A concept map is a scheme of ideas that serves as a tool to organize concepts and statements in a graphic and simplified way in order to reinforce knowledge. In a concept map, concepts and ideas are related through graphic connectors to complement a generalized idea of what a main topic is. The goal of a concept map is to get the meaning of something through links that can be easily analyzed.
What is the concept map
Table of Contents
A concept map summarizes a concept in a simple outline of ideas. This scheme presents more than ideas, since it allows to establish interpretations of the one who analyzes the foundation of the term so that it processes and makes it easy for the viewer to get the general idea of the statements presented in that order.
One definition of what a concept map is is that it represents an important learning tool, since through graphics it is possible to outline and break down ideas and concepts related to a central theme. The graphic forms used for each concept are geometric figures such as ovals or boxes, which will be interconnected through lines and words according to the connection and correlation that one definition has with another. This will form a network, whose nodes will be the concepts and their links will be the relationships that exist between them.
This tool originated in the 1960s by the American psychologist and pedagogue David Ausubel (1918-2008) based on his theories about the psychology of meaningful learning. According to Joseph D. Novak, a professor at Loyola University, who was the first exponent of this tool in the 70s, new concepts are acquired by discovery or by receptive learning. Since most learning in schools is responsive, students memorize definitions but fail to acquire the meaning of concepts. The concept map, on the other hand, generates active learning by allowing ideas to be organized.
What are concept maps for?
Through concept maps, what is known as meaningful learning can be achieved, which is the unification and relationship that the student makes of the knowledge they already have with the new ones they are acquiring, achieving conclusions that will allow them to reconstruct information. resulting. The latter will help the student to assimilate what he studied and to be able to remember the data more easily. Active learning is also exercised, since the student must get involved with the material studied, going beyond a simple memorization of the content.
The cognitive structure of a concept map is used to develop further from a concept. In this way, people who analyze the concepts can analyze them and give them interpretations based on the previous knowledge they have on the subject, being able to establish connections with the new concepts that are being presented and broken down in the conceptual map that is developed.
The structure of the concept maps allows a broad content to be synthesized in an organized, brief and simple way, thus serving as support material for exams, presentations, exhibitions and projects.
The purposes of a concept map will be subject to the purpose and theme of the work. Among these can be highlighted:
- For the design of an information structure with extensive content.
- Communicate a complex idea in a simple way.
- Come up with ideas from a topic.
- Concatenate old and new knowledge about content.
- To evaluate the index of understanding or misunderstanding of a group of people.
- Mitigate doubts about a topic and dispel myths and misinformation about it.
- Promote active and meaningful learning in the teaching process of students.
To know how to make a concept map, the first thing to do is select the medium through which it will be printed "on paper" or where it will be plotted (either on sheets of bond paper if it is physical, or through a computerized program if it is digital media).
Another of the most important steps that must be taken into account is the selection of the topic to be addressed and what will be its focus; the data necessary for its development must be collected; make a summary where the necessary information is concentrated and discarding the least relevant for the central axis of the map; develop an outline or list of concepts; establish connections between concepts and ideas; and finally, carry out a review by reading the map verifying its coherence.
Concept map elements
This powerful learning tool is composed of several elements that, together, make possible the greater absorption of knowledge, and according to its structure it allows to know what a concept map is like. These elements are the following:
Concepts
The concepts of a concept map are the group of objects and events that an individual has in mind through which they built their own knowledge about a specific topic. In this sense, they are images that it builds from ideas, so it is associated with a word.
These concepts must go within a geometric figure, such as an oval or ellipse, rectangle or square, among others.
Linking words
These are the ones that serve to connect the concepts showing the type of link that exists between one and another. This element is very important, because, in addition to giving logical meaning to the map, it allows it to be read fluently, while determining the order of priorities between concepts, managing to accurately relate the concepts.
It is about prepositions, adverbs and conjunctions; that is, they are words that have nothing to do with the concepts presented. Within the structure of the conceptual map, they are located on the arrows or lines that link the elements that make it up. Among the most used linking words to connect concepts, they are: "by", "for", "how", "are", "is", "where"; although there may be linking words that contain verbs, for example "cause", "requires", "provides", "modifies" or "includes".
Propositions
This is the verbal formulation of an idea, based on the individual's prior knowledge of the subject at hand. This element is an indicator of how much knowledge the student has about the topic and the level of understanding. The propositions can be composed of two or more concepts, which will be united by the linking words, which will form what is known as a semantic unit.
Lines and connectors
The lines are used to denote the flow of data and union of the concepts on the map, following a specific order that gives coherence to what is reflected. Connectors refer to the use of words that connect one concept to another, so that the map can be correctly interpreted with the intention in which it was presented. It is important to note that its use should not be abused. The main connectors used are the words “and”, “or” and “because”.
Hierarchies
The hierarchy on the map is the order in which the concepts appear. The most important and general ones from which all the others start, will appear in the upper or initial part of the concept map, at the same time that the size of their boxes and words will be greater than those that represent the less important concepts.
The more specific concepts and ideas will be located at the bottom of the map, so the way of reading in this type of tool will be done from the top down.
Key questions
This element, also known as focus questions, serve to guide the answers. These types of questions must be formulated briefly and concisely, having relevance for the development of the topic and must be answered at the bottom with words and not with sentences.
Cognitive structure
It refers to the mental process used by individuals to assimilate information, organizing it in such a way that it can be learned and remembered later. In the concept map, the propositions must be linked with the connecting words.
Hinterlaces
The links used in concept maps are of two types: simple and hierarchical, in which the lines connect the most important or general concepts with the less important or specific ones, so their direction is vertical; and crossed and linear, which are links of a concept that is related to a different topic that, together, can lead to a conclusion.
Concept map features
The characteristics of a concept map are qualities that differentiate it from other study methods, namely:
Hierarchy
It is the order of importance and inclusiveness that the concepts must have within the map, those that will have the greatest relevance within the tool will be framed. Secondary, specific ideas and examples will go towards the bottom, and the latter will go unframed. What will determine the hierarchy on a map will be the connecting or link lines, which will give it the appropriate graphic structure.
Synthesis
It is a summary where the most important of a message or topic is contained. A concept map is clearly a summary of a topic that can cover many points and complex content, so it represents a powerful and useful learning tool to simplify and condense a significant amount of information and from there, to break down the content.
Visual impact
One of the fundamental characteristics of a concept map is that it must have a visual impact in the way of presenting concepts and semantic units. This should be expressed in a showy but simple way that can make it easier to read.
Before having a finished map, several sketches must be made to gradually add the necessary elements and discard the expendable ones, so that a successful concept map can be achieved with the key points, improving each version until the final one.
To highlight the virtues of a map, it is suggested to use legible capital letters of the central ideas and the most relevant concepts, which should be highlighted in a geometric figure, preferably an ellipse that makes greater contrast with the text and the background.
The spelling and use of spaces is another feature that should take care in the realization of a concept map, to thereby avoid the crowds and tend to lose the sense of creating confusion explained.
Concept map examples
Below are several examples of a conceptual map of varied topics and in different modes of organization, Concept map of water, Concept map of the nervous system, Concept map of communication and Concept map of photosynthesis.
