HOW TO MAKE A CONCEPTUAL MAP The conceptual map is a very useful tool for all school students of all levels and grades: from primary to university. Thanks to an effective conceptual map it is possible to study faster and better assimilate the complex concepts outlined inside. If created through the proper technique can also help in situations of intense study, such as the maturity, queries, class assignments, university exams. So here are some tips for creating concept maps with the right software.
1. WHAT IS A CONCEPTUAL MAP If you have difficulty memorizing what you study, a valid ally may be concept maps for you. These are really useful study tools, which allow you – in a very simple and practical way – to schematize the topics you need to study and, consequently, to remember them better.
Their effectiveness is guaranteed by the studies of numerous psychologists and by the individual experience of thousands of students: being able to graphically schematize vast subjects is truly a godsend for memory. Just as the territory can be represented through geographical maps, the thought and concepts we memorize can also be represented in a simple map … a conceptual map, in fact!
In short: concept maps can truly represent a lifeline in studying for questions, homework or university exams, because they are able to help you better understand the notions in your mind. Not only that: they can also be very useful for preparing a multidisciplinary dissertation for high school.
2. CONCEPTUAL MAPS: HOW TO USE THEM
Concept maps can come in handy in each of the different phases of your school career: whether you are a student of middle school or high school, but also if you are enrolled in university. In fact, they will allow you to:
Store quickly
Easily forfeit notions in your head
“Record” in an almost indelible way the concepts you study, so much so that even after years you can easily remember what you had memorized long ago.
you can download ready-made concept maps (here, on Studenti.it, there is a wide choice) or create your own, starting from scratch. If you have time available, we can only advise you on the second way: being you, in the first person, to organize and schematize your study material in a conceptual map, you will be able to have a much clearer topic that you need to study and to stamped in indelibly in your memory. This means that you will have an extra gear not only in the study phase, but also in the review phase: just take a look at the conceptual map that you yourself have built to get an overview of all the related concepts.
3. HOW TO CREATE CONCEPTUAL MAPS Creating valid concept maps is only a matter of training: initially you will find the procedure slightly difficult (it happens to anyone who is not used to summarizing and schematizing what they study), but slowly the road will appear to you downhill. The benefits, however, will be found immediately: even if your first conceptual map will not be perfect, you will see that the topic covered will impress itself in your mind in a way that you didn’t think possible.
Where to start to create a concept map? The first thing you need to do is (obviously!) Choose the topic you want to schematize. You can write the big beautiful title in the center of your sheet and, with the help of arrows and branches, divide it into concepts of lower, that is less important, levels which will be connected to it by logical connections.