Neuroscience and Teaching: Using Digital Concept Mapping/Imaging to Create More Effective Learning
Abstract: Following the development of concept mapping (as a “metacognitive tool”) to facilitate the student in understanding how to become a better learner and how to learn meaningfully, there have been various studies completed using the tool of concept mapping to attempt to better study students and their learning. With the turn of the century and the development of various new technologies and devices, the opportunities to embed the idea of concept mapping has been given a better foundation upon which to flourish. More recent research has discovered the positive effects concept mapping has on students’ cognitive engagement of recall and comprehension. Incoming new information being processed by the brain with a “flight or fight” emotional response can impact whether information is accurate/inaccurate, and how information is stored. In this situation, we see the potential for the creation of “gaps” in knowledge, impeding full understanding of a topic. Concrete visuals such as concept/mind maps assist the instructor in teaching to those “gaps”. While most concept maps were created with various shapes and lines that represented the spatial organization of details and their relationship within a topic, technology today makes it easier for classroom teachers to choose various tools students can use the represent their knowledge and the organization of its intricacies. This presentation will present many of those options to effective concept/mind mapping tools in the classroom.