5A MINDMAPPING - Sketchnoting and Brainstorming
Watch the video for today by clicking the button above.
You'll learn how to organize both output and input information using a visual technique called mindmapping.
You can use mindmapping to brainstorm and get creative ideas (output) or to record lectures and take notes (input) to remember.
You'll learn how to organize both output and input information using a visual technique called mindmapping.
You can use mindmapping to brainstorm and get creative ideas (output) or to record lectures and take notes (input) to remember.
OUTPUT |
INPUT |
Mindmapping for output
is sometimes also called 'spider mapping', 'concept mapping', or 'semantic mapping'. It's a fast and creative way to come up with a lot of ideas in a short time, without having to stop and organize them. It works in any language and for any topic. You will usually do two drafts: a rough draft where you write down everything that comes into your head without editing or stopping, and then a final draft where you choose the best ideas, organize information, and make it attractive/ interesting. |
Mindmapping for input
is sometimes also called 'visual notetaking' , 'graphic visualization, or 'sketchnoting'. It uses images to convey complex ideas simply and effectively. It helps you synthesize and recall information. It works in any language and for any subject. You will usually do two drafts: a rough draft where you get as much of the important information as possible, as you hear or see it, and then a final draft which is laid out to show the thesis, the main points, and the supporting details as clearly as you can. |
INSTRUCTIONS:
1. Click the button above to watch the video lesson for today's class.
2. Now let's practice mindmapping as a notetaking process. You will need some blank A4 paper, a black pen, and one coloured marker or highlighter to use for accents. You can make your mindmap in landscape or portrait format - landscape is more common.
Usually when you take notes using this method, you can follow this process:
a) write the topic, thesis, or main idea in the centre of the rough draft paper
b) listen to the lecture, video, TED talk, etc. and write down supporting ideas as they happen.
c) add details to the supporting ideas
d) when the author/speaker makes connections between points, add in lines or arrows to make similar connections.
e) if the author/speaker refers to people, places, or things, make a quick doodle/illustration plus the name to remind you of their importance
f) when you are finished, look at your rough draft and see if you need to move any ideas or points to make them better organized and visually easier to understand. Use bigger or darker letters for main ideas and smaller letters for subpoints. Is there a strong image you can use as a main graphic for the final draft?
g) create your final draft, writing neatly and keeping information short and clear. You can use colour, borders, shadows, or doodled images to emphasize important areas. Use pictures to replace words when you can, keep sentences point-form.
3. Your task for Week 5A is to mindmap the video below. Please watch it with paper and pen, and take notes! This video is a short and simple introduction to mindmapping in university, by a nursing student.
2. Now let's practice mindmapping as a notetaking process. You will need some blank A4 paper, a black pen, and one coloured marker or highlighter to use for accents. You can make your mindmap in landscape or portrait format - landscape is more common.
Usually when you take notes using this method, you can follow this process:
a) write the topic, thesis, or main idea in the centre of the rough draft paper
b) listen to the lecture, video, TED talk, etc. and write down supporting ideas as they happen.
c) add details to the supporting ideas
d) when the author/speaker makes connections between points, add in lines or arrows to make similar connections.
e) if the author/speaker refers to people, places, or things, make a quick doodle/illustration plus the name to remind you of their importance
f) when you are finished, look at your rough draft and see if you need to move any ideas or points to make them better organized and visually easier to understand. Use bigger or darker letters for main ideas and smaller letters for subpoints. Is there a strong image you can use as a main graphic for the final draft?
g) create your final draft, writing neatly and keeping information short and clear. You can use colour, borders, shadows, or doodled images to emphasize important areas. Use pictures to replace words when you can, keep sentences point-form.
3. Your task for Week 5A is to mindmap the video below. Please watch it with paper and pen, and take notes! This video is a short and simple introduction to mindmapping in university, by a nursing student.
4. Listen and write down her main reasons for why mindmapping works, as a rough draft.
5. Look at your rough draft. See how you can organize it better. Do your main points match with her main points?
6. Listen again to the video. Can you add any details? Can you improve the organization?
7. Make a final draft. You can do it on paper, or you can create it digitally.
8. Post both your rough draft and your final draft to your Pinterest board, to the Student Gallery, and post your links to the 5A Portfolio box. Don't forget to turn it orange.
4. Listen and write down her main reasons for why mindmapping works, as a rough draft.
5. Look at your rough draft. See how you can organize it better. Do your main points match with her main points?
6. Listen again to the video. Can you add any details? Can you improve the organization?
7. Make a final draft. You can do it on paper, or you can create it digitally.
8. Post both your rough draft and your final draft to your Pinterest board, to the Student Gallery, and post your links to the 5A Portfolio box. Don't forget to turn it orange.
TEACHER MODELS |
STUDENT EXEMPLARS |
These are mindmaps about mindmapping! You can find many other examples on the Design EAP Data Visualization Pinterest board, here. Notice that the main idea or thesis is always at the centre, as the largest and most important focus of the mindmap. The supporting points are the large branches, with clear lettering, while the evidence and details are the smallest branches.
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You can use rough draft mindmaps to help you brainstorm or organize your Designer Essay! Here a student designer has mixed a hand-drawn map with digital editing and images.
Sketchnoting works in any language - English, Korean, Japanese, Swedish, or, like the image above, Dutch! You can mix words with pictures, images, arrows, and icons to create a visually powerful representation of your information.
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Research Mindmap - the process
Rough Draft Research Mindmap for Colour Paragraph. This is very rough, with everything scribbled down just as it was found. You can see the sources on the side, which were moved to the back of the finished mindmap.
Concept Mindmap. This uses an attractive form, with both colour and shape helping to show us the main topic (the large peach fruit), the supporting points (on the green leaves), and the various details of evidence (grey pencil tendrils).
Final Draft (Digital) Mindmap. The concept above has been transferred to a digital medium, with easy-to-read print and a dramatic graphic anchoring the page.
Hint: Use the biggest, darkest, or most detailed elements for the most important information. Use medium elements and colours to show the main points. Use the smallest letters and the simplest icons for the many little bits of evidence or extra details. Visual hierarchy is very important in mindmapping so you can find the information you need and understand how it's organized, at a glance!