Mapping Technique: Concept Maps
Suitable for Steps 2, 3, 6 and 7
Duration
At least 30 minutes
Material Needed
Freehand or mind-mapping software or simple drawing tools in word processing software.
Group size
Individual or in small groups of no more than three.
Objective
To help learners visualize concepts, components, and their relationships, and represent them graphically.
Description
To prepare a concept map, learners list all the concepts and components related to their topic and arrange them in a hierarchical way with words. Ideas and information are represented with keywords placed in boxes or circles and connected with labelled arrows.
Characteristics of a concept map:
- A hierarchical structure (from top to bottom)
- Concepts are displayed in order of importance
- Concepts are related by connecting words and directional arrows
Contribution to Systems Thinking competence
Concept maps are a way to develop logical thinking and identify connections and help learners understand how individual elements form a larger system.
Example
