Concept mapping

concept maps, network diagrams, relationships, links, interconnectedness, connections

Presenting ideas in the form of a concept map or network diagram is a good way to show relationships and the interconnectedness of items.

What can I do with concept maps?

One way this could be used is to show the way that academic texts interrelate. E.g. 

students show particular types of relationships between academic texts (using different colours and/or arrows for each type):

• containing similar content
• responding to a text
• building upon a text

What tools are available?

Some tools available to do this include:

• Visio
• Draw.io (used to be called Diagram.ly) (online, free): https://www.draw.io
• Pencil Project (free, for Windows): http://pencil.evolus.vn
• OpenOffice Draw (free): http://www.openoffice.org/download
• LibreOffice Draw (free): http://www.libreoffice.org
• LucidChart (online, free for single use): https://www.lucidchart.com
• MindMeister (3 map limit for free version): https://www.mindmeister.com
• Connected Mind (free Chrome app/ paid Android/iDevice apps): https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/connected-mind/pmkffmgahaepmhkhkblhopnpleeikokc?hl=en Top tip: Read http://connected-mind.appspot.com/FAQ.html before use.
• CMap Tools (free): http://ftp.ihmc.us (download from: http://cmap.ihmc.us/download/dlp_CmapTools.php)

See a comparison of some of these free tools: http://www.maketecheasier.com/5-best-free-alternatives-to-microsoft-visio/