Concept map: What is it? What is it for?

You want learn to make a concept map? These help us to visually represent the ideas we have on a particular topic, relating each element with the previous one in an orderly and understandable way.

These types of tools are used in different educational settings, and are excellent for learning to organize the main ideas we have with something in particular without having to create highly concepts long.

Keep reading this post where we will tell you everything you need to know about conceptual maps.

What is a concept map?

The conceptual maps Diagrams are considered that allow a better understanding and learning of a particular topic by providing a better visualization of the concepts and ideas that correspond to it.

These ideas and concepts are generally represented hierarchically arranged nodes, connected by simple words located just in the upper lines to explain more easily what relationship each concept has to each other with the the rest.

They serve as a study and learning tool where concepts are organized and represented differently than usual, this makes it much easier for these ideas to be memorized.

They are also a simple way to explain a topic to others, so that they understand it more easily and You can convey your ideas without making it complex or complicated for others to understand what you are trying to do. say.

Characteristics of a concept map

This technique or method of study is often implemented by students of all levels, and even by teachers to convey a concept particular to their subject, concept maps are very similar to other learning diagrams, so it is important to know their features:

Concepts

These are the ones that describe the information that you want to transmit in the conceptual map, they must form a record of events, objects or any type of important factors to make the idea known described.

They are represented with figures, these can be very simple such as triangles, ovals or rectangles, or be more creative with shapes than represent the topic appropriately, the important thing is that they allow the information to be written inside and that it is readable.

Linking words

These are located on the lines that connect each of the nodes. In general, simple and short words should be placed, but if the legibility of the entire diagram deserves it, small sentences can be written, as long as they do not exceed 3 words.

They should be as concise as possible, most of the time for verbs that mean themselves without the need for complements.

Propositional structure

They can be described as meaningful statements where 2 or more concepts are mixed within a single node. Often they are known as units of meaning, in other words, it is when a concept is created based on others, being completely original.

Hierarchical structure

This is a key element within a diagram of this type:

• Top: general and inclusive concepts.
• Bottom: specific and exclusive concepts.

This means that they are structured to be read from top to bottom.

Question focus

It is very important, a focus question is what allows defining the parameters to be treated on a particular topic, it can also be more easily developed what will be the points to define.

Pre-Structure

Before drawing the figures or starting to write, it is important to highlight the concepts and factors that will be included within the concept map. In this way you will be able to distribute the space you have at your disposal much better.

Benefits of the concept map

Concept maps are beneficial and effective in cases related to learning, among the advantages of deciding on this type of diagram are the following:

• By having a visual format facilitates the understanding process.
• Easily summarize any type of information through completely new concepts.
• Encourage creativity to develop ideas and the capacity for much more complex thoughts.
• Offers a clear and understandable visionideascomplex and difficult to understand.
• It encourages cooperative learning.
• It teaches how to create new concepts and make connections between them.
• Thanks to them, areas or concepts that need further development or research can be described.

How to make a concept map?

Create a concept map It is not as complicated as it may seem, you just have to follow these steps that we present below:

1. Select a specific topic from which multiple ideas and concepts can be drawn.
2. Determine the main and most important ideas to deal with that topic.
3. Group the concepts and decide which ones can be merged into a propositional structure and which ones must be defined individually.
4. Decide which will be the general concepts and which will be the exclusive ones.
5. Hierarchically arranged, at the top the simple concepts easy to explain in a few words, at the bottom the specific ones, those of greater relevance with respect to the extension of ideas.
6. Represent within the nodes, writing the information and concepts of each one together with their connections, which must coincide perfectly so that the ideas are explained and understood without leaving a trace to Doubts.
7. Check that all the information is in accordance with what was previously planned.

It is important that when making a diagram of this type you are very clear about the ideas you want to develop, each of the concepts implemented must be relevant to imply something in particular and not just to incorporate more information.

We can say that conceptual maps are full of keywords that promote a simple, fast and effective type of learning within any educational environment.

Resources:

Here you can review some examples: https://creately.com/es/eg/ejemplos-diagramas-mapa-conceptual/

Here's another type of template: https://creately.com/es/plantillas/