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Concept Map

Grades: All
Estimated Duration: 30+ minutes

Table of Contents

All
Check for understanding, Collaboration, Comprehension, Demonstration, Idea generation, Presentation, Visual aid, Writing process
Any
Any
Optional

Description

A concept map is a visual learning tool that enables students to identify relationships among concepts and ideas. A concept map looks like a flowchart and connects words or phrases to form logical statements related to an overarching concept, prompt, or focus question. Concept maps are typically organized from general to specific and read from top to bottom. Words or phrases are often set off in separate circles or boxes, and connecting lines or arrows are labeled to show the relationship between words. Color or supporting images may also be used to illustrate relationships between concepts. Concept maps provide a visual record or mapping of students’ understanding that they can continue to update and expand as they gain more knowledge. Concept maps can be used during all stages of the learning process. Here is an example of a concept map about concept maps.

When To Use It

As a learning strategy, use a concept map when you want students to:

  • demonstrate their understanding of the relationship between ideas
  • brainstorm or develop their ideas further
  • organize and track their learning over a unit of study
  • connect prior knowledge to new knowledge on a topic or concept
  • synthesize information, concepts, and ideas, and visualize the whole picture

As an instructional strategy, use a concept map when you want to:

  • assess students’ understanding and identify misconceptions before or after a unit of study
  • illustrate and explain complex relationships between ideas for students
  • promote creativity through brainstorming
  • track students’ learning over time
  • engage students in cooperative learning

How To Use It

Advance Prep

  1. Identify the main topic or focus question that students will explore using the concept map. The focus question will provide context for the concept map and help students to stay on topic. Consider your learning objective, the relationships that you want students to capture, and how much depth you want students to cover.
  2. Determine whether students will create the map using paper and pencils or using a digital tool.
  3. If you are using the concept map as an assessment tool, create a rubric or grading criteria which might include guidelines for organization, links, use of color, graphics, content, and clarity.

Implementation

  1. Model how to create a concept map by working with students to map a familiar topic together. You may provide additional practice by providing students with a partially completed concept map and having them fill in missing ideas as they work through a unit of study.
  2. Begin the concept mapping activity by introducing students to the main topic or focus question that they will explore in depth. Exploring big ideas and essential questions work well for this strategy.
  3. Have students begin thinking about the focus question by generating a list of key concepts (words, phrases, and ideas) that come to mind. Students should not create the map at this stage.
  4. After students have generated their lists, have them evaluate their ideas to begin organizing them for the concept map. Have students:
    1. identify concepts that answer the focus question
    2. consider whether there is a hierarchy of importance or a logical flow of general to specific ideas
    3. remove or add concepts if needed
  5. Once students have a solid list, they may begin drawing the map. Instruct them to write the focus question at the top of the map and refer to their lists as they organize the words on the concept map. Tell them to start with the broadest or most important concept, the one that has the most relationships. Typically concept maps have a hierarchical structure, but students may organize the concepts in a way that makes the most sense to them as they address the focus question.
  6. Have students place a box or circle around each of the words, phrases, or ideas on the concept map.
  7. Next, they should connect concepts with directional arrows making sure that each concept has at least one connection to another concept.
  8. After each concept is connected to another, students should add a linking word or short phrase on each line to explain how the two concepts are connected. The linking words or phrases typically include a verb. Together, the concepts and their linking words make up a short, logical statement that describes the relationship between them.
  9. Have students review their concept maps to see if the statements make sense.
  10. Encourage students to continue to refine their maps as they gain knowledge during the unit of study. You may also wish to have students work in small groups to combine or elaborate upon each others’ maps.

 

Pros

  • Promotes higher-order thinking and deep learning
  • Supports understanding and retention with visual representations
  • Assesses learning and understanding effectively
  • Highlights misconceptions and errors in understanding
  • Encourages collaborative learning and creative thinking

Cons

  • Concept maps may appear to be overwhelming for some students
  • Using it as an assessment tool requires careful planning, time for grading, and clearly communicated assessment criteria
  • Students need instruction and practice with using a concept map before they become independent

Culturally Responsive Application

A concept map is an effective tool for exploring complex topics, especially those involving current and historical socio-political contexts. With a concept map, students can situate their unique voices, perspectives, and ideas in the broader context of their understanding of a topic or respond to a focus question. The process of developing a concept map is student-centered and dependent upon the authentic connections that students make between what they know and what they are learning. As a visual tool, concept maps also provide an alternative modality.

Emerging English Language Support

Concept maps are hypothesized to help EFL learners with their emphasis on key concept words and linking labels, as compared to paragraph text
Concept maps can present a bird eye’s view of the content topic to provide a cognitive hook (or framework) to encourage familiarity with key terms and concepts. Concept maps have also shown positive effects when constructed with media (images, videos, graphics) rather than words to illustrate key concepts.

Students with Disabilities Support

Previous research (REFAD) suggests that students with autism spectrum disorder can also avail the benefits of learning with concept mapping.
Concept maps have also shown positive effects when constructed with media (images, videos, graphics) rather than words to illustrate key concepts.

Subjects

All

Why It Works

A meta-analysis of 142 comparisons of learning outcomes of students who either studied with or constructed concept maps as compared to students who did not suggests that concept maps are effective in group and individual activities, in STEM and non-STEM subjects, and at all levels of schooling (REF14). Although students may need some training to develop their fluency at creating concept maps, they are versatile in use: students can study expert constructed maps, complete partially filled maps, or construct their own maps for note-taking or summarizing. Studying concept maps are theorized to be effective by enabling dual coding of information in both verbal and visual formats while constructing concept maps requires students to retrieve information and elaborate towards integrating multiple references to a concept to facilitate the process of cognitive integration (REF15)

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