Concept Maps: Just picture it!

Like essays, concept maps can be used for learning or assessment. Also called graphic organizers or mind maps, they help students visually represent concepts and relationships.

Concept maps can vary in structure and purpose. They can illustrate hierarchical structures, key concepts (spider chart), processes, or decision trees.

Concept Maps Encourage Deeper Understanding

Concept maps give students a deeper understanding of concepts, processes or events. When students develop a concept map they must specify the interrelationships between concepts which:

  • encourages complex, critical thinking
  • stimulates deeper understanding and long-term memory of concepts
  • requires learners to identify, classify and organize concepts and see relationships
  • integrates new knowledge into existing cognitive structures

When are concept maps a good assessment choice?

Concept maps are useful for formative or summative assessment in any subject area. They give you a picture—literally—of how students understand, organize or interpret concepts so you can
correct misconceptions in student understanding.

Assessment Tip
We do not all mentally structure concepts the same way, so unless there is a specific organization or relationships that students need to know, allow for individual interpretations of concepts and relationships.