Welcome to Week 9: Visual Intensive Learning
Everybody likes to take notes especially if we want to work on an assignment or task. The notes will help us arrange our plans. What if the notes became visual? Definitely the task will be much easier to grasp and control. We are all visual learners and putting our thoughts into a visual framework is a great method to carry out our work successfully.
Mind mapping is one of the most effective ways of transferring abstract mental concepts into a visual diagram. Pictorial recording of one’s ideas is not new. It started with the Greeks but it became a full concept in our present time. You are invited to explore our group’s assignment that highlights the great potentials of Mind mapping. You can leave your comments or ideas right here on the course page. If there are any technical problems with the activity in Cacoo, please check the trouble shooting link in the WIKI and feel free to ask any questions. We will be sure to get back to you promptly.
Who are we?
After watching the youtube clip head over to our WIKI
Have fun with Mind mapping!
Posted in: Week 09: Visual-Intensive Learning
Leonora Zefi 7:15 am on July 2, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Impressive work week 9 team.
It is fascinating to see the variety of applications for mind mapping in education. I am particularly interested in mind mapping for assessment so will start exploring it. Your visual EVA is quite impressive.
Looking forward to exploring cacoo and contributing the the collaborative mind mapping.
Leonora
ping 7:48 pm on July 2, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Thank you, Leonara!
We had a lot of fun making the EVA collaboratively. It’s an amazing process to see our thoughts speading out structively and visible to everybody. I think “mind mapping for assessment” is a very interesting topic. Why not you just drop a concept in our collaborative Cacoo map, and our peers will gather around and think with you together? Waiting to collaborate with you.
Ping
Leonora Zefi 4:04 am on July 5, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Hi Ping.
I can see the Cacoo map is coming along really well. For some reason I can’t edit but I will keep trying.
Leonora
Sherman Lee 8:31 am on July 5, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Hi Leonora,
To edit the Cacoo map, click the edit button in the bar located just above the different tabs showing you the different mind maps we have. Once clicked, a new window will open with a map that you can edit. Please let us know if you run into any other problem 🙂
Sherman
Leonora Zefi 7:35 pm on July 5, 2012 Permalink
Thanks Sherman,
I was able to log in and edit.
Leonora
HJDeW 6:17 am on July 3, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Very interesting presentation Week 9 team! One of my favourite topics and there is so much to learn here. I am amazed at the detail and content provided in the concept maps you have presented. I had just connected to Cacoo and look forward to exploring this tool – collaboratively. Helen
lisamallen 11:26 am on July 3, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Well done group 9!
I find concept maps/ mind mapping such great tool for collaboration. I am not in the K-12 system, but will use mind maps when I’m trying to figure out a departmental issue in my department in higher education. Recently, we’ve been working on a series of maps to illustrate to students the different paths they can take (in terms of course planning and registration) – I have to say, working on these maps is one of the more fun tasks of my job.
Thanks!
Lisa
ping 8:47 am on July 4, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Hi Helen and Lisa,
Happy to hear that you like mind mapping. Please come to the Cacoo map, the collaborative mind mapping has already started there!
Ping
mariefrancehetu 1:32 pm on July 3, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Hello!
I must confess I have not used many mind maps – I usually find them confusing and time consuming to construct . . . perhaps it is the aps I have been using so far. Cacoo certainly looks interesting and provides many ways to create mind maps. I certainly hope that by the end of week 9 I will feel more comfortable using mind maps! Like Lisa, I am not in the K-12 system and find that as a FSL I don’t really have much use for mind maps. I do need to use them within this MET program so I hope to learn a few tricks to add to my learner tool box.
Marie-France
ping 9:27 am on July 4, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Hi Marie,
I think your problem with mind maps might more likely because of the program, not a best one maybe. Try this one Cacoo. And certainly it’s not the final version. Tools are evolving fast. The feeling you find them “confusing” might because a visual intensive diagram transfers too much information at one time to our brains, and dazzled us a little at the beginning. I think maps still needs to be “read”, just follow the links and navigate at ease, you will find the mind map convey meaningful information to you much quicker than texts. It’s a tool for thinkers, no matter in what professions they are.
Ping
mariefrancehetu 4:55 pm on July 4, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Hi Ping,
I think you are right, I have been using the wrong mind map tools and that is likely why I found creating them so confusing. In comparison, I find that Cacoo is easy to use, and I love the fact that one can also work collaboratively at a project. In my last ETEC class I tried to find a mind map program that would allow this type of co-editing and just could not find one.
Although I don’t work within the K-12 world I can certainly see how this collaborative feature could be used when class-mates need to build mind maps together.
Being very visual, I think I like the idea that you can add symbols or pictures instead of just wording (which I often find overwhelming). I also believe that since mind maps created by individuals speak to them in a specific wa, this is why some maps may not appeal to others.
It takes lots of practice I think to make a map clear enough that others can really benefit from them. Now that I have tried Cacoo, I can see how I could create a mind map that describes to my FSL students the memorization process of a second language works. With this in mind, I would need to create something that is visually appealing and easy to understand, using key words and images.
Marie-France
Bridget 5:06 am on July 4, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply
I have used mind maps in order to help make clear connections between concepts and to brainstorm ideas. However, I find that they are very personal and the exercise in completing a mind map can be more valuable than the mind map itself. Although I can appreciate the connections made by others, I learn better by doing, as do most people. They are effective in helping one see relationships and can be a great study skill in many subjects areas; history being one that immediately comes to mind. C-Maps is a program that I have used and find to be quite versatile and has a few functions which clean up a messy map with one click. They can easily get out of hand so this is a nice feature.
I have not used, or even heard of Cacoo so thanks for the introduction to a new program and experience. I am actually having difficulty editing the mind map which is part of the activity. I can see the diagram on Cacoo, I select the “edit” button, and although it says “loading diagram” I see nothing…on any of the pages. I have tried signing up for the site and it does not seem to make a difference. I am just checking to see if anyone else has the same problem or if it local (me).
Thanks,
Bridget
Denise 8:06 am on July 6, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply
i agree. i find visual learning tools like mind maps are very personl. My expereince of using them in MET was valuable (used Cmap and Vue) as a learning and reflective exercise. When we shared our end results it was very easy to see that they were highly personal and that many of us had highlighted different areas or made different connections. it was easier to have viewed other people maps once I had done my own, it woudl have been overwhelming if the maps had been shown completed, and without the personal experience.
Bridget 5:50 am on July 4, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Problem solved. At the bottom right is an icon that said I was offline…..must be online to see or edit. All is fine.
Bridget
ping 9:51 am on July 4, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Hi Bridget,
Glad to know that your problem was solved. You’re right that mind mapping is kind of personal, and the doing process is more valuable for the author than for the reader. In my own experience, a good mind map should also be easier to understand, and should contains as many visual-intensive elements (image, graphics, video etc) as possible. However, I find many mind maps are still text-intensive, only link-and-arrow flow charts. It’s certainly not enough.
Ping
Bridget 1:12 pm on July 4, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Hi Ping,
Well, I guess I just got lucky that one time. i cannot see the diagram at all once I click “edit”.
Bridget
ping 9:28 pm on July 6, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Hi Bridget,
You need to sign in before click “edit”, otherwise the editable maps will not show. Just check your sign in status (on the top-right corner) before click “edit”. If you still have problem, please let us know here or in our trouble-shooting google doc.
Ping
Denise 8:08 am on July 6, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply
HI Ping,
I do wonder whether too many visual intensive elements might cause cognitive overload?
Denise
ping 9:16 pm on July 6, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Hi Danise,
You raised a very good question. I think visual intensive elements might cause cognitive overload if they carry too much extra information than what to be expressed. Unlike texts that have been defined accurately by dictionaries, we have little standard to restrict the exact meaning of an image/graph which are created personally. I think in the future we could develop richer stencils, visual dictionaries etc. to assist the mind mapping, to make it more accurate to express, and easier to understand.
Ping
Deborah S 10:49 am on July 4, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Thanks for the wonderful examples! I haven’t used mind maps much, but I can certainly see their potential. I especially like the notion of using pictures or graphics to get things to “stick” better than simply using words. I look forward to exploring more throughout the week.
Deborah
Dave Horn 11:08 am on July 4, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply
I think that mind maps are useful tools, that can help learners not only make connections between a variety of disparate and often complex ideas, but also to organize their own thoughts and creative process. Admittedly I had a little trouble getting Cacoo to work like I wanted, but I know that there a plenty of other great tools out there for learners to use both cloud-based and software based.
Cloud-based collaborative concepts make have a lot of potential to engage a large number of learners and help them to think differently than if they were to just pursue a concept map on their own.
One of the issues I see with concept maps it that many times the users can be overwhelmed with the number of possible options and clickable features found in digital concept map tools and then attempt to use them all. This then makes the maps overly complicated and distracting. Anyone have a good “one-sheet” for approaches to creating concept maps for learners?
HJDeW 5:50 pm on July 4, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Hi Dave. It’s not a one page ‘cheat sheet’ but this link may have the answer you are looking for. http://www.flaguide.org/cat/conmap/conmap7.php
Hope it helps. Concrete suggestions for implementation and evaluation in content heavy subject areas. Helen
Dave Horn 9:40 pm on July 4, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Thanks
Denise 8:12 am on July 6, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Thanks from me too. Really interesting read. Also interested in the assessment side; ” traditional evaluation tools (quizzes, tests, final grades) capture some aspects of conceptual structure, and concept maps capture other aspects”
Denise
vawells 2:47 pm on July 4, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Hi Group 9
Thank you for the innovative and interesting mind maps you have presented. I have only used mind maps myself in courses in the MET program. I have also used simplified mind maps in the grade 3 classroom to facilitate student brainstorming and for exit cards in science. The ability for students to use pictures and text have opened independent brainstorm sessions to students who have difficulty contributing with written output.
I look forward to further explorations through the collaborative mind mapping activity.
Valerie
Sherman Lee 11:32 pm on July 4, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Hi Valerie,
Hopefully this week’s presentation and learn lots more about mind maps. I do think that computer mind mapping has a potential for younger grade levels, so be sure to share what you think with us after you have done your exploration!
Cheers,
Sherman
jtpatry 5:08 pm on July 4, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Hi Grp 9.
Veyr well thought out and visually impressive presentation. I have provided the option for students in the class to use mind maps to help with ideas and brainstorming sessions. If students have acces to the computer, they choose to use Kidspiration/Inspiration. What I really like about Kidspiration (Inspiration is the adult version) is that the user can browse through images and use the visual for the map. If students choose not to use mind maps, they think of creative ways of transcribing the information. Mind Maps are another great tool for educators to show their learners as a way of collecting thoughts or In the MET program I have used mind mapping, and although I found the program that was selected for us to use frustrating to navigate, I still enjoyed the process .
Thanks again group!
Jon
Dave Horn 9:40 pm on July 4, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Hi Jon
Inspiration is definitely a useful program. I have also used Mind-meister with my classes as it is web-based and setup a class account/password so that they could collaboratively build a concept map.
dubiend 10:52 pm on July 5, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Hi there!
I’ve come to post an answer to one of Week 9’s discussion questions: “What makes a good mind map?”
To me, a good mind map allows the reader to both see the big picture and focus on details with relative ease. It facilitates comprehension and retention of information and indicates clear links between ideas. It groups bits of information into manageable chunks – neither scattered bits of data, nor long rambling paragraphs. A good mind map is well-structured. If, by contrast, it is overwhelming and distracting, the reader might actually experience a temporary drop in IQ (Visocky O’Grady & Visocky O’Grady, 2008). Sometimes a written report or a PPT presentation is more effective than a mind map for communicating information, so the content and the format need to be matched properly.
Here’s a blog entry that explains map shock, which is a term to describe the sense of visual information overload:
http://blog.modellearning.com/blog/2011/4/25/map-shock.html
Here’s a blog entry about designing effective visual graphics:
http://www.johnrandle.co.uk/graphic-design/information-design/
Here are a variety of very effective infographics that you can select from the roll-down menu at the top right, where it says “Select Visualization”. Note that some examples are interactive.
http://www.informationisbeautiful.net/visualizations/the-hierarchy-of-digital-distractions/
Visocky O’Grady J. & Visocky O’Grady K. (2008) The information design handbook. Cincinatti, OH: HOW Books.
Cheers,
D
Allan 9:41 am on July 6, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Thanks you everyone in Week 9 for this excellent presentation “Visual Intensive Learning – Mind Mapping for K-12 Learning.” I really enjoyed viewing the presentation and learning about the mind mapping. I find it interesting that in Britain, it is called “spidergram” and “spidergraph” instead. Thank you also for introducing Cacoo as part of this visually enriching presentation. I certainly enjoyed creating my own mind mapping activity. What a great interactive idea! Kudos for thinking of it.
Allan
gillian 11:03 am on July 7, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Thank you to all in Week 9. I was very impressed with the amount of information you were able to present not only textually, but visually as well. I quite enjoyed playing around in Cacoo and will most certainly add it to my growing collection of teaching and learning tools.
gillian
Bridget 4:58 pm on July 7, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Hello week 9 group,
It is interesting to look at a cooperative mind map since each person needs to conform to the previous additions yet has the ability to be creative. Some used graphics, colours and various shapes while others used the standard rectangles. Some wrote full sentences inside the nodes while other preferred 1-2 words and linked with another word. The flexibilty and customization of mind maps makes them easy to use for many types of learners. This was an enjoyable exercise and interesting to see the final product.
Thanks,
Bridget