Showing posts with label
List of concept- and mind-mapping software.
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Showing posts with label
List of concept- and mind-mapping software.
Show all posts
Expansive features and real-time collaborative functions elevate MindMaple’s potential as education technology.
MindMaple Inc. has released v1.61 of their mind mapping software, MindMaple. Developed with students and teachers in mind, this version seeks to bridge the gap between instructor and student, and overcome the restrictions of group work.
MindMaple v1.61 includes improved formatting, export options and increased style options. The cloud-based collaborative function is arguably the most notable feature added to this update. This feature allows users to upload, save, and launch mind maps or information maps, to their Google Drive. The cloud-based functionality allows the publisher and collaborator to utilize and edit the mind map from any location equipped with an Internet connection. Instructors can upload syllabi, lecture outlines and such, online for students to readily access. Students can upload organized lecture notes or brainstorm group assignments without having to hover over one computer screen. MindMaple’s collaborative feature seeks to improve the process of group work and content creation.
Another useful feature for educators and students alike are the added template and theme maps. Templates, such as lesson plans, and themes, like Blackboard, offer recommendations on how the software can be utilized in the classroom. The sample maps can be altered to fit the needs of the user or used as a source of inspiration.
Read more: sfgate.com
Ajay was sitting in the economics class. Prof Bhushan was delivering a lecture on market structures. His lecture was interesting, informative and interactive.
Ajay was stimulated by the ideas being proposed and discussed and he began actively participating. Four weeks later, when internal exams were over, the results surprised both the Professor and his student. Prof Bhushan called Ajay to his cabin and gently asked "Ajay! I expected you to be in the top ten in the class! What happened? Any problem?"
Ajay responded, "I am surprised too sir! I thought I had understood all you said. I do remember many examples you have given as well. But as you have pointed out in my paper, my answers were not balanced between theory and examples. I had many new ideas in the class. I was confused. I guess there was too much information and too less time to think and answer."
Challenging Task
The daunting task of note taking for a student involves several challenges outlined below:
n There is too much of information to handle from various sources. It’s often required to systematically organize information to write an exam or to participate in a discussion.
- There is often the question of focus. Where should the student focus in the class? On writing notes or on listening to the lecture!
- How can one keep track of one's own ideas and questions?
- How can one keep updating the information as and when they find new information, new links and add new ideas throughout the learning period?
These challenges usually make the student to resort to short cuts such as memorising and reading from handbooks. As a result learning becomes routine and boring. These practices in the long-run erode the teacher-student relationship. What is needed, therefore, is a tool that can keep the creative potential of the student alive and at the same time be useful for note taking.
The Concept
Tony Buzan, in 1970s', introduced the concept of mind mapping for taking down notes in a quick manner. The technique was to begin with a central idea written down at the center of a page. Various thoughts about the core idea are then drawn as branches.
Thoughts and ideas about a specific branch are recorded as sub-branches leading out from the main branches. Associations across branches can be made to allow for forming relationships amongst various thoughts.
So, by being skilled in the art of mind mapping, students can capture key information in the class, while being focused on listening and participating. They can follow their own line of thinking and continue expanding on it after the class. They can connect different concepts and help themselves to discover new knowledge. Their discussions with their teachers and co-students can be much more meaningful and satisfactory.
The process of mind mapping
A mind map usually begins with a "Central Idea" or "Theme" with branches flowing out of it. Each branch represents a distinct sub-theme of the central idea. For example, the teacher might have started the class saying, "Today, we are going to talk about job analysis and its utility."
So, the map would begin by writing "Job Analysis" in the center of the sheet and then circling it. Then as the class progresses sub-themes are added.
The teacher might have given the components of the job analysis, discussed the steps required to carry out Job Analysis, and its applications in organizations.
To capture the above information, a branch from the central theme is drawn and labeled "Components". The branch line is thicker when it begins on the circle and gradually thins out as it ends. All branches and sub-branches follow the same pattern.
Different colours for different branches can be used to make the map more meaningful and creative. Coming back to the example, as there are many components, each component can be represented on a sub-branch, flowing out of the main branch.
To capture more information about each component, further sub-branches can be drawn. Similarly the “Steps “and “Applications” can be drawn as main branches and sub-branches can be added to extend more information. More branches can be added to capture new ideas, questions and other information.
Now, you may find that a concept that is presently being discussed is related to some other concept discussed earlier. To capture this, the two linked concepts are identified and are connected with a dotted line. A label is added to that relationship to describe the nature of relationship.
To add more meaning and creativity to the map, different colours can be used. Pictures that are descriptive of the key-words can also be added. Though, there is actually no end to when a map can be complete, it can capture enough information to use for reference, not only to do preparatory work, but also for exams.
Other uses for students
- Exam preparation: Once the mind maps of your subjects are ready, its easier to prepare for exams. To master the content, simply re-drawing the mind map and comparing it with the original will clearly show where gaps exist.
A question paper can be taken and the map can be examined to see if it contains information required to answer all the questions.
If not, such information can be added from various sources. There is no need to carry heavy notes and books to the examination centre.
- Preparing presentations: Mind maps can be used to bring in originality and creativity to presentations. Apart from the content, branches that outline key notes about the audience, the time to be spent on each topic, the goals of the presenter, and much more information can be captured.
Original ideas and points of discussion can be brought out on separate branches. As the discussion progresses during the presentation, it can be dynamically added to the mind map.
Who Uses Mind Maps?
Managers use mind maps as a tool to document brain-storming sessions and managing long meetings. Writers capture their plot ideas for their stories.
Lawyers and doctors have extensively used this technique for capturing their analyses and diagnoses. Teachers use it to plan their classes.
Other Uses of Mind Maps
Mind maps can be used for several purposes apart from taking notes. The following are some of the uses that people around the world have found for mind maps:
- Problem solving
- Outline / framework design
- Anonymous collaboration
- Marriage of words and visuals
- Individual expression of creativity
- Condensing material into a concise and memorable format
- Team building or synergy creating activity
- Enhancing work morale
Source: deccanherald.com
Take control of life in 2013 by compiling thoughts and goals into one central, accessible space. This simple step increases the likelihood of success by giving goal-setters a place to refine their ambitions.
One way to catalog and organize goals is to use a mind map. Lucidchart has just improved their mind mapping tool with collapsible branches, which means that it is easier than ever to keep thoughts organized.
A mind map starts with a central theme and branches out into subtopics. Each subtopic can then be broken down into smaller sections with greater detail. For example, if one's goal is to lose weight, make the central topic “Lose weight.” Subtopics could include “Cut down on drinking/smoking”, “Dine out less frequently”, and “Try one new vegetarian dish per week.”
Mind maps are also ideal for achieving professional goals. Eliza Wright, PR representative at Lucidchart, said, "Mind maps make sense not only for solidifying goals, but for tracking progress over time. To make a greater impact at work, you can use feedback from your peers and supervisors to shape your central topic and subtopics, then do some research on how to meet those objectives.”
All of this information can be housed and neatly organized within the mind map itself. Because of their visual nature, mind maps enable the goal setter to see and digest crucial information at a glance.
When considering diagramming programs, Lucidchart is an outstanding choice. The benefits of using an online diagramming tool are numerous, and include advantages like:
Greater security - Traditional mind mapping programs require a download and installation. With Lucidchart, there is no need to worry about malicious software or viruses, because no downloading is required.
Faster diagramming - Use hot keys to speed up the diagramming process. Hot keys are simple, intuitive keyboard shortcuts that enable mind map creation in just seconds. Mind map branches are collapsible for enhanced readability.
Peace of mind - Each document hosted on Lucidchart is backed up to multiple secure data centers, so there are no worries about backing up or losing data. Lucidchart also maintains robust revision histories, so reverting to an earlier mind map version is always possible.
On-the-go access - Lucidchart is built on open web standards, which means that diagrams are accessible from any location, on any browser, with any device. An Internet connection is the only requirement.
Try Lucidchart for mind mapping today, and see how their latest features make diagram creation both speedy and easy.
Source: sfgate.com
With a new 2013 interface, powerful usability upgrades and enhanced project management features, MindView 5 sets the NEW industry standard for Mind Mapping software.
The highly anticipated release of MindView 5 defines what a product upgrade should be. MatchWare revamped the software from the ground up, focusing on improving user experience and productivity. MindView 5 sets the standard for mind mapping software with the industry’s best MS Office integration and comes with the new 2013 interface. With enhanced editing, new map styles and powerful navigation options, mind mapping sessions will be more engaging than ever before!
MatchWare’s Product Manager Thomas Henriksen explains, “After nearly 2 years of gathering user feedback, and months of product research, we are proud to release MindView 5. With an enhanced interface, optimized MS Office integration and powerful project planning features, MindView 5 improves usability and the presentation of ideas, making users more efficient in their daily work. MindView 5 is an invaluable asset for any organization.”
MindView 5’s Feature Highlights
- MS Office® 2013 Interface with new Timeline and Outline modes
- Enhanced MS Office® integration
- New Map Styles and Custom Map Style Designer
- Inclusion and auto generation of Citation and Bibliography information
- Improved Calculation feature including Constants, Resources and Materials
- Map Nav Pins (Bookmarks) & Legends
- Powerful Project Management features
- Much more…
The Industry Leader in Mind Mapping Software Optimized for Project Management
MindView 5’s greatest improvements are the project management upgrades. Users can now take advantage of individual resource calendars, resource and material cost, effort driven scheduling, inactive tasks, improved project reports and task types such as fixed units, fixed duration or fixed work. When visualizing branch data, users can now show estimated, actual and remaining work/cost data as well as apply a true WBS numbering scheme where the root is level 1. For those MS Project® enthusiasts, these new features can be exported directly to MS Project, improving the synergy between MindView and MS Project®.
“With MindView 5’s new individual resource calendars, costs and effort driven tasks along with the MS Project integration my scheduling has improved, making MindView an invaluable tool during my initial planning stage.”, states Jim Franklin, Project Manager at The Shaw Group & Instructor at the University of California San Diego.
Djamila Mauclaire, IT Director at BNP Paribas states, “MindView has helped our PMO achieve a 30% increase in productivity by streamlining processes and eliminating rework. By brainstorming in the WBS view, we can capture stake holder requirements and project elements vital to meeting our deadlines. The integration with MS Office helps us produce project ready reports and documents to keep our teams up to speed.”
MatchWare has also improved the MatchWare Shared Workspace, enabling MindView users to collaborate and share maps in the cloud.
MindView 5 offers a wide range of powerful new features that help maximize productivity while saving both time and money. At a onetime fee of $379 for a single user it is a tool that no business should be without.
To order MindView 5 or to download a demo version, please visit www.matchware.com
Source: blogit.realwire.com
The program is easy to install and lets you organise ideas and plans visually. It also has useful tools such as output to Microsoft Office and a PDF export optionMind mapping software can be a great help for organising complicated pieces of work in a visual way, especially if there are relationships between different topics that don't work well in basic lists. Mind Maple impressed us as being more attractive than the open source Freemind but without the hefty price tag of Mindjet's Mind Manager.Installation is simple. This is the Lite version of Mind Maple that is free to use. Mind Maple Pro has some extra tools if you are willing to pay the cost, more on that later.First impressions are very good. The interface is clean and follows the new Ribbon design. A demonstration map is displayed when Mind Maple starts for the first time that gives a good idea of the different ways of organising maps.Adding information to a map is easy and can be done without having to resort to using the mouse. This helps avoid breaking your flow and is essential if you are taking notes with Mind Maple.The Insert keys adds a new level of topic and the Enter key will add a new entry at the same level. The cursor keys can be used to move around the map.There are tools to help keep the design of your maps in order with settings for the direction of new topics, numbering, alignment, sorting and a balance map tool. The latter is useful for making the most of available space when printing as mind maps can take up a lot of space.The printing dialogue includes a page preview and all the options that are familiar from Microsoft Office.The ability to export maps into other formats is an essential tool, at some point maps normally need to be converted into a piece of prose or shared with someone who might not find mind maps easy to use. There is a good range of export options including Microsoft Word, plain text, HTML, Excel and Powerpoint. The Microsoft Office export will only work if those programs are installed on your computer so users of Libre Office or other alternatives will have to stick with the HTML or plain text.The HTML export will include relationships between topics as links within the document.
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