The creativity of mind maps

Many of us - myself included - considered the concept map be the brain child of UK educator, Tony Buzan (1988), which we knew as a "mind map". However the idea was in fact being worked out across the pond in the 1960s and 70s USA at Cornell, by educator and professor Joseph Novak (Novak et al., 2005). While I have written about concept maps before (here), there is always a bit more to explore.

Novak formalised the idea of a concept map from two parts (Novak & Gowin, 1984). Firstly "concept as a regularity in events or objects designated by some label" ( p. 4), that we build a map or schema for: we fit new concepts into our "network of concepts and [...] rules" (p. 5), organising what is in our heads so we can create and identify patterns.

Concept maps begin as bare bones; naive, simple. As our concept map becomes more nuanced, we can create "meaningful learning" from it, able to "relate new knowledge to relevant concepts and propositions [we] already know" (Novak & Gowin, p, 7). Over time our process reaches mastery, and is an interconnected web of knowledge. Our understanding is greater.

It is worth taking a look at a range of mind/concept maps to see if any design type might suit our learning and exploration needs. Firstly - and truly top of the line, animation-wise - we have an example from RSA (2021):

Then an interview with Tony Buzan (Ayoa, 2015):

And lastly, the University of Guelph (U of G Library, 2017):

Sam

References:

Ayoa. (2015, Jan 27). How to Mind Map with Tony Buzan [video]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/u5Y4pIsXTV0

Buzan, T. (1988). Super-Creativity. St. Martin's Press.

Novak, J. D., & Gowin, D. B. (1984). Learning how to learn. Cambridge University Press.

Novak, J. D., Mintzes, J. J., & Wandersee, J. H. (2005). Chapter 1: Learning, Teaching, and Assessment: A Human Constructivist Perspective. In J. J. Mintzes, J. H. Wandersee, J. D. Novak (Eds.), Assessing Science Understanding: A human constructionist view (pp. 1-13). National Institute for Science Foundation.

RSA. (2021, May 25). RSA Minimate: A framework for change | Matthew Taylor [video]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/-54DxHlOMnc

U of G Library. (2017, April 28). How to Create a Concept Map [video]. University of Guelph/YouTube. https://youtu.be/sZJj6DwCqSU

UCLA Library. (2014, September 10). Mapping Your Research Ideas [video]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/jj-F6YVtsxI