Seminar 19A - Mapping It Out: Communicating Complex Ideas with Concept Maps

Collaboration is now the norm in higher education, but how can we align and organize the knowledge and expertise of teachers, learners, and supporting staff? Concept maps—graphical representations of concepts and their relationships—are effective tools for fostering learning and sharing knowledge. At INHolland University, instructors learn to use visual diagrams in workshops and one-on-one consultations. This helps teachers and students create and structure complex ideas in teaching, learning, and research projects. Practices are shared online in a growing virtual community. At McGill University, librarians use concept mapping to design workshops and programs, to help students articulate their research projects and develop information skills, and to assess student understanding. In this hands-on session, staff from INHolland and McGill will present effective, practical ideas for applying concept mapping in instructional design, collaborative knowledge creation, and teaching. Participants will design a concept map using recommended software programs.

Please note that a laptop is required for this seminar.