In the context of COSMOS, a template is a way of organizing an area of information by splitting it into topic headings and subheadings to make logical learning pathways leading to understanding. Learning templates provide a way of relating to the world one lives in a more meaningful way. They are simple tools for making sense out of anything and for realizing one's priorities.
A table of contents is a sequential template which guides the reader through the information in a sequence of steps by turning pages.
A topic web or mindmap is a radient template, which is typically a multi-colored chart laid out on a large sheet of paper. It contains words and pictures that are connected in various ways. http://www.topicscape.com/mindmaps/ Radient learning templates are diagrams that indicate spatial, conceptual, functional or factorial relationships.
A mindmap can be used for keeping notes, for developing a concept, or for getting an overview of an activity. Mindmaps are an example of radiant thinking. A central idea branches off into many different directions. The branches themselves branch off into finer details or associations. Radiant thinking is both creative and organized. Like a tree. It is both rational and artistic, both logically ordered and spontaneously expressive. Mindmaps use and stimulate the visual abilities of the mind. If represented visually, a bigger subject can be understood and remembered much more efficiently. A mindmap is not just a systematic chart of a subject. It is fun and an interesting expression of the way a subject is experienced. It is more important that it is workable and feels right than that it corresponds to any objective standards. Anything can be mind mapped. A birthday party, a book one is reading, one's plans for the day, flower arranging, the economy, the meaning of life, or one's experience of a piece of music.
A concept map is a special form of radiant thinking for exploring knowledge and gathering and sharing information. A concept map consists of nodes or cells that contain a concept, item or question and links. The links are labeled and denote direction with an arrow symbol. The labeled links explain the relationship between the nodes. The arrow describes the direction of the relationship and reads like a sentence. The whole map can be read as a paragraph and can be linked dynamically to other paragraphs to take the learning wider and deeper into the subject http://www.graphic.org/concept.html
Where the property of a node can impact on one or more other nodes, the concept map becomes a system map. An important feataure of systems maps is that change in a node can affect the property of the node which produced the change. This feedback will either reduce the impact of the change (negative feedback), or will amplify it (positive feedback). http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newTMC_04.htm
|