Digital mindmaps

Using a digital mind map to stop the ‘copy and paste syndrome’

by Suzie Vesper, CORE Education

Learning@School Hamilton, 2012

Using a digital mind map to stop the ‘copy and paste

syndrome’.

Using a digital mind map to stop the ‘copy and paste

syndrome’.

by Suzie Vesper, CORE Educationby Suzie Vesper, CORE Education

Karin’s experience

Yr 7/8 teacher

Karin’s experience

Yr 7/8 teacher

As a class, I noticed that when students researched

topics they tended to copy/paste, change a few words and then assure me

that it was in their own words despite the fact that chunks of information had vocabulary and phrasing

that was not typical of other work they had produced.

Many thought that to change one or two minor words for a synonym was

sufficient to call it their own writing.

The issueThe issue• The internet has put a huge

amount of information online for students to access.

• It is very easy for students to move information around and ‘reuse it’ now that it is digitised.

• Many students don’t have the skills to effectively process this information.

• Students will often take the option that requires the least work for them!

• Students struggle to understand the concept of copyright when things seem so freely available.

• The internet has put a huge amount of information online for students to access.

• It is very easy for students to move information around and ‘reuse it’ now that it is digitised.

• Many students don’t have the skills to effectively process this information.

• Students will often take the option that requires the least work for them!

• Students struggle to understand the concept of copyright when things seem so freely available.

Understanding plagiarismUnderstanding plagiarism

Examples:•‘Copy and paste’ from sources without using quote marks.•Paraphrasing the writing from a source by only changing a few details and then saying it is in ‘your own words’.•Not citing your sources.

Examples:•‘Copy and paste’ from sources without using quote marks.•Paraphrasing the writing from a source by only changing a few details and then saying it is in ‘your own words’.•Not citing your sources.

Plagiarism — claiming the ideas, research, theories or words of others as one's own.

Plagiarism — claiming the ideas, research, theories or words of others as one's own.

Image: The word for the day is "knowledge", pass it on by Stephen Poff on Flickr

One way to deal with plagiarismChange the format!

One way to deal with plagiarismChange the format!

Text heavy website

Every time the format is changed, students have to reprocess the information which is a higher

order thinking task.

The benefits of mindmapsThe benefits of mindmaps

They encourage students to think about information in new ways because the focus is on

how the information is connected.

They encourage students to think about information in new ways because the focus is on

how the information is connected.


Animal

Characteristics

Structuring information helps students to see relationships to previous learning which helps them to

retain the knowledge for longer.

Structuring information helps students to see relationships to previous learning which helps them to

retain the knowledge for longer.

Appearance

Habitat

Reproduction


Topic

Sub-topic heading

Students can’t simply ‘copy and paste’. With graphic organisers, you remove the words and focus on the

connections.

Students can’t simply ‘copy and paste’. With graphic organisers, you remove the words and focus on the

connections.

Information - key words




Sub-topic key words



Sub-topic key words



Sub-topic key words


Organising information helps students to identify the gaps in knowledge for further research.

Organising information helps students to identify the gaps in knowledge for further research.

Topic

Sub-topic heading


?



Sub-topic key words

?


Sub-topic key words


?Sub-topic key words


Topic

Sub-topic heading

Mindmaps help students to see patterns within the information.

Mindmaps help students to see patterns within the information.





Sub-topic key words



Sub-topic key words



Sub-topic key words


Topic

Sub-topic heading

An excellent way for students to demonstrate their understanding of a topic or concept.

An excellent way for students to demonstrate their understanding of a topic or concept.





Sub-topic key words



Sub-topic key words



Sub-topic key words

✔

✔

✔

✔

✔

✔

✔

✔


They are great for visual thinkers or those that need to practice their visual literacy.

They are great for visual thinkers or those that need to practice their visual literacy.

Image: Eye Candy by Timothy Valentine on Flickr

http://www.flickr.com/photos/el_ramon/3296517818/in/gallery-ellinz-72157629008824719/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/el_ramon/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/el_ramon/

The benefits of digital mindmapsThe benefits of digital mindmaps

Topic

Sub-topic heading

Children can easily make revise, reorganise and make changes to a digital mindmap. This can help them to take different perspectives which helps

students to clarify their thinking. Each version can also be documented easily to show progress.

Children can easily make revise, reorganise and make changes to a digital mindmap. This can help them to take different perspectives which helps

students to clarify their thinking. Each version can also be documented easily to show progress.


Key question to research



Sub-topic key words



Sub-topic key

words



Sub-topic key

words

Version one Version two

Topic


Topic

Sub-topic heading





Sub-topic key words



Sub-topic key words



Sub-topic key words


Students can collaborate with other students, both locally and globally, to build a mindmap that shows their combined knowledge (using an online tool). This

can facilitate discussions in order to deepen understandings.

Students can collaborate with other students, both locally and globally, to build a mindmap that shows their combined knowledge (using an online tool). This

can facilitate discussions in order to deepen understandings.

Image: Working Together Teamwork Puzzle Concept by Lumaxart on Flickr

Animal

Characteristics

Text - key words


Calendar - breading season


Reproduction

Image of the animal


Appearance


Map of the area

Habitat


Students can add a multi-media objects to their mindmap to enrich the information and use a range of communication modes.

Students can add a multi-media objects to their mindmap to enrich the information and use a range of communication modes.


Mindmaps can easily be shared with the class via the data projector or placed online to share with a much bigger audience.

Mindmaps can easily be shared with the class via the data projector or placed online to share with a much bigger audience.

Parents

The world

Karin’s teacher inquiryKarin’s teacher inquiry

Explored different mindmap tools for the students to use to document their research on

the biography of a sports person and decided on SpiderScribe.net

Students were shown how to use the tool and then completed a mindmap. They were then

asked to reorganise their map according to the paragraphs they intended to write. The

mindmaps were printed off and used as a reference for students during an assessed

writing sample.

Karin compared previous writing results where the students had used written notes for support to results using the mindmaps. Karin also asked

the students to give her feedback on the process.

Spiderscribe - The interfaceSpiderscribe - The interface

Drag on these types of objects

Drag on these types of objects

Export to image

Export to image

Drag and move the map area

Drag and move the map area

Spiderscribe - CustomisationsSpiderscribe - Customisations

Example of a student’s workExample of a student’s work

Results of student’s using a digital mindmap

Quotes from Karin


Quotes from KarinMoving the parts of the mind map around to organise the structure for their paragraphs was easy and therefore the students were able to focus on the cognitive task at hand.

I was very happy with the quality of these information reports as most were clear and well-ordered with good information that

was correctly paragraphed, sequential and generally in their own words. The ability to label and move grouped information around as they researched on the internet in preparation for

their report writing was a significant advantage.

The majority of the class wrote a report at AsTTle Level 4 which was pleasing. I believe that they were more confident undertaking the assessment with the mindmaps as a point of reference and that the process they went through helped to

improve their information literacy skills.


Quotes from students


Quotes from students

I found the programme very, very helpful. Instead of having my planning spread out on a word document, it makes it

succinct and it's easier to write your biography.

Spiderscribe is very useful to use and it helped lots with note-taking. I had more than enough information to write a

biography.

"Spiderscribe is very useful to use and you can easily organise topics into sub-topics"

"Very fun with a new experience and it was easy to write a biography with the notes"

Digital mind map toolsOnline, open source and mobile apps

Digital mind map toolsOnline, open source and mobile apps

Online

SpiderScribeSpiderScribe

Blog with 15 mindmapping toolsWiki page with mindmapping tools

Download (PC & Mac)

Mind42Mind42

CmapCmap

FreeMindFreeMind

MindmeisterMindmeister

bubbl.usbubbl.us Total RecallTotal Recall

Mobile Apps

SimpleMind+SimpleMind+

http://www.spiderscribe.net/

http://www.spiderscribe.net/

http://spyrestudios.com/15-great-mindmapping-tools-and-apps/

Snapshots on Software for LearningSnapshots on Software for Learning

Karin’s story is just one of many examples of effective ICT in practice that are available as

snapshots on the Software for Learning website.

http://softwareforlearning.tki.org.nz/Snapshots/

Digital mindmaps

Education

Transcript of Digital mindmaps