Definition of Concept Map

It is called with the terms conceptual map to that strategy from learning arisen within constructivism that will produce widely significant results in terms of learning precisely, just by establishing the relationship between concepts in an orderly way. Among the basic characteristics of this type of strategy we can mention the simplification, the impact visual and hierarchy.

The hierarchy is what will allow us to order concepts, which will go into this type of strategy from the most general and inclusive, in the upper part, towards the lower part in which those concepts more specific.

For its part, the visual impact will imply presenting the concepts and themes through a scheme that seeks to clean up and clarify issues and thus reduce clutter and confusion. For this reason that we comment is that they are generally recommended to avoid a possible situation of confusion, use very large ovals, as they are the most recommended when it comes to pleasing the eye and attracting attention visual. Triangles and squares are less effective at generating interest.

And finally, simplification, what it supposes and proposes is the selection of those most important concepts, making an analysis on the content that marks the central information of the text from which it is not so that in this way it can be better understood and the absorbed content better elaborated.

The different concepts as they are related by means of what is known as link words, will be stored in the mind of the student in a differentiated, organized and hierarchical way and obviously, the student will understand them much better than when, for example, he uses the memory as a learning strategy. Because he learned it but because he understood it before, he did not learn it, as is popularly said, as a parrot and then he repeats it, a fact that of course will make the concept fade out of the mind in a short time because the understanding of the same before.

Likewise, by making these relationships, it is proven that the individual participates more and contributes to developing their creativityIn other words, what this type of strategy does and promotes is that the student is really interested in what he is learning and that he is fully aware of it.