A mind map is a tool first purported by Tony Bruzan to help humans remember things. It starts out simply enough with a single idea in the middle of the page. Ideas related to the central idea radiates outward going from more general to more specific as you move outward from the middle. The main reason that this seems to work is that it is based on sound psychological principles, and that is why it works.
When every you see me talking about Mind mapping, you are going to see that I will remove all the new age related fluff that seems to surround this topic. I want to get rid of the hooey and explain why I think it works so well.
Among learning theories there is a school of thought that the more ways one engages on a topic the more that they will remember that information. Simple repetition is not what I mean. I mean engaging in different ways with the same materials. In my classes, I lecture, ask questions, lead discussions, have them take quizzes, and even have the students do the labs concerning the material. They even get a copy of the course material, so that they can read about it. Mind mapping is another way to engage, but I think it might be the best way.
Human beings have two hemispheres of their brain. One side is more orderly and is responsible for logical thinking and cognition. When we write notes we are engaging that hemisphere. The other hemisphere just sits around and starts daydreaming. Mind mapping with its penchant for drawing lines, bubbles and pictures engages that artistic side of the brain. Drawing pictures with text in them engages both side of the brain on the same activity. I believe that when this is done there is more of a chance that you will remember material.
Try this thought experiment. Think of the last bit of text you read. Now think of a picture you saw today. Which one do you remember better? If I can organize information in a mind map, I just might have a better chance at remembering it. I also think I will make more productive use of my study time.
Do you have to use Mind Mapping software? Nope. If you got an array of color pens and some paper, you can use the same technique. Why different color pens? Color code the lines and entries to see the totality of that section of your mind map. Using mind maps makes note taking easier. Short burst of text with lines drawn to it are easier to draw than complex linear outlines with complete sentences.
Mind maps, just like notes, can be a very personal thing. My mind map made for me on a topic may not work for someone else without a little coaching. This goes true for notes. I never ask for anyone’s notes on a subject, because I may not think like that person. I use mind maps now for my course material. It helps to remind me of what I thought was important. I also will be making more complete mind maps to hand out to students for some of my courses.
Mind mapping has exploded in my consciousness with the early introduction a couple of years ago, and it now bearing fruit. What do you think? Leave a comment, or vote on the rating of this article. If you liked this article, share it with your Twitter network with the retweet button on the top right of the post.
[ad#ad-2]
Related posts:
{ 2 trackbacks }