A mind map is a diagram used to visually organize information into a hierarchy, showing relationships among pieces of the whole, writes Carolyn Hooper in Practicing College Learning Strategies.
We can understand Mind Mapping as one of the most well-known and effective ways to organize information in a logical sequence. A mind map is centered around one main concept and we connect that concept with more ideas, symbols, links, and branches that stem out of the main concept.
The visual element in a mind map is linked to a longer retention of information and the hierarchy or organization of information gives a deeper clarification of concepts.
This guide will take you through the top benefits based on mind mapping principles to get better marks in less time.
#1 Mind mapping techniques for students make your brain work better
Tony Buzan, the originator of Mind Maps® and the President of The Brain Foundation, is a prolific author of 14 books, many of which have been translated into several languages.
Buzan contributed to mind mapping principles to better understand the concepts using a “spatial format” instead of a linear one. The spatial format allowed him to edit and add any information he wanted to add without trouble, unlike in a linear understanding.
What Buzan had created was an entirely new tool of learning that aids memory. First, the students have to engage with the content in a personalized way and then add images, sketches, topics, and supportive details as required.
So how does mind mapping make the brain work better? Our brains work better when they can make connections between concepts, new and prior knowledge. A mind map is essentially asking us to make connections between several pieces of information and make sense out of it in a rather conceptual way.
This explains how brains work better when we use mind maps as an extension of our learning process.
#2 Study technique to make you learn faster
Schools and colleges are usually running on a narrow schedule to complete syllabus, test, and move to the next level. The same is true of the corporate sector and professional training. How can mind or concept maps as a study technique make you learn faster?
Concepts maps is “a fast and efficient method of taking notes, and helps organize and visualize one’s thinking processes”, as noted by Cunningham in his case study on mind mapping for Biology students in high schools in the USA.
In multiple studies conducted by several researchers, corporations, and educational institutes, students who use mind mapping come out with a slightly higher than average output on tests and the speed of learning. Although not significantly high, the course evaluations by students indicate a clear preference for mind mapping.
#3 Learning becomes enjoyment
Mind maps have been known to increase the joy of learning among students. Cunningham refers to an experiment conducted by school psychologists that concluded with very promising results of increased enjoyment with learning.
How does that happen? Mind mapping is a practical approach that taps into one’s “spatial intelligence” – you can think of this as a 3-D learning experience. Linear understanding of topics is like a 2-D flat mode – the notes you take while the teacher speaks or dictates.
Therefore, when students of primary, elementary, or high school make maps, they are enjoying using the part of the brain that has found a new type of intelligence, called spatial intelligence.
If you have ever played retro games and also experienced a 360 degree experience in newer games, you already have a spatial understanding. Mind mapping is your 360 degree experience with information.
The research study concludes that “Students enjoyed the mindmaps considering them fun, interesting, motivating, and easy to understand.”
#4 Individual mind maps double the fun
Why is it that we have more fun and can relate better to a mind map we have made ourselves?
The reason is essentially that mind maps are personal representations of how we understand a concept. That is why, if a group of students is tasked with making mind maps of the structure of cells, each student comes up with a different map.
A mind map represents an individual student’s way of thinking and understanding. That is why students tend to enjoy individual mind maps over group mind maps.
#5 Improve your creativity and visualization
Mind maps are a great tool to enhance your creativity as you begin to put together different parts of a problem. How do you think the pieces fit in? Which detail is important and which part can be left out? What are the major components of a piece of information?
While you apply these questions to mind mapping of Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Math, language, or more, you are actually creating and visualizing knowledge. That is why, concept mapping is a great learning aid for increasing creativity and visualization.
#6 Boost your reflection after a class
Mind maps offer teachers and students a way to look back at the class. This is commonly known as class reflection and is a fairly common classroom practice.
In reflections, students are required to let the teacher know how the class was, what they learned that was new, what wasn’t new and what they would want to learn more about the topic.
Mind maps can replace writing in a traditional way and students can be tasked to hand in a mind map of the class. Mind maps represent the information you just learned, therefore they are a good way to deepen your reflection of the content learned in class.
#7 Better marks with better learning
Mind maps increase your chance of getting better marks because you haven’t just memorized a map, rather you have created one. In other words, you have participated in creating a piece of knowledge. It is very much likely to stay in your memory during exams as well.
Still, many of us can be curious about the real nature of learning: Are we learning to get marks only? Good news is that mind maps can assist you with the best of both worlds. You can get better marks and also get better at learning itself.
This view is supported in an article, Teaching in the Information Age: The Creative Way by university teachers of computer science. Their goal was not to assign grades but to support students to think, learn, make meaningful connections between prior knowledge and new concepts.
The research study concluded that students tend to generate new ideas and build themes of understanding while using mind maps.
How can you use mind mapping in the classroom?
Apart from the benefits mentioned above, you can make use of mind mapping in your classroom while studying any concept that has the following parts:
- Main topic
- 3-5 main ideas
- Major details
- Supporting details
- Major details
- 3-5 main ideas
Visually, mind mapping techniques for students can be represented like this:
What to do if you don’t understand the topic first?
Mind maps are helpful when you have understood the concept. While you are in the process of understanding, mind maps can still help you align information. However, in some situations, we may be looking for extra help to ourselves through a topic.
If topics are challenging or you are looking for extra help, you can consider the online learning opportunities with Noon Academy.
Noon Academy is an online learning platform offering instruction to different levels of school and college students. Currently Noon is present across five geographical locations and time zones: Pakistan, Iraq, Egypt, India, and Saudi Arabia.
Learning at Noon Academy isn’t just an academically rewarding experience, rather it serves as a social bridge between students, teachers and peers. Students joining the digital community at Noon become part of a growing, thriving league of learners.
You can join Noon Academy by downloading the phone or desktop app.
Can mind maps help you with the boredom of studying?
Sometimes the issue isn’t with understanding, rather with boredom while studying. We don’t find the content engaging or of high interest but we still have to take exams, get good marks, and move on to the next big thing.
If you are planning to make your first mind map, now is the time. As mentioned above, mind maps increase our joy of learning and as joy increases, so does our interest. So, go ahead and make your very first mind map.
Now, if you want to share what you have just created with your friends and teachers, it may be a good idea to post on a social learning app, make new friends, and learn.
Download the Noon App today and start learning!