure of the course and, even more broadly,  to see how and where the ideas in this course relate to other aspects of the engineering curriculum.

The point is to help students avoid the sort of tunnel vision that can occur as students work on  specific course tasks but never develop a meaningful conception of what the course is about. A  second, more focused map is used to help students organize their thinking and understanding of  specific technical concepts.

Application

All students had to take part in the following activities:

•  Concept analysis: In this, students must analyse the concepts dealt in the class and build a  mind map based on their understanding of the topics covered in the class individually in  every hour of the class on daily bases.

•  Group formation: In this the students in a group of four have discussions on the individual  mind maps, gather all the information from different mind maps exchange views and the  group must come up with a master mind map comprising of the viewpoints of every  individual in a team.  Fostering of creativity and ideas is addressed in this activity.

Groups have been formed comprising of four students, they have to co-ordinate, organize and  prepare a mind map in a team. Mind map is an interactive approach that forces the students to be  attentive in a class as this approach provides much time for students to fit in the topics and make  revision not a boring issue. Process of creating a mind map in this activity:

•  Begin the Mind Map with a concept at the centre that symbolizes the main topic.

•  With an open and creative attitude start with a brain dumping process that will stimulate  new ideas and connections.

•  Put down all the topics related to the central concept without evaluation and judgment. This  will build the mind map having branches and sub branches moving outward the central  topic.

•  Keywords, symbols and pictures should be used for recording the ideas quickly.

•  Topics related to the concept must be connected and organized in a better manner.

A questionnaire survey was conducted to administer the effect of introducing mind map as a part of  teaching-learning. The entire class of 69 students was considered for this study. The questionnaire  was conducted using 5 Likert scale.  Question 1 reﬂects on the improvement on the memory in  recalling, and in response 87% students agreed that relates to whether the students will use this

learning technique in future for interactive learning. In response students were very interested to  use mind mapping technique for group concepts, project idea generation, planning of the project  and for preparation of competitive exams.

The questions were as follows:

1. Mind mapping is an effective tool to recall the technical concepts.

2. Mind mapping helps me to remember and recollect information better than note-making.

3. The images, symbols and keywords, found in mind maps, helped me dynamically relate with  concepts.

4. There is clear connectivity and categorization of topics when I mind map.

5. Mind map helped me to collaborate with peers in the process of active learning.

6. Mind map enabled me to think on a specific concept in a wide perspective.

7. There was an increase in the confidence level, when I presented ideas on paper, learnt from mind  mapping.

8. Mind map stimulates visual thinking.

9. In future ‘mind mapping’ can be integrated in all classes as a part of teaching and learning.

10. Mind map helped me to revise the course at the time of examination/test.

The response of the students is shown below:

Insights and Approach

It was observed that the students were very responsive to the use of mind map in the class.  Many  students find writing difficult, and they find getting started the most difficult part of writing. Mind  mapping reduces the difficulty by giving students an organizing strategy to get them started. In mind  mapping, ideas are freely associated and written out without pressure, thereby reducing tension and  resistance often associated with writing.  Unlike conventional outlining, the product of prewriting  activity using mind mapping does not follow a rigid fixed linear. In outlining, ideas must be arranged  sequentially which is contradictory with the natural way of how brain works, because brain works in  a nonlinear way. The elements of a given mind map are arranged intuitively according to the  importance of the concepts, and are classified into groupings, branches, or areas, with the goal of  representing semantic or other connections between portions of information.  Mind mapping also  aids recall of existing memories. Mind mapping may be used effectively with students beyond  primary grades and in any class that requires writing. As a matter of fact, mind mapping is not only  useful to help students writing a complex composition of a certain type text. It can help with almost  any types of texts. It even helps students to draw a grammatical schematic. It also does not merely  have to use words and phrases but also pictures, charts, or anything if they representing what  students have in mind.

Overall, it is observed that the students who used interactive learning technique that is, mind  mapping found it easier to learn and visualize the concepts. As this is a collaborative learning  technique the students were motivated to learn the course. Students who were not good in  mathematics found it easy after using this technique as they could analyse the connectivity between  different concepts. The most prominent positive outcome of the experiment is that over 90% of the  students have clearly indicated that this has given them a very good opportunity to evaluate, work  on and improve their ability for interactive learning.  This interactive learning approach adopted has  great impact in signiﬁcantly improving the overall teaching learning process, encouraging the faculty  and the students to extend the same to the relevant courses in their curricular program.


Mind Mapping Challenge and Selection Transmission of knowledge present in the information by teachers does not guarantee an effective understanding of the student in a large class room which has been a great challenge from time to time . Here I used Mind mapping as a technique to educate third year engineering undergraduates in an Engineering Institution . This tool was employed as a part of teaching methodology for Signals and Systems course . Conventional teaching methods involve problem solving on boards as normal chalk and talk method it works only for a small group of students . To address the large class room visual techniques must be used as 65 % of students are visual learners . Conceptual mapping that I implemented has two major purposes . One is to help students gain and maintain an understanding of the overall conceptual structure of the course and , even more broadly , to see how and where the ideas in this course relate to other aspects of the engineering curriculum . The point is to help students avoid the sort of tunnel vision that can occur as students work on specific course tasks but never develop a meaningful conception of what the course is about . A second , more focused map is used to help students organize their thinking and understanding of specific technical concepts . Application All students had to take part in the following activities : • Concept analysis : In this , students must analyse the concepts dealt in the class and build a mind map based on their understanding of the topics covered in the class individually in every hour of the class on daily bases . • Group formation : In this the students in a group of four have discussions on the individual mind maps , gather all the information from different mind maps exchange views and the group must come up with a master mind map comprising of the viewpoints of every individual in a team . Fostering of creativity and ideas is addressed in this activity . Groups have been formed comprising of four students , they have to co - ordinate , organize and prepare a mind map in a team . Mind map is an interactive approach that forces the students to be attentive in a class as this approach provides much time for students to fit in the topics and make revision not a boring issue . Process of creating a mind map in this activity : • Begin the Mind Map with a concept at the centre that symbolizes the main topic . • With an open and creative attitude start with a brain dumping process that will stimulate new ideas and connections . • Put down all the topics related to the central concept without evaluation and judgment . This will build the mind map having branches and sub branches moving outward the central topic . • Keywords , symbols and pictures should be used for recording the ideas quickly . • Topics related to the concept must be connected and organized in a better manner . A questionnaire survey was conducted to administer the effect of introducing mind map as a part of teaching - learning . The entire class of 69 students was considered for this study . The questionnaire was conducted using 5 Likert scale . Question 1 reﬂects on the improvement on the memory in recalling , and in response 87 % students agreed that relates to whether the students will use this learning technique in future for interactive learning . In response students were very interested to use mind mapping technique for group concepts , project idea generation , planning of the project and for preparation of competitive exams . The questions were as follows : 1 . Mind mapping is an effective tool to recall the technical concepts . 2 . Mind mapping helps me to remember and recollect information better than note - making . 3 . The images , symbols and keywords , found in mind maps , helped me dynamically relate with concepts . 4 . There is clear connectivity and categorization of topics when I mind map . 5 . Mind map helped me to collaborate with peers in the process of active learning . 6 . Mind map enabled me to think on a specific concept in a wide perspective . 7 . There was an increase in the confidence level , when I presented ideas on paper , learnt from mind mapping . 8 . Mind map stimulates visual thinking . 9 . In future ‘ mind mapping ’ can be integrated in all classes as a part of teaching and learning . 10 . Mind map helped me to revise the course at the time of examination / test . The response of the students is shown below : Insights and Approach It was observed that the students were very responsive to the use of mind map in the class . Many students find writing difficult , and they find getting started the most difficult part of writing . Mind mapping reduces the difficulty by giving students an organizing strategy to get them started . In mind mapping , ideas are freely associated and written out without pressure , thereby reducing tension and resistance often associated with writing . Unlike conventional outlining , the product of prewriting activity using mind mapping does not follow a rigid fixed linear . In outlining , ideas must be arranged sequentially which is contradictory with the natural way of how brain works , because brain works in a nonlinear way . The elements of a given mind map are arranged intuitively according to the importance of the concepts , and are classified into groupings , branches , or areas , with the goal of representing semantic or other connections between portions of information . Mind mapping also aids recall of existing memories . Mind mapping may be used effectively with students beyond primary grades and in any class that requires writing . As a matter of fact , mind mapping is not only useful to help students writing a complex composition of a certain type text . It can help with almost any types of texts . It even helps students to draw a grammatical schematic . It also does not merely have to use words and phrases but also pictures , charts , or anything if they representing what students have in mind . Overall , it is observed that the students who used interactive learning technique that is , mind mapping found it easier to learn and visualize the concepts . As this is a collaborative learning technique the students were motivated to learn the course . Students who were not good in mathematics found it easy after using this technique as they could analyse the connectivity between different concepts . The most prominent positive outcome of the experiment is that over 90 % of the students have clearly indicated that this has given them a very good opportunity to evaluate , work on and improve their ability for interactive learning . This interactive learning approach adopted has great impact in signiﬁcantly improving the overall teaching learning process , encouraging the faculty and the students to extend the same to the relevant courses in their curricular program .