Concept mapping is a tool used to visualize relationships and information surrounding a specific topic (Lanzing, 1998). While it is a common pedagogical tool to allow teachers a view into the way students understand a concept, it is also often used in a variety of industries for prototyping and design purposes. Though concept mapping can be applied to innovative educational practices, it is actually not a new approach, and can be traced back to the 1970’s (IHMC, n.d.).

There are earlier versions of concept mapping before Dr. Novak included them in his publications though, and one of the more famous ones can be seen below, completed by Walt Disney:

(Disney, 1957).

Concept mapping can be something as simple as a sketched-out brainstorm, or detailed enough to communicate a business plan (like Disney’s). Researchers have also found that it can be used in high-level classes as an indicator of summative understanding. For example, instructors in a college biology course have used concept mapping to show the relationships between biological phrases (Javonillo, et al, 2019).

As a perpetual learner, I personally enjoy creating concept maps both at the beginning of a project or study and also at the end. It helps me process the information I begin with, identify what exactly I’m curious about, and also allows me some reflective time to synthesize all I have learned at the end. When I was a teacher, I used to encourage students to do the same task in their science journals, which I believe is an invaluable skill. Concept mapping is seamlessly connected to the topics discussed in this affordance - specifically melding cognition and meta-cognition together.

Institute for Human and Machine Cognition (IHMC), (n.d.). "Joseph D. Novak". Retrieved 2022-01-10 from https://www.ihmc.us/groups/jnovak/.

Lanzing, J. (1998) Concept Mapping: Tools for Echoing the Minds Eye, Journal of Visual Literacy, 18:1, 1-14, DOI: 10.1080/23796529.1998.11674524

Javonillo, R., & Martin-Dunlop, C. (2019). Linking Phrases for Concept Mapping in Introductory College Biology. Bioscene: Journal of College Biology Teaching, 45(3), 34–38.

Zenger, T. (2014, August 7). The Disney recipe. Harvard Business Review. Retrieved January 10, 2023, from https://hbr.org/2013/05/what-makes-a-good-corporate-st