Advancing Learning 2018

Mind maps use in education range in a variety of applications, from note-taking to organizing and planning.  They can also be used as a strategy for collaborative learning where groups of students are required to communicate and negotiate, which leads to greater individual understanding. Furthermore, the inclusion of technology in education has allowed new affordances for mind map creation such as hypertext, infinite changes, and the insertion of media (images, videos, hyperlinks, and others). In the Mathematics Education program at Western University, online mind mapping has been included as a strategy for collaborative work for over a year, using the online version of Mindomo, a visual tool approved by the Ontario Software Acquisition Program Advisory Committee (OSAPAC). By including the use of Mindomo in the teacher education program, it is expected that TCs develop familiarity with a visual tool they could use in their classrooms.

This session presents a descriptive case study of the activities developed with teacher candidates, along with general results in terms of experiential and learning outcomes. The experience showed that Mindomo afforded new possibilities when compared to online forums, such as connecting, organizing, and including images or videos. Students had mixed opinions about the mind map activity. Some believed it was harder work and an overwhelming activity, while others liked the ability to see everyone's contributions and to choose where to participate. Finally, students were able to improve the continuity of contents between face-to-face sessions and online activities, increase their technological competence, and exercise collaboration skills.