This week students at every level from kindergarten to college have returned to school. But, hitting the proverbial books may no longer hold true as teachers and professors increasingly shelve print materials and transition to digital content.
Students must learn how to derive meaningful information from digital content and develop 21st century skills to be prepared for the demands of college and careers in the future. Concept mapping is one method students can use to ensure they are gaining deeper understanding of online material and exercising higher order thinking.
Findings from the white paper, The Science Behind Ideaphora, demonstrate how concept mapping supports students in studying, retaining and applying knowledge:
“Brullo (2012) found that students who created concept maps while taking notes had better test recall, could access information more quickly during tests, and scored better on content post-tests than students who did not have the concept mapping experience. According to Brullo (2012), students who created concept maps were thinking on a deeper level about the text prior to taking the post-test as these students quickly recalled information and answered the questions."
While studying course texts and videos, students can use Ideaphora to take notes, organize their thoughts, and connect ideas. The map below shows how high school and college students can make their thinking visible as they learn and review curriculum concepts from digital sources right alongside their map. Unlike note cards, concept maps help students analyze complex relationships between ideas and create personalized connections to the material.
Ideaphora automatically derives key concepts and images from the digital content for students to use in their maps, providing them the opportunity to connect words and visuals for greater comprehension of the material. As students learn new information or need to correct an error in their reasoning, they can easily manipulate their maps through Ideaphora's simplified interface featuring drag-and-drop keywords and tools to change colors, shapes and connectors. In addition, students need only click on the playback buttons on map nodes to go directly back to the point in the source material from which the concept was derived to aid their studying and review as well as to clarifiy conceptual connections. These and other features provide students with a supportive environment that fosters and helps structure their learning. Research detailed in the white paper indicates that these types of scaffolded supports enable students to understand text that would otherwise be too difficult for them, a critical benefit for students as they face increasingly rigorous coursework when they advance to upper level high school classes and to college.
Additionally, Ideaphora provides a wealth of open resources for students to discover and use in their maps for homework, research and other assigned projects. Searching by keyword, such as "mitochondria," not only reveals relevant, vetted resources, it also helps students find the exact spot in the material in which the keyword is used so they can quickly and easily connect concepts on their map.
Students and their families can start the school year off right with the most effective study strategies and tools for academic success all year long. For a limited time, Ideaphora is offering individual annual licenses for students and other educational users at an introductory price. Learn more or buy today!
