Concept Mapping 

adapted from Michael Zeilik, Department of Physics & Astronomy, University of New Mexico

A concept map is a two-dimensional, hierarchical node-link diagram that depicts the structure of knowledge as viewed by a student, an instructor or an expert in a field or sub-field. The map is composed of concept labels, each enclosed in a box or oval; a series of labeled linking lines, and an inclusive, hierarchical organization. By reading the map from top to bottom, an instructor can:

  1. gain insight into the way people view a scientific topic;

  2. examine the understandings people hold; and

  3. assess the structural complexity of the relationships depicted.

In addition to these applications for student assessment, faculty have also used concept maps to organize their ideas in preparation for instruction, as a graphic organizers during class, and as a way to encourage students to reflect on their own knowledge and to work together and share their understandings in collaborative group settings.

from http://www.wcer.wisc.edu/cl1/flag/cat/catframe.asp  

 

Concept Map Toolkit

You can download and use the IHMC Concept Mapping Software to construct, navigate, share, and criticize knowledge models represented as Concept Maps. The toolkit is platform independent and network enabled, allowing the users to collaborate during the construction of concept maps with colleagues anywhere on the network, as well as share and navigate through others' models distributed on servers throughout Internet. The following instructions are adapted from the IHMC web site tutorial. 

Starting the CMap Toolkit

Launch the application CMap Tools. 

This will open a window called IHMC CMap Tools that allows you to view concept map servers and projects maintained by these servers and your local computer.

Depending on how your computer is set up, you may need to be on-line when you launch the program.  However, you can close your internet connection as soon as the program is launched if you are not working on a server.

Making and Editing Maps

To make a map, there are certain steps one should follow to ensure the map is properly saved. These steps are present to ensure a map does not accidentally get edited or modified. 

Before you can build and edit concept maps, you have to create a project to contain the concept maps and other resources. The name of the project should describe the body of knowledge contained in the maps. You can also add maps to an existing project. 

A project must be in Edit mode in order to modify any of its contents. If it appears that you cannot make changes, check and make sure its editable. A little pencil will appear by the folder icon of the project if it is in edit mode.

  1. Create a Project

    1. Select (highlight) the server named Local.

    2. Click on the File menu and choose New Project menu item. This will open a dialog that allows you to specify the name of the new project and the server on which it will reside.

    3. Enter Inquiry in the entry field Project Name.

    4. Click on the Server Name or click on the arrow button next to the name and choose Local from the list of servers.

    5. Click Ok. This will create the project Inquiry on Local. The system automatically switches a new project to edit mode to enable you to modify the project's content. In order to indicate the change of mode the system changes the regular folder icon of a project to a folder icon with a pencil. 

    6. Open the list of projects on Local by double-clicking on the server name or the icon. The system will display the project Inquiry you just added to the server.

  2. Open a new Concept Map

    1. Select the project Inquiry on Local. A target project has to be selected in order to create a map within it.

    2. Click on the menu item New Map in the Files menu. This will open a concept map window that allows you to build and edit concept maps.                                                                       

  3. Create concepts 

    1. Double-click on the background or canvas area of the map window where you want the concept to appear. This will create a concept with highlighted question marks as a default. Type "inquiry" and click once on the canvas to deselect the text.

    2. Create another concept somewhere on the background, enter the text "experiments," and then deselect it.

  4. Create a link between two concepts

    1. Select the concept "inquiry" with a single click on the concept (do not drag, just one click). The concept becomes highlighted - two arrows appear atop of the concept (if dragged, the arrows do not appear).                                                                                                                        

    2. Click once on the arrows (do not drag, just one click) and move the mouse to the concept labeled "experiments." The toolkit will draw a line between the first concept and the mouse cursor. 

    3. Click on the concept "experiments." The toolkit will draw a link between both concepts and creates a label for the link name. Type "can be" and click on the canvas.

    Note: The linking lines are generally presumed to be directed from one concept to the link and to the other concept, defining the direction of the relationship. In the example above, we interpret the relationship as "Inquiry can be experiments." 

  5. Create a link and a concept

    1. Select the concept "experiments" with a single click. Again, the concept becomes highlighted and the arrows appear atop the concept. 

    2. Click on the arrows and move the mouse cursor to an area where you want to have a new concept created. 

    3. Click on the canvas. The system will create a new concept with a blank label and an entry field for the link between concept "experiments" and the new concept. Enter the text "have" in the entry field and confirm your input. Then modify the text of the new concept by double clicking on the concept. Enter the text "variables" and click on the canvas to deselect it. 

  6. Connect a link to an existing concept

    1. Double-click on the background or canvas area to create another concept and type "questions." Then click once on the canvas to deselect the text.

    2. Select the link "can be" with a single click. The link becomes highlighted and arrows appear atop the link. 

    3. Click on the arrows and move the mouse cursor over the concept "questions." 

    4. Click on the concept "questions". This will generate a link between "can be" and "questions." 

    5. Confirm the link "can be" with a single click on the background outside of the node.

  7. Curves and bending lines.

    1. Double-click on a line, pointing your mouse cursor directly over a linking line. The color of the line changes from black to red, indicating that the line can now be edited and a window will open allowing you to change both color and type of the selected line. 

    2. Click inside the box Line Type that says straight line and select 4 Pt. Bezier curve. Click OK. The system attaches a blue controls at each end-point of the line. Both control lines are facilitated with control points at the open end of each line. By changing the location of these control points you can bend lines to curves or even generate S shaped curves.

    3. Drag the first control point to a new location. Then drag the second control point to a location different from the first one. 

    4. Click on the canvas when you are done.

    5. To change the curved line back to a straight line, double-click on the modified linking line and change the line type to Straight Line in the Edit Line dialog window. 

  8. Save a Concept Map

    1. Choose Save from the File menu. 

    2. The Save Map window appears and asks for the following information: 

    3. Press the Save button to save the map.

  9. Move Single Concepts and Links

    1. Select concept Inquiry with a single click. The concept will be highlighted and an image displaying two arrows appears at the top of the concept.

    2. Click anywhere inside the concept Inquiry except the arrow image on top of the concept.

    3. While pressing the left-mouse button, drag the concept to a new location in the CMap window.

    4. When dragging the concept, the linking line between the concept and the link can be moves accordingly.

    5. Release the mouse button when you reached the desired location of concept Inquiry.

    6. Deselect concept Inquiry by clicking on the canvas.

    7. Repeat these steps for moving the link can be.

  10. Edit Concept and Link Labels

    11. Note: You can copy concepts and links between concept maps. Select a single or multiple concepts/links in one map, copy them and then paste them in the window of another map. 

  11. Cut and Paste Concepts and Links

    1. Create a new concept next to concept "variables" by double clicking on the background. Then confirm the concept by a single-click outside of the new concept. The concept label will show "????."

    2. Select the concept "variable" and cut it to the clipboard by clicking on the Edit menu and choosing Cut. 

    3. Now select the concept "????" and paste the content from the clipboard by clicking on the Edit menu and choosing Paste. The system replaces the concept "????" with the concept "variable" from the clipboard.

    4. Create a linking line between the concept "variable" and the concept "experiments" and label the link.

  12. Delete Concepts and Links

    13. Note: In order to prevent dangling links (links that are connected with only one concept), the editor replaces concepts that are connected to one link only with "???" when the user deletes them. For example, deleting concept "experiments" in the current concept map results in the concept "experiments" being replaced with concept "???." You must first delete the link "have" in order to remove "experiments" with the rectangular box. 

  13. Modifying Concept Map Styles


    14. In this step, you will learn how to modify the styles of concepts and links. The changes in the style may affect the font of the text labels, the background, and the border of the concept or link.