Mind Mapping Essentials For Teaching & Learning.

Let’s think of teaching and Learning as an art and a science. An art in the sense of allowing the expression and application of human creative skills and imagination. As a science also, teaching and learning explores, applies and tests knowledge to develop both methodology and understanding (the how and why). Today, innumerable tools, strategies and techniques are available to support teaching and learning ranging from traditional to high tech options. The focus of this article is to learn how mind mapping can be used as an effective tool for teaching and learning and why it should be used.

There are several interesting descriptions of a mind map. However, we can simply describe mind mapping as a tool or technique that capitalizes on our natural creativity to allow us to think visually and present ideas and thoughts graphically. Teachers can use mind mapping as a tool for planning, organizing and delivering lessons. Whether it is lesson planning, preparing a scheme of work or planning assignments and assessment methods, mind mapping gives a clear and visual overview of what needs to be covered. Instead of jotting ideas on resources or activities to be carried out in delivering a lesson on a notepad or diary, mind mapping is a technique you can use to create structure on how lessons will be delivered and visually build connections to see how ideas are progressing. During learning sessions also, teachers can use mind mapping to maximize students' participation to fully understand a topic through brainstorming. For instance, a teacher can throw out a topic to a class, present questions around the topic and ask students to explore, find answers and present their ideas visually on a mind map. In this perspective, mind mapping can be an effective tool in not just assessment of learning but assessment as and for learning depending on which stage of the lesson a teacher chooses to employ it.

Additionally, students every day everywhere consciously and unconsciously continuously seek new ways to learn more, better and in less demanding and time-consuming ways so they can be successful in school. With increasing pressure to understand broad and myriad concepts/topics, mind mapping can be an effective tool to scale up a students learning and achieve desired results. Unarguably, the learning process is characterized by receiving, retrieving, processing and storing information. One of the key ways students learn to this is through note-taking. Over the years, students have used the monotonous and laborious linear note-taking technique which goes from left to right, top to bottom using whole or abbreviated words until a book page is full. Alternatively, mind mapping presents the same information in a way that better appeals to the human brain. Using mind mapping in note-taking helps show the relationship between connected ideas and pieces of information. At a glance, a mind map can give a general overview of a topic which on the other hand can take several minutes for the brain to grasp when written as linear notes. Additionally, students can easily attach additional information and use mental triggers such as shapes, images, colors, etc. to help understand and memorize content easily.

Having appreciated how helpful a tool mind mapping can be in teaching and learning, let’s learn how to mind map.

• Begin your mind map at the center of a page to allow enough space for idea exploration.
• Firstly, select a topic, concept or central idea and jot it down at the center of your page. For a teacher, this could be a topic or concept in the school curriculum that you plan to teach and for a student, it could be a new topic your teacher introduced in class which you have to take notes on or an essay topic you have to write about.
• Next step after writing out the central idea or topic is to brainstorm and start building associations around the central idea or topic (brainstorming can be done by an individual, group or even a class in a discussion or teacher engagement sessions) using branches(as in branches of a tree where your central idea or topic can be said to be the root). For instance, if your central idea is water, you can brainstorm and build associations around water such as sources, uses, types, etc. which can also be said to be subtopics in notes taking.

Then, further, explore ideas on the associations or connections generated. This is the stage where you start exploring what could be the possible sources, uses and types of water and find answers. You go on and on until you have explored all associations pertaining to the central idea and have gathered enough information.

Things to Note When Drawing Your Mind Map:

1. The central idea can be in words seated in a shape of your choice or can be represented by an image.
2. You may consider using colours or highlighters as these are exciting to the brain and improves recall.
3. Make your branches curved other than straight lines because straight lines may connote fixated and rigid thinking which can limit your brains creativity.

Author: Priscilla B. Appiah - Education Policy and Pedagogy Researcher.

Try mind mapping for teaching and learning and let’s hear your experience. You can call +233 243149506 or email education360gh@gmail.com for school engagement.