Concept maps are awesome! As well as being something I use to organize my own thoughts and arguments, they’re one of my favorite classroom group activities, and my students agree.
However, they’re not just fun, they’re also extremely effective as an educational tool. Here’s why:
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1. Active Learning
First, they promote active learning. Through active learning, students participate in the educational process, and learn more and are more satisfied with their university experience as a result.
Indeed, research clearly shows that active learning has better outcomes for students than passively listening to an instructor’s lecture. (And as an instructor, talking with my students and engaging with their ideas is also much more fulfilling than talking at them).
2. Analytical Thinking
Second, they are great for developing students’ analytical thinking skills. By organizing concepts into groupings and hierarchies, and making connections between them, they go beyond memorization to think critically and engage deeply with a particular topic.
Through implementing concept mapping in the classroom, you also equip students with a tool they can use by themselves or in study groups to think analytically in completing their assignments, preparing for exams, or working on research projects.
3. Physical Movement
Especially if done on a whiteboard with everyone standing up, making concept maps gets your students physically moving in the classroom. This is really useful for engagement and creating a lively classroom environment. (It’s particularly good in early morning classes or after lunch when everyone is feeling a bit sleepy…).
Some students might initially grumble about getting up from their chairs, but I can literally feel the energy in the room rise when everyone is on their feet and moving around.
4. Teamwork
Finally, as a group activity concept maps help build students’ teamwork and interpersonal communication skills. Learning how to work with others is an important part of a university education, and concept mapping is a fun, low-stakes, way to build those skills while also learning about and analyzing a topic. As an instructor, watching students teach each other through working together on a concept map is really fulfilling.
And, it’s important to remember that students also want to use their university experience to make friends, and one of the places they do this is in the classroom. Well-designed and engaging classroom group work can be a social bonding experience for students, my students tell me it’s something they really appreciate.
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