Running head: MIND MAPPING: INSTRUCTIONAL DESIGN REPORT

Mind Mapping: Instructional Design Report Charles Arnold, Laura Fiaccato, Karen Graham, Renee Leech, and Lesa McGarity Liberty University lmcgarity2@liberty.edu March 5, 2014 EDUC 633 Principles of Design and Management in Distance Education Dr. Jennifer Courduff

MIND MAPPING Mind Mapping

Abstract Mind mapping is a concept that has been around and used for many generations. It takes boring linear note taking and amps it up to a higher level of creative thinking and expression for students. Mind mapping is an effective way of getting information in and out of minds by using a visual image. Mind mapping is a proven, sustainable tool that can be used for note taking, planning, and brain storming sessions. And thanks to technology, mind mapping is easy with free applications that are user friendly. A mind map is a product of radiant thinking-it starts with a main thought in the center. From there, branches comprise the themes/key ideas. Twigs come off the branches that expound on those themes. It is moving away from linear note taking, which uses obscure words and monotonous notes, and turning it into a logical and creative way for students to use their creativity to take meaningful and logical notes. Mind mapping helps to visualize concepts, improve critical thinking, and improve reading and writing skills. Keywords: note taking, mind mapping, Coggle

MIND MAPPING: INSTRUCTIONAL DESIGN REPORT Need Identification The art of note taking is a concept under developed in the majority of high school students. Many of them do not understand what to write or how to write it. After their notes are taken they are then unable to understand what they have written in the first place. According to Allison Boye, students have a difficult time figuring out what is important and oftentimes record verbatim notes during lecture (Boye, 2012). Students need to be able to take notes during class and later review those same notes to create a positive impact on their overall learning. Taking notes enables students to remember what was taught during lecture if they can figure out what to write.

Since students have a hard time determining what is important to put in their notes, it is a good idea for teachers to provide visual cues. Teachers can use visual cues to call attention to specific ideas and/or relationships between these ideas. These visual cues could be anything from charts, diagrams or important statements on a board or slide (Boye, 2012). They could also use a topic outline, which identifies what will be or has been discussed during class. Research by Constantinidou and Baker has shown that children learn better when instructors use visual presentation or cues (Constantinidou and Baker, 2002). Children or students have varying degrees of learning new information, often referred to as learning styles. These students are in need of differentiated instruction and learning/study strategies to address the visual, kinesthetic and auditory learning styles (Lauria, 2010). To be successful in class, the visual and kinesthetic learner should take detailed notes and later rewrite these notes, adding diagrams, charts or graphs. Of course, the auditory learner needs to hear the notes in order to thoroughly understand the topic being addressed. For example, to thoroughly understand a particular topic in History, all three learning styles should be addressed. It is

MIND MAPPING: INSTRUCTIONAL DESIGN REPORT extremely complicated for any learner to capture the most important ideas, perceptions, and comments perfectly while listening and learning from any presentation or lecture. Students need

to be able to capture key information, concepts and ideas and also provide an effective reference for review and understanding after the lecture.

Goal Statement Most high school students do not realize there is an art to note taking. By middle school, knowing how to take notes is a survival strategy. Nothing can replace knowing the tricks and techniques of good note taking (Jackson, p.59, 2011). Research has shown that children learn better when they use visual and kinesthetic learning styles. Research has showed that students using mind maps and then sharing them in class helped improve their concentration and participation. ("Mind Mapping," p.16, 2006). The mind mapping technique has been used in many classroom settings and with many subjects. There have been many research studies done that have supported the belief that mind mapping is an effective tool for note taking and retaining information. Boley (2008) showed in his study of 14 nursing students that those students did better on quizzes using mind mapping as a study tool. Students in the study thought that mind mapping helped retain critical concepts better and were easy to read. Mind mapping is an effective tool that can enhance learning, positively impact learning experience, increase test scores, and unleash creativity in students. It is an underutilized tool in note taking. Innovative teaching strategies need to be used to stay competitive with todays generation of learning styles. Students today have at their disposal more information and technology thanks to the digital age. Students are faced with trying to analyze and fuse this

MIND MAPPING: INSTRUCTIONAL DESIGN REPORT information from diverse sources and to use critical thinking skills to understand it all. Mind mapping can be used to promote creativity, develop the critical thinking skills, and problem

solving skills needed to succeed in school. Over the course of the module, High School Students (grades 10-12) will learn the theory of mind mapping, how to mind map, and will be able to apply mind mapping techniques to take more meaningful and personally relevant notes.

Task Analysis

MIND MAPPING: INSTRUCTIONAL DESIGN REPORT

Context Analysis The setting for this instructional lesson is an online history class for 11th grade high school students. It is important to make sure that this student population understands the relevance and importance of the material being taught. They may have self-imposed learning barriers from past educational failures (Pennington, 2009). According to Felder & Brent (2005), when students have had previous learning experiences that promote deep, thorough learning they tend to continue in this deep approach. On the other hand, if they have had previous learning experiences that are shallow and just touch the surface of learning, they continue in this type of learning. This can affect their attitudes and needs to be taken into consideration when teaching mind mapping concepts. Student attitude toward schools and their motivation to learn will vary. This will vary based on student experiences in school. Some of these students may have shut down in some cognitive areas such as problem solving skills, motivation, and attention because of past learning experiences and will need to be helped overcome this obstacle (Pennington, 2009). All students are at different levels of maturity and have different attitudes and responses to learning as well as have different learning styles (Felder & Brent, 2005). This student population wants to develop their own learning goals and prefer that adults support them in their goals (Pennington, 2009). As students progress in school the need less structure and do not require as much teacher motivation as younger students (Prashnig, 2006). The student level of interest will be determined by the teacher presentation of mind mapping. Making the activity fun and interesting, showing the relevance of the activities, and giving students an opportunity to express themselves will increase student interest level.

MIND MAPPING: INSTRUCTIONAL DESIGN REPORT There are a variety of learning preferences for all age students. Some students learn better visually by what they see where other students prefer verbal (written or spoken words). There are students who favor information being presented to them in small logical steps and others who would rather everything be presented to them at once and let them make the connection between the different segments of information. Concrete learners like to receive facts and build on previous knowledge where abstract learners would rather discover ways to solve problems (Graf, Kinshok, & Liu, 2009). As students progress in school they need less structure and less teacher motivation (Prashnig, 2006). Most high school juniors can think abstractly and do not need as many concrete examples as younger students. These students want to be responsible for their own learning and need opportunities to express themselves (Pennington, 2009).

Learner Analysis

Entry Behaviors Characteristics

All learners are 11th grade students in high school with varying degrees of computer skills. Every student has had at least two years of using the learning management system (LMS) that the school utilizes if the student attended the same high school in 9th grade. Most students have and use daily social media like Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Google+ and Skype.

Prior Knowledge to Mind Mapping Concept Most students believe they have minimal to average computer skills. Characteristics Most have used the LMS for at least two years with the exception of few

MIND MAPPING: INSTRUCTIONAL DESIGN REPORT students who began attending the high school after 9th grade. Students have not been introduced to or used mind mapping software before.

Attitudes Toward Content and Potential Delivery System The students are not enthused about learning another online tool Characteristics however they have identified that using visuals alongside lecture and text have helped in the past.

Motivational Factors for Learning Students are mostly apathetic about learning the mind mapping software Characteristics but have identified that visuals assist greatly in the learning process. Students have varying home support systems that influence educational motivation.

Educational Abilities and Levels Students have various computer skills. Some are below average, Characteristics average, intermediate, and expert in computer skills.

Preferences of Learning Students come from a diverse educational background of blended Characteristics classrooms, solely online education, traditional school settings and also home schooled settings. Students show a varied learning approach is necessary. Some students prefer to self motivate with minimal teacher instruction and guidance. Some want one-on-one instruction. Others prefer a blending of both.

Attitudes Toward Organizations and Individual(s) Delivering Education

MIND MAPPING: INSTRUCTIONAL DESIGN REPORT Characteristics Students have a working relationship with teachers and substitutes.

They are somewhat familiar with the Google search engine but not at all with the Coggle application.

Group Dynamics Characteristics

Instruction will need to be diverse and based on individual needs as much as possible. The 11th grade student population is an assorted group of genders, cultures, ages, educational experiences and background and intellect.

The above information was collected through, interviews, surveys, pre-tests, prior learning questionnaires, recorded observations, and pre-existing performance data.

Instructional Objectives History does not take place within a bubble; it is a string of connected decisions and events, each rippling over time to influence the movement and course of other decisions and events in an infinite, glorious and devastating tapestry that tells the story of our collective humanity. When looking at a single point in history, the observer, in addition to the obvious question of what does this mean? must also ask how did this happen? It is the 'how', along with the 'who', 'what', 'why' and, of course, the 'when', of history that our students will explore with mind maps. Following catalytic events and human decisions, students will use their mind maps to recognize key elements that the text provides as influencing the historical event they have been

MIND MAPPING: INSTRUCTIONAL DESIGN REPORT assigned to study. Merrill, Barclay and van Schaak's (2008) collection of learning design

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principles offer Mayer's "Principles for Multimedia Learning" as support for the use of visuals in conjunction with text to aid in learning. Using mind mapping, students will walk backwards in time, using images and colors to trace the origins of the ripples; to develop a deeper understanding of the fabric of history. One might assume students will not discover mind mapping as a tool for understanding history without guidance. These objectives break down their introduction to mind mapping, which will be facilitated with the aid of an online mind mapping application called Coggle (2013). Objective 1 a. After completing assigned reading (accessible on the school website); students will participate in an online teacher-led discussion using Google+ Hangout at a designated date/time. The discussion will address purpose, theory, techniques, and benefits of mind mapping. b. Upon completion of the discussion period, students will access and complete a quiz (on the school website) to demonstrate basic subject comprehension. Objective 2 Given access to Coggle (a free mind mapping software application), students will select a history topic from prepared topics provided by the teacher (each topic will be unique) and create a mind map to accurately describe that topic. Objective 3

MIND MAPPING: INSTRUCTIONAL DESIGN REPORT a. Using their own completed mind maps, students will share their mind maps with

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classmates via e-mail, as assigned by the teacher (teachers will pair with a student in the event of uneven partnering). Students will also send courtesy copies to the teacher for technical assessment (see Grading Rubric). b. Students receiving their peers mind maps will attempt to reconstruct the history topic the mind map depicts (here, participation is the grade). Students reconstruction of topics will be accomplished in any manner the teacher deems appropriate (text description, bulleted statements, etc.).

c. Students will deliver the reconstruction to the teacher via e-mail (for assignment accountability) with a courtesy copy sent to the student whose mind map was used.

Assessment Each of the Instructional Objectives will be assessed based on a pre-defined grading rubric with a fourth objective being added for the overall evaluation. The entire project will be worth one hundred points. The rubric will be designed as follows: Grading Rubric Goals 1. Reading assignment Lecture Excellent: 25 points Attended lecture Read and understood Material, demonstrated by class participation Grade A on Quiz Good: 10-25 points Attended lecture Little classroom participation Insufficient: 0-10 Missed lecture No classroom participation

Grade B-C Quiz 2. Grade D or below

MIND MAPPING: INSTRUCTIONAL DESIGN REPORT Select History topic Mind map using Coggle 3. Shared Mind Map with classmates Presented in class 4. Evaluation Picked approved topic Used Coggle software Picked own topic Used mind mapping software of their choice Didnt pick a topic Created a document to submit or didnt mind map at all

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Shared electronically using Coggle Presentation was clear and met criteria Mind Map was clean, colorful, and easy to understand the flow of thoughts Classmates were able to learn from presentation Mind Map was not detailed enough Classmates had questions Not easy to follow

Instructional Strategies Table 1 Table of Instructional Strategies Pre- Instructional Activities: Before assigning the reading, students will be asked to write and submit 2-4 sentences on what they think mind mapping is (without any research) and how they think it could be help them learn via the schools learning management system. After the reading, students will be grouped into groups of no more than three students and collectively answer the question: What is a mind map? The answer should be one to two complete sentences and is to be submitted via the learning management system. Each assignment is one weeks worth of school work and should be implemented sequentially and not congruently

MIND MAPPING: INSTRUCTIONAL DESIGN REPORT to avoid confusion and maximize learning absorption. Orientation and Practice Activities:

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A general introduction to Coggle will be given to all the students via a live classroom to ensure that students can maneuver and operate all the features of the website with minimal confusion. This activity should be a weeks worth of school work. Cooperative Learning will also be used as students exchange their mind maps with each other and identify strengths and weaknesses in the exchanged work. Students will use this information to help strengthen their use of mind maps and increase their knowledge in history. Assessment: Before the assignment is due, a minimum of three Check Ins will be completed by the teacher via the email section on the learning management system to monitor progress, provide encouragement and redirection and assess the students grasp on the scope of the assignment. It is suggested that an assessment occur every time an assignment or activity takes place to as much as possible ensure that learning is taking place and that instruction is effective. Post-Assignment Follow Up: Students will complete and submit a 2 page essay via the assignments section on the learning management system about what they learned from mind maps, how they assist learning, what some disadvantages are, and their feelings about using Coggle (was it effective, was it hard to work with etc.) As part of the assignment students must also include a completed mind map. This assignment is essential to demonstrate critical thinking and that the student is able to implement all that was learned and to add personal importance. Students will be given two weeks from the last lesson or activity on mind mapping to complete the final assignment.

MIND MAPPING: INSTRUCTIONAL DESIGN REPORT Media Selection

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Introduction In selecting media for use in an instructional design and delivery system, one needs to keep in mind the content, the intended outcome, and the nature of the students (Simonson, Smaldino, Albright, & Zvacek, 2012). One also needs to take into consideration sustainability and usability of the media selection. For our media selection, we chose Coggle (2013) as the mind mapping software. Coggle is a product of Goggle that has only been around since 2013. It is free software; requires no special plug ins and operates on both Macintosh and Windows platforms. There is an easy to use toolbar, only having four buttons. Real time collaboration offers the group the ability to work on the mind map synchronously-wherever they are. These are all reasons that make this media choice sustainable and useable. We will be using Blackboard 9.1 as our learning management system (LMS). We can customize the environment to meet the students needs-with a syllabus, assignments, discussion boards, and grades. Skype will also be another media we will use as a way to do a synchronous class; for students to collaborate and share their mind maps, and as a means for getting help from the teachers.

MIND MAPPING: INSTRUCTIONAL DESIGN REPORT Accessing Coggle 1. Students access Coggle at https://coggle.it/ (2013) where an account must be created.

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2. If students have a Google+ account or Google Gmail account this is easily done, by selecting their profile, after which the students profile pictures will appear on the Coggle Site.

3. The students begin Mind Mapping by clicking the Create button

4. Students will now see the mapping window, as shown:

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5. On the left side is a panel listing Coggles mapping controls. This panel can be closed for the convenience of experienced users to allow a larger working area, as all controls are keyboard shortcut or mouse-driven. 6. The Student begins mapping by clicking on the box in the middle of the work area that says New Coggle and typing the end goal, final condition or central statement that the mind map will illustrate.

MIND MAPPING: INSTRUCTIONAL DESIGN REPORT 7. Students can add, delete, recolor or move paths. Students can also add pictures instead of text for pathway points.

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8. Students will continue working their maps until they are satisfied or until time for completion has been reached. 9. Here is a completed example of a Coggle mind map. Students can download their completed maps as pictures or PDF files, and then upload the completed assignment to the LMS.

MIND MAPPING: INSTRUCTIONAL DESIGN REPORT Mind Mapping a Topic Thinking it Backwards

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A mind map begins with a story or a central idea that the students need to investigate by working backwards. Our investigation involves the final product of corn bread with black-eyed peas and ham. We need to discover how to get to this central idea. Where do we begin? The finished product involves the simmering of the peas and ham together, which would be one branch along with the other branch, which involves the baking of the corn bread for twenty minutes. This particular mind map contains only two branches leading off from the main idea. If we were discussing a story we would need to consider what branches should be included or makes up the story; characters, setting and plot for example. Prior to heating the peas and ham together we first have to gather the peas, cover with water, soak for 4 hours and then drain three fourths of any remaining water from the peas. This would encompass one branch while baking a ham, chopping one cup of the ham and adding to the peas would be another. Before baking the corn bread there are two pieces that are needed the pan and the batter. The pan has to have shortening added to it and be dusted with a few dashes of cornmeal after being preheated in an oven at four hundred and twenty five degrees. If we look at the batter we have to look at what makes up the batter; eggs, milk, baking powder, sugar and corn meal. This is then combined and poured into the hot pan. Looking back at our story example we would need to consider who makes up the characters, where the setting is or what the plot involves. This working backward principle can be applied to almost any situation and subject.

MIND MAPPING: INSTRUCTIONAL DESIGN REPORT Accessibility

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The mind map concept can be especially relevant and useful to individuals with disabilities (Richards, 2008). Mind maps can serve as an instructional tool but more importantly they can be used by the student. Students with disabilities such as processing or learning disorders can use mind maps to organize information in a way that makes sense to them. Mind maps can be used to summarize, organize, outline and even help students delegate homework assignments (Richards, 2008). Mind maps can also benefit students who have dyslexia because it provides a pattern that can serve as a memory trigger for information (Richards, 2008). Students with mobility disabilities can use iPads to create mind maps if using a mouse or mouse pad is not an option. Another possible challenge is that students with fine motor disabilities might find clicking on the Coggle icons to be difficult because they do require the user to have controlled fine motor skills in order to create lines and manipulate them. Also, as students create their mind map, the helpful information is to the left of the screen and not on the mind map. Students with processing disorders might find the design confusing and frustrating because instructions are not directly on the mind map icons themselves Richards, R. (2008).

Usability and Media Requirements 1. Are additional supports needed to access the media (e.g. plug-ins, special software, etc)? ANSWER: Yes, in order to access the Coggle application a Gmail account must first be created. Once the Gmail account is created and functioning, the Coggle application can be accessed and linked to the Gmail account (after the application is downloaded).

MIND MAPPING: INSTRUCTIONAL DESIGN REPORT 2. What are the computer capability requirements that learners need to use the media?

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ANSWER: Students currently using the online High School's instructional LMS should be sufficient to use Coggle. Students experiencing technical difficulty can contact the Highs School Helpdesk at 703-555-1212. 3. What are the bandwidth requirements that learners need to use the media? ANSWER: Likely at least 1.5 Mbps up / 128 Kbps down (DSL Speed at least) 4. Who will create the media? What skills are needed? ANSWER: Selected media is web-based and is operated online and accessed via Google Chrome, the High School's standard Internet browser. The media will be started by the teacher but completed by the students. Students and teachers need basic computer skills to access and manage the Coggle application. 5. What skills will the users (instructor and students) need? How will skills be developed? ANSWER: Common computer operating skills, as are already in use by High School students and teachers attending online. No additional skills are required to navigate Coggle. Implementation Challenges Whenever technology is involved there needs to be an expectation that technology occasionally or even frequently failing. Staying flexible and positive will be the best course of action for any educator modeling appropriate behavior (Rye, 2007). Coggle does not require much bandwidth however large numbers of users being logged in at one time will undoubtedly decrease processing speed and can even affect converting and downloading the file once it is complete. One of the positives about mind maps is that they can be created without the need for

MIND MAPPING: INSTRUCTIONAL DESIGN REPORT technology. Students in an online history course for example who are experiencing technical difficulties can read their assigned readings from their history textbooks and still utilize mind maps via pencil and paper to help them take notes and organize their thoughts. On the same token, this is also a disadvantage because the Coggle software is the desired modality for creating mind maps in this project so pencil and paper would be ineffective in completing the mind map assignment.

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Conclusion

Upon completion of this project students should understand the use and importance of mind maps, know how to create a mind map to take notes and have a better understanding of working with others. Instructors can move on from this project knowing that they have equipped their students in all the objectives and have accurate assessments in place so as to make any necessary adjustments to further encourage active and engaged learning.

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Handbook of research on educational communications and technology, (3rd Ed) (p. 178). New York, NY: Taylor and Francis Mind Mapping. (2006). South China Morning Post, pp. 16. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com.exprozy.liberty.edu:2048/docview/266459414?accountid=120 85 Pennington, M. (2009). Characteristics of high school learners. Ezine Articles. Retrieved from http://ezinearticles.com Prashnig, B. (2006). Original learning styles research. Technology Based Solutions. Retrieved from www.webbps.com/asktbs/sas/OriginalLearningStylesResearch.pdf Richards, R. (2008). Memory Strategies for Students: The Value of Strategies. LD OnLine: The world's leading website on learning disabilities and ADHD. Retrieved March 5, 2014, from http://www.ldonline.org/article/5736/ Rye, S. A. (2007). Flexibility, technology, and the daily life practices of distance students living beyond the digital mainstream. Geoforum, 38(5), 1028-1039. Simonson, M., Smaldino, S., Albright, M., & Zvacek, S. (2012). Teaching and Learning at a Distance (5th ed.). (p. 159) Boston, MA: Pearson.