Concept mapping
Concept mapping is a visual learning tool that can be used to organize and represent knowledge. It is a hierarchical diagram that shows the relationships between concepts. Concept maps are used in medical education to help students learn and understand complex medical concepts and to develop their critical thinking skills.
To create a concept map, students first identify the key concepts in a topic. They then arrange the concepts in a hierarchy, with the most general concepts at the top and the more specific concepts below. Next, students use linking words and phrases to show the relationships between the concepts.
Concept maps can be used for a variety of purposes in medical education, including:
Learning new material: Concept maps can help students to learn new material by providing them with a visual framework for organizing their knowledge.
Reviewing material: Concept maps can be used to review material by helping students to identify the key concepts and relationships between them.
Problem-solving: Concept maps can be used to solve problems by helping students to identify the relevant concepts and relationships.
Assessment: Concept maps can be used to assess students' understanding of a topic.
Concept mapping has been shown to be an effective learning tool for medical students. Studies have shown that students who use concept maps perform better on exams and have a better understanding of the material. Concept maps can also help students to develop their critical thinking skills by helping them to identify and analyze relationships between concepts.
Here are some examples of how concept mapping can be used in medical education:
Anatomy: Students can use concept maps to learn and review the anatomy of the human body. For example, they could create a concept map of the cardiovascular system, showing the relationships between the heart, blood vessels, and blood.
Pathophysiology: Students can use concept maps to learn and review the pathophysiology of diseases. For example, they could create a concept map of diabetes, showing the relationships between the pancreas, insulin, and blood sugar levels.
Pharmacology: Students can use concept maps to learn and review the mechanisms of action and side effects of medications. For example, they could create a concept map of warfarin, showing the relationships between its mechanism of action, side effects, and drug interactions.
Clinical reasoning: Students can use concept maps to develop their clinical reasoning skills. For example, they could create a concept map of a patient with chest pain, showing the possible diagnoses and the associated tests and treatments.
Concept mapping is a versatile learning tool that can be used in a variety of ways to enhance medical education.
Baliga, S. S., Walvekar, P. R., & Mahantshetti, G. J. (2021). Concept map as a teaching and learning tool for medical students. Journal of Education and Health Promotion, 10. https://doi.org/10.4103/jehp.jehp_146_20
Daley, B. J., & Torre, D. M. (2010). Concept maps in medical education: An analytical literature review. Medical Education, 44(5), 440-448. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2923.2010.03628.x