1. Mind Mapping

2. Mind Mapping Overview By the end of this lecture you should be able to: Define “mind mapping” Describe the main advantages of mind mapping relative to the traditional linear approach to taking notes Describe several situations in which mind mapping can be usefully applied Outline the main “laws” of mind mapping Outline the main steps in “Mind Mapping Organic Study Technique”

3. What is Mind Mapping? A non-linear approach for taking notes, organising thoughts, and generating ideas. Consists of a central topic image and several radiating branches containing information about the central topic.

4. Problems with Traditional Linear Notes Obscure keywords Inhibit recall Waste time Prevent associations from forming

7. Empirical Evidence Lecture Recall Study (Howe, 1977) 6 Conditions 1. Complete transcript (given) 2. Complete transcript (student) 3. Sentence summary (given) 4. Sentence summary (student) 5. Keyword notes (given) 6. Keyword notes (student) DV = Exam performance, verbal performance

8. Mind Map Organic Study Technique (MMOST)

9. MMOST Phases 1. Preparation 2. Application

10. Preparation Phase 4 Sub-Phases –1. Browsing –2. Setting Limits –3. Preliminary Mind Map –4. Setting Questions and Goals

11. P1. Browsing Casually glance through book, chapter or article. Get a feel for: –organisation –length –difficulty –number of tables and figures –location of summary and conclusion section

12. P2. Set Limits for Time and Amount How much time do you want to spend studying? –massed practice –distributed practice How much information do you want to cover in the allotted time?

13. P3. Mind Map Current Knowledge Take 2 minutes to jot down as much as you can about the topic being studied.

14. P4. Set Questions and Goals What do you want to get out of the chapter or article? –Gist? –Detailed understanding of everything? –Answer specific question? Take up to 5 minutes to make a preliminary list goals and questions. If necessary, revise questions and goals as you progress.

15. Application Phase 4 Sub-Phases –1. Overview –2. Preview –3. Inview –4. Review

16. P1. Overiew Generate an overview of the chapter or article. Focus on overall structure not detail. Don’t feel compelled to start on p. 1!

18. P2. Preview Start filling in general details. Focus on: –summary and conclusion sections –beginning and endings of paragraphs Don’t read everything! Select and reject content based on your questions and goals.

19. P3. Inview Start filling in specific details. Level of detail depends on questions and goals. Initially skip difficult sections. –Return later when you have more knowledge –Easier to understand

20. P4. Review Study and reorganise your maps. Identify gaps in knowledge, and return to source to search for specific information. Test your knowledge by recreating maps from memory.

21. Mind Mapping Resources BOOKS The Mind Map Book (Buzan & Buzan, 1993). Use Your Head. (4th ed., Buzan, 1995). SOFTWARE MindManager –http://www.team-link.org MindTools –http://www.mindtools.com/index.html