"Concept mapping is a technique for representing knowledge in graphs. Knowledge graphs are networks of concepts. Networks consist of nodes (points/vertices) and links (arcs/edges). Nodes represent concepts and links represent the relations between concepts."
The Concept Mapping Homepage
Related Creative Thinking visualizations: Mind Mapping, Information Crystallization, ARC (Act, Reflect, Change), Rich Picture, some forms of Tree Diagraming
Strengths:
Interactive
Iterative
Helps users identify common themes, patterns
Works the way the mind does - by associations
Gets at "deeper" learning
Forestalls tunnel vision
Encourages lateral thinking
Uses:
Creative thinking
Creative problem-solving
Brainstorming
Design
Organizing a subject
Integrating old and new knowledge
Reinforcing memory (studying)
Weaknesses:
Some of the methodologies associated with concept mapping and mind mapping are rigid
Software is too polished. There is a benefit to doing these processes manually.
