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Concept Map

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What is a Concept Map?

A concept map is a graphical representation of ideas and concepts that are connected to each other. It can be used to organise complex information and show connections between different topics.

A concept map consists of nodes, which represent individual concepts, and connections between these nodes, which represent the relationships between the concepts. This visual representation makes it possible to present ideas in a clear and structured way and helps to discover new connections and perspectives.

 

What is a Concept Map used for?

Concept maps can be used in many different areas, such as education, business or personal development. By using a concept map, ideas can be better understood and further developed.

Here are some areas of possible uses for concept maps: 

  • Knowledge management: concept maps are used in companies and organisations to capture, organise and share knowledge. They help to visualise the tacit knowledge of employees and promote the understanding of business processes.

  • Problem solving: when solving complex problems, concept maps can help to recognise causes and correlations. They enable systematic thinking and the recognition of solution approaches.

  • Idea development: when ideas or concepts need to be developed, concept maps can be used to explore different aspects and clarify the relationships between ideas.

  • Project planning: in project management, concept maps can help to visualise tasks, goals and resources and thus support project planning.

  • Knowledge representation: in artificial intelligence and knowledge representation, concept maps are used as a way of structuring semantic knowledge and making it machine-readable.

  • Learning and teaching: teachers can use concept maps to explain complex topics to students and help them understand the relationships between different concepts. Students, in turn, can use concept maps to structure and consolidate their knowledge.

The difference between Concept Map & Mind Map

Concept maps and mind maps are two different types of graphical representations used to organise and visualise ideas, concepts and information. Although they pursue similar goals, they differ in structure and purpose:

Concept Map

Structure: concept maps have a net-like structure and are less hierarchical than mind maps. They consist of nodes, which represent concepts or ideas, and links, which represent the relationships between the concepts. The links can be directed to emphasise the nature of the relationship (cause-effect, part-whole, etc.).
 
Purpose: concept maps are used to visualise complex relationships between different concepts and information. They are particularly useful to promote understanding of relationships between concepts and to support structured thinking. Concept maps tend to be more detailed and are well suited to explaining complex topics or as a learning tool in educational contexts.
 
Connections: the connections in a concept map are often more specific and can represent different types of relationships that exist between concepts.

 

Mind Map

Connections: the connections in a concept map are often more specific and can represent different types of relationships that exist between concepts.

Purpose: mind maps are often used to develop creative ideas, promote brainstorming, take notes or organise learning content. They are usually less detailed than concept maps  and are well suited to presenting large amounts of information in a visually appealing and easily understandable way.

Connections: the connections in a mind map are usually simple and straightforward in order to emphasise the hierarchy of ideas.

To summarise, mind maps are more useful for exploring creative ideas and presenting the structure of information in an easily understandable way, while concept maps are used to illustrate complex relationships between concepts and promote a deeper understanding of areas of knowledge. However, both types of diagrams are valuable tools that can be used depending on the purpose and context.

 
Concept Map vs. Mind Map (1)

How do I create a Concept Map?

Below we give you step-by-step instructions on how to create a concept map.

  1. Choose a topic: decide on a specific topic that you would like to represent in the concept map. This can be a scientific concept, a problem, a project or any other type of information.

  2. Identify the main concepts: think about which main concepts or keywords are associated with the topic. These main concepts will later be the nodes in your concept map.

  3. Organise the main concepts: place the main concepts in the centre of your whiteboard and choose a representation that clearly shows that it is a main concept. 

  4. Identify relationships:  think about how the main concepts are connected. What relationships or connections exist between the concepts? The type of relationship determines the type of lines you will draw.
  5. Add sub-concepts: identify sub-concepts or details that are related to each main concept. Add them as branches or sub-branches that extend from the main concepts. Draw lines or arrows to show the relationships between the concepts. The lines can be directional to show the nature of the relationship (e.g. cause-effect, part-whole).

  6. Organise the Concept Map:  place the concepts and connections so that the concept map is clear and concise. Make sure that the connections are logical and the structure is easily recognisable. Refine and revise the concept map: Review your concept map for accuracy, completeness and clarity. You can further refine and improve it by adding colours, symbols or other details.

Collaboard offers a ready-made template for a Concept Map. Find out more about the Concept Map Vorlage in Collaboard.

Collaboard - Die intuitive Concept Map Software

Collaboard is an excellent tool to create a concept map as it offers many advantages that make it easier to create, edit and share a concept map.

Collaboard is very easy to use and quick to learn. You can create your first concept map in just a few minutes without much effort.

We have listed further reasons for creating concept maps with Collaboard here: 

  • Collaboration: With the Online Whiteboard Collaboard, multiple users can work on the same concept map at the same time, regardless of where they are located. This promotes collaboration and enables team members to share ideas and work on the concept map together in real time.

  • Flexibility: Collaboard provides a flexible workspace where you can easily move, connect and rearrange concepts and connections. This allows you to quickly experiment and customise the concept map to find the best representations.

  • Multimedia elements: In Collaboard, you can insert multimedia elements such as images, videos or links to make the concept map more vivid and interactive. This can be particularly helpful for explaining complex relationships or processes.

  • Concept Map Templates : Collaboard offer ready-made templates and specialised tools for creating concept maps. These can help you save time and create professional looking concept maps.

  • Security: Collaboard secures your concept maps to the highest standards. Collaboard offers GDPR-compliant cloud hosting with data storage in Europe or on-premises.

 

 

Concept Map: Examples & Templates

Below we have summarised examples of concept maps in the classroom and in everyday business life.

Concept Map for teaching at school

Concept map in biology: A concept map that combines different biological concepts such as cells, organs, metabolic pathways and evolutionary processes to promote the understanding of biological relationships.

Concept map for visualising a learning plan: A concept map that depicts the topics and subcategories of a learning plan or curriculum to visualise the learning progress and clarify the structure of the knowledge to be acquired.

Concept map in chemistry: A concept map that links the various chemical reactions, reaction mechanisms and compounds involved to promote a comprehensive understanding of chemistry.

Concept map in history lessons: A concept map that links important events, historical personalities, political developments and social movements to give an overview of the history of a particular period or country.

 

Concept Maps in everyday business 

Concept map to illustrate a corporate strategy: A concept map that combines the strategic goals of a company, the underlying tactics, the allocation of resources and the planned measures to achieve these goals.

Concept map in marketing: A concept map that illustrates the various elements of the marketing mix (product, price, promotion, distribution) and their interactions in order to develop an effective marketing strategy.

Project management concept map: A concept map that links the project phases, task distribution, dependencies between tasks and scheduling in a project to enable efficient project execution.

Concept map for product development: A concept map that links idea generation, the development process, quality control and the market launch of a product or service in order to structure the innovation process.
 
Concept map for depicting an organisational culture: A concept map that combines values, norms, communication structures and behaviours in an organisation in order to understand the corporate culture and plan possible changes.
 
There are numerous templates for all the examples mentioned so that you don't have to start from scratch. Using a template, you can quickly and easily customise a concept map for your use case. 

The benefits of a Concept Map

Concept maps offer you numerous advantages. We have summarised the five most important advantages of concept maps here: 

  • Structured thinking: a concept map promotes structured thinking as it helps to translate complex information into clear, well-organised patterns. The visual representation of concepts and their relationships makes it easier to understand relationships and to grasp complex issues clearly.

  • Clear communication: concept maps enable effective communication of ideas and information. They help to visualise complex content simply and clearly so that it is easier to understand and share with others. This facilitates collaboration and the exchange of knowledge in groups or teams.

  • Better learning and understanding: the visual nature of concept maps makes them an effective learning tool. They support learning by encouraging learners to make connections between different concepts and better embed knowledge. By actively creating a concept map, learners become creators of their own knowledge.

  • Faster problem solving and decision making: concept maps can also be used as a tool for problem solving and decision making. They help to analyse complex problems, identify cause-and-effect relationships and visualise alternative solutions. This encourages systematic and critical thinking.

  • Increased creativity: concept maps are also useful for developing creative ideas and finding innovative solutions. They can serve as a starting point for brainstorming sessions and enable different ideas to be linked together and new connections to be made.
 

Concept Map - Frequently asked questions & answers

 

What is a Concept Map?

A concept map visualises relationships between concepts and ideas using a graphical tool or diagram. Typically, ideas are represented in boxes or circles (also known as nodes) and arranged hierarchically. These nodes are connected by lines or arrows (also called arcs) to show the connections between the concepts. The lines are labelled with connecting words and phrases to explain the relationships between the concepts.


What does a Concept Map looks like?

In a concept map, you will find main concepts and sub-concepts that are visualised in boxes, circles or using media. These main concepts and sub-concepts are connected to each other by lines, which represent relationships and hierarchies. There are very different ways of visualising concept maps.


How do I create a Concept Map?

Select a topic and identify the main concepts that will serve as nodes in the concept map. Place these main concepts in the centre of the whiteboard. Find the relationships between the concepts and draw corresponding lines to illustrate the connections. Add sub-concepts as branches that emanate from the main concepts and organise the concept map logically and clearly. If necessary, revise the map by adding colours, symbols or other details to make it clearer and more appealing.


Which tools can I use to create a Concept Map?

There are specific solutions that are completely focussed on the creation of concept maps. The online whiteboard has proven to be a good tool for creating concept maps. A concept map can be created on an infinitely large whiteboard surface, either alone or in a team.