OneTaskBy Tim King · Updated
Concept Map Maker
Linked Ideas from Typed Propositions, Free
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How the Concept Map Maker works
This concept map maker draws how ideas connect. Type each link as "Concept -> linking words -> Concept", one per line, and the page places the first concept at the top, arranges the others in levels below it and writes the linking words on each arrow. Count the cross-links, switch to curved lines if the map is busy and download as SVG or PNG. Nothing is uploaded.
Concept map maker: links that say something
A concept map is a set of ideas joined by labelled arrows. The labels matter: "Plants -> need -> Sunlight" is a complete statement, called a proposition, that can be true or false. That is what separates a concept map from a mind map, where branches only show that two ideas are related. Writing propositions forces you to say how ideas relate, which is why concept maps are used to study, to check understanding and to plan essays and lessons.
Where concept maps come from
Joseph Novak and his team at Cornell University developed concept mapping in the 1970s while studying how children's understanding of science changed. Novak's guidance is to start from a focus question, put the most general concepts at the top and more specific ones lower down, and look for cross-links between different parts of the map, which show where ideas in separate areas connect.
Writing the propositions
- One proposition per line: "Concept -> linking words -> Concept".
- The linking words are usually a verb phrase: "needs", "is part of", "produces".
- Use the same spelling every time a concept appears, since the name joins the lines.
- A line with only a name adds a concept with no links yet.
- Lines starting with "#" are comments.
How the layout and stats work
The first concept you type is the main idea and goes at the top. Concepts linked to it go on the next level, concepts linked to those on the level after, and so on. Levels counts those rows. Cross-links counts propositions that skip a level or join concepts on the same level. Novak treats these as a sign of deeper understanding, because they connect separate branches. For a quick radial brainstorm with no labels use the mind map maker, and for large networks with no main idea try the network graph maker.
FAQ
What is the difference between a concept map and a mind map?
A mind map branches out from one central topic and the branches are not labelled. A concept map can link any concept to any other and every link carries words that turn it into a statement, so it shows how ideas relate rather than only that they do.
Why is my main idea not at the top?
The first concept on the first line is placed at the top. Reorder the lines so a proposition starting with your main idea comes first, or add a line with just the main idea's name at the very top.
What counts as a cross-link?
Any proposition that does not simply join one level to the next one down: links between concepts on the same level, or links that skip levels. They often show connections between separate parts of a topic.
When should I use curved links?
Curved links help when straight arrows overlap or pass through boxes, which happens when several concepts on one level link to each other. Straight links are easier to follow in small, tidy maps.
See also: all Diagram Makers tools, Images, Audio, Video & Screen, PDF, SVG, Simulations & Screensavers, Generative Art, Chart Makers, 3D Model Viewers, Drawing Pads, Mockups & 3D Making, 3D Science, Tracker Music.
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