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Memletics Concept Mapping Course (Full)
Memletics Concept Mapping Course (Full)
Memletics Concept Mapping Course (Full)
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Memletics® Concept Mapping Course
Sean Whiteley
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Table of Contents
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Memletics Concept Mapping Course
6 © Advanogy.com 2005
Introducing concept maps
1
Module
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Memletics Concept Mapping Course
8 © Advanogy.com 2005
Introducing concept maps
In our example, the key concept is water, and subordinate concepts are: 1) its
importance to living things; 2) its composition; and 3) its various states. With a
visual image, it’s much easier and quicker for many learners to grasp the idea of
water and all the related concepts than it would be for them to read a long
description.
Most learning materials still rely on printed text to provide information. This is a
good method except that it doesn’t easily allow for visual styles of learning. Not
everyone learns well through reading. Some learn more effectively in other ways.
Concept mapping can help the following types of learners:
• Visual learners. Concept mapping is an excellent tool for visual learners
because it uses diagrams, graphs, sketches and other visual representations to
create and understand ideas.
• Physical and logical learners. They can learn well by physically drawing
maps, links, diagrams, and similar types of visual images.
• Social learners. They can learn well by drawing together as a group (e.g., on a
whiteboard, flipchart or paper).
• Non-visual learners. Concept mapping helps these individuals confirm what
they’ve read. Even if you are non-visual, you can still get much value from
concept maps. Activating new areas of your brain improves overall learning.
• Hierarchical learners. These individuals start learning a subject at a high
level and then work down into the details. They learn well by getting the “lay of
the land” through concept maps.
Concept maps help you develop logical thinking as well as study skills because
they reveal connections and help you see how individual ideas make up a larger
whole. Concept maps are also very flexible and you can use them to understand
ideas of virtually every kind. You can make the maps simple or complex, linear,
branched, radiating, or cross-linked.
There are other benefits of concept mapping as well. First, drawing concept maps
can be a creative process similar to brain storming, and it can “unleash” all kinds
of new ideas. This is emotionally very satisfying. Second, concept mapping allows
you to collaborate with other people. This enhances teamwork. Third, a concept
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Memletics Concept Mapping Course
map is a concrete, visual image. This means that you, as a learner, are better able
to uncover any missing links that might not have been apparent in a printed text.
Fourth, concept maps aid memorization, not just learning. Finally, and possibly
most important, such maps build on the human capacity to recognize information
in images. This means concepts maps are a better representation of how we model
knowledge in the brain. This, in turn, improves learning and recall.
There is a wide variety of concept mapping techniques. For this course, I’ve
divided them into three groups—basic, common and advanced. Basic concept
maps provide fundamental elements that the common and advanced maps build
on.
Module 2 in this course explains basic concept maps and shows you how to create
and use each map. The maps you’ll learn about are the spider concept map, the
hierarchical concept map, and the network concept map.
Module 3 covers common concept map types. These include:
• Mind Maps. • Fishbone Diagrams.
• IHMC concept maps. • Pictorial concept maps.
• Flowchart concept maps. • Mandala concept maps.
Module 4 covers some more advanced forms of concept maps. These include:
• Systems concept maps. • Decision Trees.
• Logic Trees. • Software-based concept maps.
Module 5 provides guidelines for constructing and using concept maps, including
tips for how to use concept maps for learning, memorizing, studying and teaching.
Module 6 is devoted to a free concept mapping software download called the
CmapTools Knowledge Modeling Kit. Lastly, module 7 contains a free extract from
the Memletics Accelerated Learning Manual. The extract focuses on visualization
techniques.
There are many types of concept maps described in this course. Some of them you
might find immediately useful. Others you might want to keep in the back of your
mind for later. As is the case for other Memletics materials, take what you feel is
useful to you. Try out the exercises as you read to help reinforce your learning.
Lastly, make an effort to apply the mapping techniques to your everyday tasks and
challenges. You’ll find they add new insight and novelty to your mental activities,
helping you learn faster and remember more.
What did you think of this module? Do you have some suggestions? Let us know
your thoughts using our online survey at:
http://www.memletics.com/surveys/concept-mapping
10 © Advanogy.com 2005
Basic concept maps
2
Module
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Memletics Concept Mapping Course
In this case, the central concept is “Cats.” Around the central concept I’ve laid out
various pieces of information associated with cats—tails, four legs, breeds, etc.
I’ve then broken down some concepts into further detail by branching out, like in
the “breeds” concept above. You can continue doing this to add more detail. If the
map gets too large, you might want to start a new map using one of the concepts
from the diagram above as the central idea.
Spider maps can be very simple as in our cat example or as complicated as
necessary for difficult subjects. Spider concept maps are great for brainstorming
ideas or for when you need to build concepts and add ideas as they arise over
time. They’re also great for capturing information quickly, for example while
listening to a lecture. If you find it difficult to capture the linking labels quickly,
just draw the main concepts in first and work out the labels later.
12 © Advanogy.com 2005
Basic concept maps
President
VP of
VP of Sales
manufacturing
Factory
East Region West Region
Manager
Shift Sup 1 Shift Sup 2 North District South District North District South District
In our example, the top concept is the leader of the organization – the President –
and subordinate concepts show the “chain of command.” The immediate “reports”
to the President are the Vice President of Manufacturing and the Vice President of
Sales. The map then shows who reports to the Vice Presidents. This kind of
corporate concept map helps viewers quickly identify the members of the
organization and who is responsible for specific areas.
This map is also an example of a concept map without labeled links. Each line has
relationship information embedded in it, and it’s specific to this style of map. You
can think of each line showing the following information:
Factory Factory
Manager Manager
Shift Shift
Supervisor 1 Supervisor 1
For some concept maps, every line shows this relationship. In others, each line
has a label indicating the nature of the relationship. It just depends on the
objective of the map. You can imagine how messy the above organization chart
would be if every line had “reports to/supervisors” on it.
The hierarchical concept map provides a handy way of categorizing items and
explaining structures. Because of their utility, people use such maps across a wide
variety of fields. For example, scientists use hierarchical maps to categorize and
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Memletics Concept Mapping Course
explain the plant and animal kingdoms. Government officials use them to explain
the structure of government. Military officers use them to explain the structure of
their forces and clarify the chain of command. Hierarchical maps allow viewers to
understand an entire concept in less time than it would take to read an
Sea
Animals
Marine Marine
Fish Crustaceans Echinoderms Mollusks
Mammals Reptiles
At one glance, you can see the hierarchical structure of “sea animals”. If someone
asks you how dolphins fit into the overall sea animals family, you can easily see
that they belong to a group called “Toothed Whales.” These belong to a group
called Cetacea, which describes a type of “Marine Mammal.” You can also see that
dolphins are closely related to Killer Whales, but less related to sharks.
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Basic concept maps
In this case, a client has asked a research company to conduct a needs analysis for
his corporation. For example, the client may feel that his company has not met its
production goals, so he wants to find out the reasons behind this lag. The research
company has created a concept map that accounts for every aspect of the needs
analysis: goals, information sources, personnel, research, statistical results, etc.
The research company executives can use this network concept map in several
ways. First, they use it to organize their own approach to the situation. Second,
they can now employ it to explain the project to other members of company’s
team. Third, they can use it to explain the project to the client. In each instance,
viewers of the network map will have a clear, quick image of the elements involved
in creating and carrying out a needs analysis.
The key point of network concept maps is there is no common theme that guides
the layout of the map. For spider maps the idea is to lay out ideas in a circle
around the main idea. For hierarchical maps the hierarchy flows from top to
bottom. For network maps though, the choice is up to you. You can choose how
you wish to lay out the map and what visual elements you use to show concepts
and relationships.
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Memletics Concept Mapping Course
Summary
There are three basic forms of concept maps. Spider maps have a main or unifying
theme in the center with sub-themes radiating out from the main theme. They’re
useful in brainstorming situations. They’re helpful when you need to add ideas as
they arise over time. Hierarchical concept maps show information in a
descending order of relevance. They provide an efficient way of categorizing items
and explaining structures. Network concept maps show relationships between
ideas by including cross-links between concepts. With this type of map, there is
often no common starting point or guiding theme for layout.
In the next module, you will explore some common concept maps. The most well-
known of these is probably the mind map, however you will see there are many
other forms of concept map. Each you will find useful for different types of
information.
Exercises
The following exercises give you the opportunity to practice making concept maps.
Each exercise spells out the type of concept map, provides the necessary
information, and asks you to construct a map for the specified situation. At the
back of this manual, I’ve provided the concept maps that I drew up for each
exercise. Remember that my concept maps are not the only “correct” solutions. As
stated previously, such maps are flexible and can be highly individual. Simply use
my solutions as guides.
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Basic concept maps
What did you think of this module? Do you have some suggestions? Let us know
your thoughts using our online survey at:
http://www.memletics.com/surveys/concept-mapping
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Memletics Concept Mapping Course
18 © Advanogy.com 2005
Common concept maps
3
Module
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Memletics Concept Mapping Course
Mind Maps
Mind Maps® is a trademark of the Buzan Organization, Ltd. We have no
affiliation with this organization. We reference “mind maps” as the output of the
diagramming technique commonly known as “Mind Mapping”.
Mind maps engage multiple mental domains that help make them interesting to
the visual parts of our brain. This helps make them easier to remember. Here is an
example of a mind map, and its topic is creating mind maps!
A mind map is a tree structure with one trunk and many branches. Mind maps
expand on spider maps. A key difference between a spider concept map and a
mind map is that a mind map doesn’t use labeled links. Each branch combines the
concept and relationship.
Mind maps stimulate the visual abilities of the mind. This means your brain can
understand and remember a mind map much more effectively. Mind maps are
rational and artistic. They are logically ordered and yet spontaneously expressive.
They’re examples of “organic thinking”. That is, like a tree, a central idea (the
trunk) branches off in many different directions. Those branches then divide into
finer branches of details and associations.
The benefits of mind mapping are many. First, a mind map clearly shows how key
concepts link to the main idea. This helps you integrate material more quickly.
Integration means you’ll be able to recall and review concepts more effectively.
Second, mind maps are flexible; you can easily add new information with a
minimum of trouble. Third, they help you to plan routes, make choices, and allow
you to know where you’re going with a concept and where you’ve been. Fourth,
one mind map holds large amount of information/data, and it’s all available at a
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Common concept maps
single glance. This helps you study and learn much more efficiently. Fifth, mind
maps are interesting to look at this helps make it easier for you to the retain
information in them.
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Memletics Concept Mapping Course
Remember, a mind map is an organic creation! You should capture all the ideas you (or
others) have, then edit, and re-organize until you’ve created a mind map that captures
exactly what you want to remember.
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Common concept maps
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Memletics Concept Mapping Course
Concepts are usually events or objects. In our example, the key concept is water,
and the immediate subordinate concept is molecules. The relationship between
these two concepts is “is composed of.” IHMC calls the relationship a
“proposition.”
Of course, water is a complex subject so additional subordinate concepts are
required to explain the concept. These subordinate concepts are: 1) water’s
importance to living things; 2) its composition; and 3) its various states and the
examples of those states. Using this simple approach, you can build up a detailed
concept map on water like the one below.
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Common concept maps
Because the concept map is a visual image, it’s much easier and quicker to grasp
the information the map creator is trying to provide. It’s easier to understand the
creator’s view of water and related concepts than it would be to read a long
description.
Some general guidelines for creating IHMC concept maps are:
• Try to work from top to bottom. The main concepts should be at the top
with subordinate concepts below them. It’s acceptable though to link across
and up the map.
• Keep your audience in mind. In our example above, some people might
understand what a molecule is whereas others won’t. If your audience doesn’t
understand what a molecule is, you might need to expand that concept as well.
• You can link more than two concepts together. See the “can be” link
under “states” in the example above.
• You can use symbols instead of words. If a symbol better represents a
concept, feel free to use it.
• Use cross-linking. Feel free to link between parts of your map; for example,
the “determines” link between “motion” and “states” above.
• Try not to overlap links. If this occurs, you may need to re-arrange your
diagram.
The “ozone” map below is another example of a concept map. It shows the
complex relationships between ozone (a gas in the atmosphere), the earth, and
human beings. With one glance, you can see that “bad” ozone creates smog and
may contribute to global warming while “good” ozone is destroyed by CFCs and
chlorine. You can see how powerful such a map can be in helping you to learn
complex material.
While viewing the map below, did you notice that it’s not meeting an IHMC
guideline? Which guideline is it not meeting?
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Memletics Concept Mapping Course
If you picked up the fact that it’s not working from the top to the bottom, you’re
right!
Here’s another example of an IHMC map that models a business topic—
managerial decision making. Read the following paragraph about this subject:
A systematic process helps to solve business and economic
problems. Business and economic problems can be analyzed by
use of a model. Variables and factors help to define that model.
The model is quantitatively described using mathematical
formulas, which, in turn, provide answers that lead to a course of
action. Concurrently, a systematic process helps to solve business
and economic problems which are analyzed with mathematical
representations. A systematic process also requires the definition
of variables and factors which are combined in the mathematical
representations. As stated earlier, the mathematical
representations provide answers. The answers lead to a course of
action.
When you read that paragraph, you may have asked yourself, “What exactly did
that mean?” In fact, you may have had to read it more than once to get an idea of
its meaning. Well, look at the following concept map to see if it helps you
understand the topic!
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Common concept maps
I believe the IHMC concept map provides you with a clearer overall picture of the
elements involved in managerial decision-making than did the text paragraph. By
viewing the map, you probably understood the concept much easier and faster!
For more examples of IHMC concept maps, visit http://cmap.ihmc.us/
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Memletics Concept Mapping Course
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Common concept maps
scraped”, and you can proceed directly to the next decision point. The lines and
arrows indicate the flow and direction of the steps in a flowchart.
Below is a diagram that lists the symbols you can use when constructing a
flowchart. I didn’t use all the symbols in the example, but you will find them in
more complex concept maps of this type.
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Memletics Concept Mapping Course
30 © Advanogy.com 2005
Common concept maps
Point-source
Dirt Runoff
contamination
Natural
Herbicides, Animal
Sewerage, Sewerage Pesticides Waste
treated overrun
Farms
Legal
Faulty
Dumping Road residue Waste
treatment
Irrigation Natural
Smoke from fires
Seepage
Chemicals from
factories From factories From farms
There are certain general steps you can follow to create an effective fishbone map:
• Draw the central line and box and list the problem/issue you wish to study in
the "head” of the fish (right). In our example, “Stream water quality” is the
issue we’re analyzing.
• Next, create and label each "bone" of the "fish". In our example, the elements
that affect water quality are listed in our diagram, but you can define any
categories you like for a particular problem. Typical categories include:
The 4 M’s: Methods, Machines, Materials, Manpower
The 4 P’s: Place, Procedure, People, Policies
The 4 S’s: Surroundings, Suppliers, Systems, Skills
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Memletics Concept Mapping Course
• For each “node” (cause), think of what could be its effects and add them to the
diagram. Use individual or group brainstorming to isolate the factors within
each category that may be affecting the central issue.
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Common concept maps
Transport (wind)
Condensation
Precipitation
ff
no
Evaporation Ru
Groundwater
Wind transports moisture through the atmosphere. It condenses into clouds that
then drop rain. The rain falls to the ground and runs off into a river, lake or ocean
or in the form of ground water. Water then evaporates into the air, and the cycle
continues.
A picture landscape format is much more effective at explaining the precipitation
cycle than descriptive words because it allows viewers to see the entire cycle
within a few seconds. Viewers have this image firmly planted in their minds and
can then read a more detailed text explanation with greater understanding. The
map also acts as a handy reference point in case readers get lost in the text and
need to refer back to it to re-organize their thoughts.
There is no right or wrong way to draw a pictorial concept map. The method is
fluid and creative. There are general guidelines I can provide you, however. First,
of course, you must have at least a basic knowledge of the subject. That means you
have to collect concepts, ideas and any other information that’s helpful in
organizing your thoughts about the subject. Once you have the basic information,
rough out the relationships among ideas in an initial concept map. Play with this
concept map by arranging and rearranging the ideas and the relationships until
you have the map that you want. Then, add the pictorial representations of the
concept map elements and play with those as well. When you’re satisfied with
your creation, re-draw everything into a final map.
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Memletics Concept Mapping Course
34 © Advanogy.com 2005
Common concept maps
To create a mandala, start by placing the key concept in the center. Organize
information in concentric circles around the middle. For example, in the above
mandala, there are three main layers—cell state, physical state, and mental state—
arranged around the key concept of the Memletic State. Once you have the initial
layers done, look for relationships across those layers and then reorganize. In our
example, the relationships that cross layers are relaxation, fitness, and health.
Next, look for relationships within layers and reorganize again. In the Memletic
State, mandala, water and oxygen are essential needs, so place them opposite each
other around the central idea. Glucose and nutrients are normally from food, so
you’d place them opposite each other as well around the core. These types of
“links” help you remember the main ideas. Continue organizing and re-organizing
until you’ve appropriately positioned and labeled all of the concepts.
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Memletics Concept Mapping Course
Summary
The concept maps in this module are variations on basic concept maps. They allow
you great flexibility in working out ideas and the relationship between those
ideas. Mind maps expand on spider maps. Mind maps have a tree structure with
one trunk with many branches. They’re examples of “organic thinking”. That is,
like a tree, a central idea (the trunk) branches off in many directions. These
branches then divide into finer branches of details and associations. IHMC
concept maps show two or more concepts linked or cross-linked by relationships.
Typically, you show the main concepts at the top with subordinate concepts below
them. Flowchart concept maps show how one concept or event leads to another.
They provide a quick, clear explanation of a series of tasks or processes that might
otherwise be difficult to understand in a plain text format. Fishbone diagrams
(also called “cause and effect” or “Ishikawa” diagrams) show the interactions
within complex events or phenomena. These diagrams help a person or group
search for the root causes of a problem and compare the relative importance of
different causes of that problem. Pictorial concept maps represent information in
a landscape format. They’re useful because they allow viewers to see an entire
concept or cycle at a single glance. Mandala concept maps use interlocking
geometric shapes. They allow you to understand a considerable amount of
information in a short amount of time. They can also serve as a “touchstone” when
you read text. If you get lost in the text, you can refer back to the mandala to get
your bearings and continue learning.
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Common concept maps
Exercises
The following exercises will give you the opportunity to practice making
specialized concept maps. Each exercise will spell out the type of concept map,
provide the necessary information, and ask you to construct a map for the
specified situation. At the back of this manual, I’ve provided the concept maps
that I drew up for each exercise. Remember that my concept maps are not only the
“correct” solutions. As stated previously, such maps are flexible and can be highly
individual. Simply use my solutions as guides.
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Memletics Concept Mapping Course
What did you think of this module? Do you have some suggestions? Let us know
your thoughts using our online survey at:
http://www.memletics.com/surveys/concept-mapping
38 © Advanogy.com 2005
Advanced concept maps
4
Module
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Memletics Concept Mapping Course
Hose
Faucet
Desired Position
Water Level influences
determines
determines
Perceived Gap Water flow
determines influences
Current
water
level
You can see from this example that filling a bucket with water is not a simple
linear task. Your brain evaluates a feedback loop several times a second. Using
this method you can also start to understand why it’s difficult to get the
temperature of the water in the shower just right. There is often a delay between
turning the faucet and the resulting water temperature. The more the delay, the
more you over-correct and under-correct the faucet several times until the
temperature is right. This pattern of behavior plays out in small and large systems
– for example the flow of products in an industry, the movement of investors in
financial markets, or the wastage of clothes in the fashion industry.
Senge chose this method to illustrate his point that we should stop using straight-
line (linear) thinking and should instead see the world in terms of “circles of
influence”. Seeing things in terms of circles of influence gives us a better
understanding how dynamic systems work. Unlike traditional writing which take a
straight-line approach to a subject, systems concept maps can account for
complexities in many situations. In other words, you can see the whole of a
dynamic system rather than just the parts.
Systems concept maps can show the cycles in everything from engines to sewage
treatment. The following example shows the cycle of the internal combustion
engine.
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Advanced concept maps
Carby Spark
Air and Plug
Fuel Spark
Fuel Vapour Electric
Energy
Bang
Fuel
Pump/s Pushes down Magneto
Oil Cools
Pump Piston
Lubricates
Turns
Turns Turns
Turns
Crankshaft
Turns Drive
Turns Shaft
Powers Turns
Starter
Alternator Motor
Charges Powers
Battery
Powers
Electrics
Such a systems map allows you to see how the elements of an engine interact to
produce power and electricity in a vehicle. Describing this concept in words would
take much longer and, most likely, wouldn’t be as effective in explaining how an
auto engine works.
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Memletics Concept Mapping Course
Decision Trees
Businesses and people often need a way to figure out and clarify complex
0.9
Successful
750
Develop Product 1000 750
Abandon product
-50
0 -50
Do Market Research
0.1
-50 376 Successful
750
Develop Product 1000 750
2 Abandon product
440 -50
0 -50
0.6
Successful
800
Develop Product 1000 800
Abandon product
0
0 0
As you can see in the decision tree, each option branches into the factors involved
in each option. Each of these factors then branches into costs and the possible
outcomes for each of the choices. Actually, this decision tree is only the first in a
series of decision trees. As the company refines the chart down to the best option
to take, it will revise the chart to account for all variables and then choose the
most effective course.
Using this decision tree, the business people can see that they are better off not
doing market research! Let’s see how they arrived at this conclusion.
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Advanced concept maps
Decision Node
Do market research
-50
No market research
In this example, the business people have two choices—do market research or
don’t do market research. Market research will cost $50,000 though, so you write
this as a negative amount below the market research option. There is no cost for
not doing market research. Now let’s add an event node:
Event node
Positive result
Do market research
Negative result
No market research
If the company does market research, history shows that, on average, 60% of the
time market research is positive whereas 40% of the time research is negative
(i.e., the product may not sell well). You enter these probabilities as “0.6” and
“0.4” in the boxes above the event outcomes.
You build a tree using these components first, and then you “calculate the tree”.
This involves working “forwards, then backwards”. Let’s look at an entire branch
in our example:
g 0.9
Successful
e 750
Develop Product d 1000 f 750
Abandon product
-50
0 l -50
Do Market Research
a -50
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Memletics Concept Mapping Course
Working forwards means you add all the boxes along each branch to arrive at an
expected monetary value (EMV) for that branch. In the example above, you add
a+b+c+d to give e. Using the numbers (-50) + 0 + (-200) + 1000 = $750. In other
words, if the company does market research, and the product is successful, they
will receive $750,000.
Working backwards involves using probability to work out the most effective
decisions. You then work out the numbers below each option.
• For an event node, e.g., point k above, k = (g x f) = (h x i). Without going into
a lot of detail, this simply means that if you launched 1000 products with these
same probabilities, on average you’d receive $660,000 per product.
• For a decision node, e.g. point m above, you simply look at the values of each
branch and choose which one is better. In our example, $660,000 at point k is
better than $-50,0000 at point l, so you write 1 (for branch 1) it in the box
representing the decision. You then fill in the winning value, i.e. at point m you
write 660.
You continue working backwards until you arrive back at the left hand side of the
graph. Once you have done that, you now have the right path mapped out for you.
Go back to our example at the start of this section. Which is the right path,
according to the numbers? It’s to do no market research, and launch the product.
The chart above only covers the financial aspects of a decision. You may need to
incorporate non-financial factors that may eventually have a financial impact. For
example, “product failure” may affect “corporate image.” A negative impact on
corporate image could result in a 10% reduction in sales of this product and other
products.
Keep in mind that decision trees are useful in many areas beyond business. You
can use them to help decide whether to change jobs, where to live, and what
course to study. They’re useful in many areas of your life.
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Logic Trees
A logic tree is a diagram that starts with a key statement and then branches out
with further logic or key points that support the statement. There are two types of
reasoning—deductive and inductive—that you can use to establish logical
relationships between ideas. Let’s look at each of these types in turn.
Deductive reasoning
Deductive reasoning involves moving from things you know or assume to be true -
called 'premises' - to conclusions that must follow from them. In other words,
deductive reasoning presents a line of reasoning that leads to a “therefore”
conclusion. Below is an example of deductive reasoning:
Because I’m a
bird,
I fly
The first two statements are premises (Birds fly, I’m a bird), and the third
statement is a conclusion (Therefore, I fly). By the rules of deduction, if the first
two statements are true, then the conclusion must be true. Any deductive
argument needs to accomplish three things:
• Make a statement about something that exists in the world; i.e., Birds fly.
• Make another statement about a related situation that exists in the world at
the same time: i.e., I’m a bird. The second statement relates to the first if it
comments on either its subject (birds) or its predicate (fly).
• State the implication of these two situations existing in the world at the same
time; i.e., Therefore, I fly.
Deductive statements can sometimes become too long and boring if you include
every step included in the process. In cases like that, you can skip a step and
“chain together” two or more deductive arguments. Here’s an example: Assume
that the issue under consideration is aluminum production in Australia. The
deductive argument might look like this in text form:
• Australia produces enough aluminum to meet its own needs.
• But exports to Asia have increased, reducing supply to below domestic demand.
• Therefore, Australia has a shortage.
• A shortage of aluminum causes a shortage of manufactured goods.
• We have a shortage of aluminum.
• Therefore, there is a shortage of manufactured goods.
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This material contains a lot of information. However if you skip steps and
consolidate their information into other steps, then you get a “chained” deductive
argument that appears this way in concept map form:
The key in deciding whether to use a chained deductive argument is this: The
reader must be able to understand the missing steps and agree with them.
Inductive reasoning
The second type of reasoning is inductive. With inductive reasoning, you move
from a set of examples to a theory that you think explains all the examples, as well
as examples that will appear in the future. Inductive reasoning is often more
creative than deductive reasoning as deductive reasoning tends to be “straight-
ahead” logic. It’s more creative because the mind is required to notice that several
things (ideas, events, facts, etc.) are similar in some way. It then needs to group
these things together and comment on the significance of their similarity. Below is
an example of an inductive reasoning concept map:
As a reader of the map, you’re required to infer from the lower four nodes that
these factors can hurt your family in the future if the property is jointly owned.
A conclusion deduced by deduction must be true if the premises are true. But, the
conclusions induced by induction may or may not be true. For example, people
who visit a rainy city like Seattle in America for short periods may find that it
rains every day of their visit. They could induce (or infer, or draw the conclusion)
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that it rains every day in Seattle. However, their conclusion would be wrong. It
does rain a lot in Seattle, but not every day!
This diagram shows the structure of a logical argument. The main argument at the
top is deductive; however, lower level arguments support each higher point. An
inductive argument supports the first point, whereas deductive arguments
support the next two points.
Once you have your argument laid out like this, you can then structure your report
or presentation along the same lines. The top point is your executive summary;
the second level points become chapters; and the third and fourth levels become
sections within those chapters.
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Fixed layout
The first example here uses software called PersonalBrain. The topic is the
Memletics Accelerated Learning Manual. As you can see below, the concept map
lays out six main parts of the Memletics Manual.
Let's say you wanted to understand more about the Memletic Techniques. When
you click on the techniques concept, the map rearranges itself as follows:
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Advanced concept maps
As you can see, the concepts not in focus have moved up and to the side, and
techniques concept has expanded to show the six main groups of techniques
described in the manual. Clicking for example on the Visualize concept, results in
the tool showing the next level of detail:
The tool allows you to associate documents, image, videos, notes, web pages and
other files to each concept. It also keeps track of how much time you spend in
each concept. It will then rearrange the concepts based on the ones you spend the
most time in!
You can see the tool placed some synonyms and related words near each other on
the right. You also see that the tool placed an antonym, decelerate, on the
opposite site with a dotted line joining it. Synonyms attract each other whereas
antonyms move away from synonyms. The tool also models some repulsion
between synonyms so that if they get too close, it moves them away slightly. This
improves the overall layout.
Let’s look at what happens when you click on speed:
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The map redraws itself to show words related to speed. You can hover the mouse
over nodes to see more information on that node. If you wanted to hear how to
pronounce the word, you can click on the small speaker next to it.
You can play with this tool online using their free trial.
See http://thesaurus.plumbdesign.com/index.html
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http://starbeam.jpl.nasa.gov/pdsstartree/PDSStarTree.html
The grey lines on the diagram give you hints to where more data is. See the lines
below Mars? When you click and drag Mars towards the center, the map changes
in real time to look like this:
As you can see, the concepts below Mars have expanded, while concepts further
way have receded. You can still have a sense of where you are on the map though.
When you click on any of the concepts, the map displays a web page for that
concept!
Here are some more you might want to play with on the Internet:
• Understanding the USA:
http://www.understandingusa.com/understanding.html
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http://www.cs.umd.edu/hcil/treemap/
This is a squarified tree map providing a view on the common causes of death for
those over 65. The medical classification of the causes drives the grouping of the
squares (rectangles in this case). The frequency for each cause drives the size of
the squares (the bigger the square, the more deaths from that cause). The color
indicates the change over the previous 17 years—green being a reduction, yellow a
moderate increase and red being a large increase. (Note: you may have difficulty
identifying colors if you are reading a black and white printout of this page.)
By only spending a few minutes studying this data, you can see:
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• The two biggest causes of death are cardiovascular diseases and cancer
(neoplasms). You can compare the size of the squares to see that, for example,
these two causes account for far more deaths than say Alzheimer’s disease.
• The most progress over 17 years appears to have been made in cardiovascular
diseases, as there is the most green area for these causes.
• Progress in these areas may partially account for the significant increase in
deaths from Alzheimer’s disease. As people live longer, diseases of the brain
appear to be increasing.
While this is a relatively morbid topic, you can see that this view of the data
provides far more insight than trying to understand text-based data. With a few
clicks of the mouse, you can drill down into interesting areas, or change the data
settings to look at the data in a completely different way.
Let’s look at another example. When your hard drive fills up, how long does it
take you to find which files and directories are taking up the most room? The
following squarified tree map provides a 3-D view of the data partition on our
server.
The map shows the relative size of files and directories (surface area), the number
of files, the directory level (layers) and the file types (color). Instantly you can see
which are the biggest files and directories and which are the deepest directories.
Moving the mouse over each block provides more data about that file, and you can
click on any element to drill down to the next level. You can also move the map
and zoom in to see more detail in any area.
http://www.sm.luth.se/csee/csn/visualization/filesysvis.php
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Advanced concept maps
Summary
Systems concept maps show a cycle or cycles in a system. They’re useful in
depicting the complexities of a concept or process. They do this by showing the
whole of a dynamic system rather than just the parts. Logic trees are diagrams
that start with a key statement and then branch out with further logic or key
points that support the statement. When constructing logic trees, you can build
them with two types of logic—deductive and inductive. Deductive reasoning
presents a line of reasoning that leads to a “therefore” conclusion. With inductive
reasoning, you move from a set of examples to a theory that you think explains all
the examples as well as examples that will appear in the future. Decision trees
help you figure out and clarify complex problems before considerable time, money
and resources are committed to a project. Decision trees try to account for all the
variables in a situation so the best decision is clear. Decision trees have two main
parts—decision nodes and event nodes. Decision nodes represent a choice to
make. Event nodes represent outcomes. From these parts, you can build very
simple or very elaborate decision trees. Software-based concept maps use the
power of computers to help you see and visualize information new ways. They will
likely change the way we learn in future.
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Exercises
Exercise 1 - Deductive Logic concept map
Construct a visual logic map from the following information about a company:
• Any corporation meeting three specific criteria is worth buying.
• Company X meets all three criteria.
Remember, a deductive logic concept map must follow three criteria:
• Make a statement about something that exists in the world; i.e., Birds fly.
• Make another statement about a related situation that exists in the world at the
same time: i.e., I’m a bird. The second statement relates to the first if it
comments on either its subject (birds) or its predicate (fly).
• State the implication of these two situations existing in the world at the same
time; i.e., Therefore, I fly.
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Using concept maps
5
Module
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make the concept map interesting, perhaps add different colors and shapes to
emphasize key ideas.
Try using various alternative map formats, even if you’ve spent some time on one
format already. If you feel you are not getting anywhere with one map format,
even sketching out ideas in another format can help you see information in a new
way, and help you get past your block. Do quick sketches to see if your ideas might
work better in a new format.
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will vary according to how important the knowledge is and how often you use it.
During those times, you can refer to your concept maps to gain a quick overview
of the information and the organization of its key concepts. The result will be that
you remember information longer and more effectively.
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What did you think of this module? Do you have some suggestions? Let us know
your thoughts using our online survey at:
http://www.memletics.com/surveys/concept-mapping
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Special Focus—Using CmapTools software
6 Special Focus—Using
Module
CmapTools software
CmapTools Knowledge Modeling Kit is a software tool for creating concept maps. It
has two great virtues for you, as a learner. First, it’s free and available for
download on the Internet. Second, it’s easy to use and takes little time to learn. So,
you have an excellent tool at your disposal for learning how to construct concept
maps, and it costs you nothing! This module will introduce you to the CmapTools
software and show you how to get started in the application.
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• Click on it and the next screen will ask you to “Run” or “Save” the application.
Click on “Save” and download the software into the directory of your choice.
• Find the installation file and double-click it to run.
• Follow the instructions on screen to install the software.
Once you’ve installed the software, go to Start>Programs>IHMC CmapTools>
CmapTools to run the software.
Let’s assume we’re doing an IHMC map on the various states of “water”. To enter
the central concept, double click on the initial node and type in “Water” as shown
below.
The default node is a rounded rectangle, but you can change the shape to a circle
or a square by using the Styles menu (Format>Styles). The Styles menu looks like
this:
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By clicking on the Shape option, you can change the node to your preference
(circle, oval, rectangle). The Style menu also allows you to change fonts, lines,
color, background image, etc. For our example, I want the map to follow a
“standard” IHMC format. I chose green for the text on a white background. With
the Styles menu, you can change any aspect of a concept map to get the look you
prefer.
Now you’re ready to start creating links to the nodes that will relate to the central
concept of water. To do that, click on the concept then put the mouse on the
arrows at the top of the central node. Click and drag in the direction you want to
go. In the example, I “pulled” a node to a spot immediately below the central
concept. This action creates a link at the same time. Notice that you now have a
label for the link as well as the new node. Click on the link text box to enter the
link label and on the node text box to enter its label. Type in “is composed of” to
label the link and “molecules” to identify the text box.
The map now shows that water, at its most basic level, is composed of molecules.
You can pull nodes and links in any direction you like and link the nodes in any
fashion you prefer (in general, try to keep concepts flowing downwards from the
main concept). You can also direct the “arrow” links in any direction as well by
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selecting that option on the Style menu. I’ve also updated the line and linking
phrase color. The linking phrases are in blue, and the connecting lines are grey.
I continued the construction of our map by pulling the link and node diagonally
down to the left as shown below.
The map now explains that living things need water. I then kept drawing the map
by pulling a link and node to the right and downward as shown below:
The map now explains that water changes states. I then continued the map until it
was completed. As you can see below, it shows the many examples of living things,
molecular action, and the states of water. Notice how the links can join two or
more concepts. These “cross links” help the reader visualize the complexity and
interrelationship of the elements that make up a concept.
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The Add Style window will appear. Enter a name for the style. Then check the
Include Background Styles check box if you want the current object’s background
to be included in the style.
Click Ok to save the style. To apply saved styles to other objects, click the arrow at
the bottom left corner of the Styles window.
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You’ll see a list of all the named styles. Simply select a concept or linking phrase
and then click on the style name to apply that style to the selected object.
You can get more help by selecting Help>Working with styles from the menu bar.
Saving a Cmap
Saving a Cmap is easy. In the Cmap window, click on File>Save Cmap.
The Save Cmap As window is displayed. The window allows you to choose where
to save your Cmap. You may also save the Cmap to your local My Cmaps folder or
to the networked places folder. This window also contains form fields to input
additional information about your Cmap.
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Notice that you also have the option of exporting your Cmap in the following
formats: Image, XML, propositions as text or Cmap Outline. If you wish to send a
Cmap to someone else, you need to “Export as XML” and then “Import as XML”
on the other computer.
From our demonstration, you can see that it’s very easy to construct concept maps
with the Cmap Tools application.
When you click on Add Web Page, you’ll get this screen:
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Sharing Cmaps
The Share My Cmaps feature allows you to share your Cmaps with others on a
Cmap server and collaborate on their design. To learn how to use this feature, go
to Cmaps Help (Help>CmapTools Help) and click on the Share My Cmaps option.
You need to do this before using some of the collaboration features below.
You can then copy the URL and mail it to someone or add a link to your website.
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Discussion threads
Discussion threads (DTs) are discussion lists attached to particular concepts in a
concept map. These threads allow users to question, criticize or comment on
another person's maps. On-line discussions are often part of separate software
packages and are limited because they’re separate from the object or topic of
discussion. In CmapTools, you can attach discussion threads to particular
concepts within a concept map. This leads to more focused discussions because
the discussions are on the selected concept within the context of the concept map.
Through discussion threads, you can use Cmap Tools to collaborate on IHMC
maps with others. For example, a group of students could jointly work on a
project and collaborate during the construction of a concept map. Discussion
threads allow them to comment on the map, modify it, etc. Collaboration can
take place within one classroom or among multiple classrooms in different
schools.
You can also use discussion threads in computer-mediated or distance learning
situations. Using threads, students can ask questions about a concept map
while instructors can begin their own discussion threads and invite students to
participate in a discussion.
A third use of discussion threads is as peer review devices. Students,
researchers and others can put a concept map/proposition on Cmap servers and
invite comments in order to get input on the map.
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The software will ask you to name your thread. To avoid anonymous postings,
check “Ask for user registration.” After you’ve created the thread, the message
window appears:
Once you’ve created your message, it appears in the message list. Others can reply
to it in follow-up messages, or create their own new messages.
Back on your concept map, the discussion thread appears as an icon at the base of
the concept. Click on it to view or contribute to the discussion.
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Click on the minimize button. Your annotation will appear as the yellow symbol
on your concept. Double click to view it.
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Then, click on Search. This will reveal three options: Cmaps, Resources, and Web
Information, Cmaps and Resources, and Web Information.
Select the Cmaps and Resources option. Let’s assume that you want to find some
information on the structure of water. You’d type the word “water” in the What to
Search window as shown below.
“Water” is a broad topic, so you’d like to refine your search. You do that by
clicking on the Show Refine Search button at the bottom left-hand side of the
window:
When you do that, the following window appears. On the left-side of the window,
you have the option of selecting three locations: My Cmaps, Places, or the Web. If
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you want to restrict your search to only one or two locations, simply uncheck the
boxes below those locations you don’t want to search.
You can also further refine your search by selecting the Select Result: Types to
Return option at the lower left of the window. As you can see below, you can
restrict the search according to the Type of Resource and Resource Properties. Or,
for a broader search, you can check the Select All option.
When you run the search, you get the following results:
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The search found over 202 Cmaps containing the search term “water.” To open
one, you just need to double-click the entry in the results box. You could now go
back and refine the search to find Cmaps with water only in the title, for example.
You can now see how easy it is to access a large repository of existing knowledge
by using the Cmap Tools search function.
Note: Searching takes a long time! As its searching many repositories, the search
can take a few minutes to complete. Opening Cmaps from remote servers may also
take some time.
Browsing
To browse for various maps, sites, projects, and other items in Cmap Tools, click
on Views>Shared Cmaps in Places on the left side of the menu. When you do that,
a list appears below Places, and you can access areas that interest you. You can
also browse through IHMC sample knowledge models by going online to
http://pavo.coginst.uwf.edu/servlet/SBReadResourceServlet?rid=106400971002
7_1421983319_27104&partName=htmltext. There, you’ll find a Knowledge
Models concept map. Click on the icon below the Browse node. That will give you
access to Cmap tools for navigating and browsing as well as a considerable
amount of other information.
A great example of how browsing can give you access to extensive information is
IHMC’s project with NASA. IHMC worked with NASA’s Center for Mars
Exploration (CMEX) to organize information on the challenges and opportunities
of exploring Mars in the form of concept maps. You can find these maps at
http://cmex.ihmc.us/CMEX/Map%20of%20Maps.html. Click on Mars concept
maps. That will bring up a Map of Maps on all things related to Mars—geologic
processes and landscapes, orbiters, landers, Rovers, etc. It’s a wonderfully rich
site if you’re interested in the subject of Mars and space exploration.
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application from creating a Cmap to printing the map out. You can find additional
help by going online to the main IHMC web site at http://www.ihmc.us/. From
there, you can search the site for specifics on concept maps. Or, you can access
research, Cmap Tools, or find out more about the history and staff of IHMC.
Summary
Cmap Tools software is a free download from the Institute for Human and
Machine Cognition (IHMC). With the application, you can make concept maps of
all kinds—spider maps, systems maps, etc. Cmap Tools is a very versatile and
useful program. You can link to maps and other resources. You can use it as a
teaching and learning tool. Through the use of discussion threads, you can
collaborate with others on the construction of a map or share your maps with
others. You can also search for and find existing concept maps or browse through
IHMC’s sample knowledge models.
Exercise
To conclude this section, I’d like to give you practice in creating an IHMC map.
Create an IHMC concept map using information from this site:
http://www.sissel-online.com/article/water.php. The article stresses the
importance of water in nutrition, exercise, and weight loss.
Here are your directions:
• Go to Sissel-Online.com at the URL listed above.
• Read the article “Water: The Body’s Most Important Nutrient”.
• Extract the main concepts from the article and construct a concept map in
Cmaptools.
• Experiment with re-formatting the map using the Styles menu so it looks like
the water concept map in this module.
When done, compare it to the concept map I’ve included at the back of the book.
Remember: there is no right or wrong approach to creating a concept map. Use
the structure that works best for your style of learning.
What did you think of this module? Do you have some suggestions? Let us know
your thoughts using our online survey at:
http://www.memletics.com/surveys/concept-mapping
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Visualization techniques
7
Module
Visualization techniques
This is a free extract from the Memletics Accelerated Learning Manual. This module
is one of many that can help you learn faster and remember more. I’ve chosen this
module because visualization techniques can help your visual concept mapping
techniques. Your concept maps can also help you improve your visualization skills.
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Now, take the biggest bite you possibly can out of the lemon.
Chew it and taste the lemon juice in your mouth. Squeeze your
eyes shut tight. Feel the edges of your mouth sting slightly from
the acid. Do the same with the rest of the lemon.
It’s likely that your mouth is salivating after you visualize this. Check! Is your
mouth watering? What this simple exercise shows is that many parts of your brain
and body cannot distinguish between what you see in your mind versus what is
real. Your body reacted as if you did bite into that lemon. Your mind can alter the
state of your body.
Similarly, visualizing outcomes you want can change the way your body and mind
react to the environment around you. You see opportunities that you didn’t think
were there before. You start to behave and think differently. You have a better
chance of achieving that outcome.
In this section, I first discuss some general visualization principles. We then look
at the techniques that support motivation, allow mental practice, and reinforce
other techniques.
Prepare
When starting out or when visualizing several chunks of information, write down
a script or set of points you want to visualize. This helps keep you on track during
the exercise. You may also want to consider recording the steps on to a cassette or
computer, and play this while visualizing. This helps when visualizing a complex
time-based scenario or task.
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Visualization techniques
Visualization works best when you are in Memletic State. Key parts of state for
visualizing include:
• Clear goals. Goals and assertions are an important part of visualization.
Review your key goals and make sure your visualization fits within those. Also,
review some assertions and perhaps add a few more on the specific benefits you
wish to gain from this visualization.
• Concentration. Your mind may wander during visualization exercises. Review
the concentration techniques and use the relevant ones (such as a distraction
log) during your visualizations.
• Relaxation. The last activity before starting your visualization exercise is a
relaxation exercise. Relax your body and brain.
See the Memletic State chapter for more information on these points.
When you are ready, sit down and be comfortable in a straight-backed chair. Have
the material you are using in your lap. Don’t lie down as you may fall asleep.
When you are starting out, plan to spend three to five minutes on a visualization
session. You can build up to longer sessions as your concentration improves.
If you have an alarm available (preferably soft), set it to the time you want to
finish. If you find yourself easily distracted, you may want to have something beep
every thirty to sixty seconds. If you have computer, an easy way is to record the
sound of a beep followed by thirty seconds of silence, and then replay the
recording in a loop. When you hear a beep, check you are still concentrating on
the right content. If not, just bring your attention back to your task.
Visualize
There is no magic or art to visualizing. Simply start thinking through the steps,
task or scenarios you wish to visualize. Here are some specific tips:
• Verbalize the steps or scenarios. When first starting visualization, in general
or a new exercise, verbalize what you want to see. Describe in words the steps
or scenario you are visualizing. If you are visualizing a red house, simply say
out loud or in your mind: “I see a red house. It has a red tile roof and red brick
walls. I am standing out the front on the garden path. It leads up to the front
door. I walk up to the wall and run my hand over the brick. It feels rough and
cool.” Either try to visualize it as you read, or read it and then close your eyes
and repeat the content in your mind.
• Use an internal perspective. In most visualization, see your actions from an
internal perspective. See the scenario from your own eyes. An alternative is the
external perspective, where you see yourself through someone else’s eyes.
Typically, the internal perspective works best, especially for mental rehearsal.
• Use the senses. As well as seeing, build in as many of the senses as possible.
Think of the sounds that would be present in that scenario. Are there any
scents or smells you would expect? What forces or sensations would your body
or hands feel? Would you have a particular taste in your mouth? You do not
physically experience each of these sensual experiences. Rather, you just need
to think about what they would feel like.
• See only the correct way. I once heard that rally car drivers train to look
where they want to go, rather than at a tree they could hit, when they are
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skidding sideways. I like this point because it highlights how powerful our
focus is. If the driver looks in the direction they want to go, there is a good
chance they gain control and go that way. If they focus on a particular tree,
there is a good chance they will hit it.
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Visualization techniques
Note that some people have different patterns, or are the other way around
(swapping left with right, or up with down). Adjust the directions based on
your own patterns.
• Practice and expand. You may want to try doing some regular visualizations
when first starting out. Use a simple visualization exercise, such as a scenario
or task, and visualize it for a few minutes. Do it at the same time each day.
You can also expand your use of visualization away from set exercises. When
you are studying or using other techniques, simply relax for a moment and
visualize some part of the content or technique. You can visualize anywhere—
on public transport, in a meeting, while exercising, or while waiting for an
appointment. The more often you do this, the easier and more effective your
visualization becomes.
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• Set your goal. Your goal may be a short term or long-term outcome. When you
are starting out, you may want to start with goals that are reasonably easy to
achieve. You can add longer term goals as you progress.
• Create a clear idea or picture. Create some scenarios as if you have already
achieved your outcome. Think of them in the present tense. You may want to
script some of these scenarios (see scripting in the Verbalize techniques), then
summarize those scripts into bullet points you can use during a visualization.
• Focus on it often (but not too hard). Set aside some time each day to focus on
the goals you currently have. It doesn’t have to take long. Five minutes every
day is better than half an hour a week (however both are better than none at
all!). If you think of your goal during the day, simply relax a moment and
expand that thought into a quick visualization then and there. Avoid trying to
force the visualization.
• Give it positive feelings. Use assertions to give your goal a sense of compelling
inevitability. Use strong positive statements such as “this exists here and now”
or “what I see I create.” Finish with a statement such as “life creates this, or
something better, for me and for the highest good of all involved.”
• Congratulate yourself when achieved. When you achieve your goal,
congratulate yourself. Find a way to celebrate. Add the experience to a list of
positive outcomes you’ve achieved. You can review this list later as a positive
assertion that you achieve your goals.
You may notice that I’ve mentioned both scripting and assertions above. I discuss
these techniques in more detail soon. Visualization and verbalization are even
more powerful when you combine them.
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Visualization techniques
For example, many people like the idea of “retiring early, living on the beach
and doing nothing.” Do they know what that is like? Try a visualization exercise
where all you do is wake up, have breakfast, lie on the beach, walk, have lunch,
lie on the beach, eat dinner, and go to bed. It may sound good at first, but then
visualize yourself after doing this for six months, a year, and two years (or
more). Do you still feel like it’s what you want?
Use creative visualization to reduce the risk that a goal you have set out to
achieve is not what you expect when you get there.
• Changing attitudes and behaviors. Many of our attitudes and behaviors come
from a mental picture we hold of ourselves within our subconscious. We can
use visualization to make changes to those mental pictures, which then filter
through as changes in our attitudes and behaviors.
The way to do this is to visualize yourself already acting with those attitudes, or
behaving in a certain way. See yourself going through scenarios where you have
a choice of the old and new attitudes, and choosing the new attitudes.
At first, you may feel what I call creative dissonance when you have a choice
between an old mental attitude and a new one. This tension is natural and is a
step in changing those attitudes. Sometimes you may fall back into the old one,
in which case just accept it and do some more work with the visualization.
Have an expectation though that you will change. It’s certain.
• Maintenance of health. Visualization and imagery are now a legitimate part of
western medicine. Medical researchers have approved specific uses of imagery
in such conditions as psychological distress, chemotherapy related distress,
pain control, insomnia, and immune system improvement.
There is much information out there on using visualization for both dealing
with injuries and pain, as well as upholding good overall health. A basic
visualization for general health would involve seeing your body and mind as
being healthy, strong, and fit. You could then focus on any areas of concern.
• Rewrite your history. Another creative way to use visualization is to rewrite
your history. Much of our view of our own history is less to do with accurate
recollection of events, and more to do with how we reacted to those events. Our
memories are just one of many subjective views that could have formed from
an event. Feel free to change and edit your view of your history. Make some
negative events further away, more distant, or non-existent. Exaggerate
positive events or even invent new events in the past to support the goals you
have in the future.
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Visualization techniques
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88 © Advanogy.com 2005
Suggested answers to exercises
Module 2 Exercises
Sound
Family
Memories Smell
Texture Spaghetti
Touch
& Meat Sauce
Taste
Visual appeal
Heat
Water Board
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Water Board
Farm Production
Livestock
Transport
Harvesting
Storage
Processing plant
Research, Transport
promotion,
Supermarket advertsing
Farmer's market
Dinner table
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Suggested answers to exercises
Module 3 Exercises
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Drive to fuel
station, stop
No
Remove cap
No
Select regular
button / nozzle
Pump gas
Yes
End
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Suggested answers to exercises
No
Income
No No loan End
> 40K
Yes
Income
No
> 80K
In job
No No loan End
> 1 yr
Yes
Yes
Yes
Loan!
End
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Module 4 Exercises
Because Company X
meets all three criteria, it
will be bought.
Module 5 Exercise
Here is a suggested answer:
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Introducing the Memletics Accelerated Learning System
Memletics draws together much of what we know about effective learning into an
easy-to-apply system. This appendix provides you with an overview before you
start learning about the individual parts of Memletics. This helps you learn
Memletics faster. Having this overview also helps you understand links between
the different parts of Memletics. You will soon begin to see the power of
Memletics comes from both the individual parts and the whole system.
This appendix outlines the five parts of Memletics. These parts are the Memletic
State, Memletic Process, Memletic Techniques, Memletic Styles and Memletic
Approach:
• The Memletic State. How to make sure your brain cells, physical systems and
mental systems are in the best state for learning.
• The Memletic Process. The steps you take to LEARN the knowledge needed
for your goal.
• The Memletic Techniques. These techniques improve the speed and quality of
your learning.
• The Memletic Styles. Use your stronger and secondary learning preferences to
improve your overall learning.
• The Memletic Approach. Manage the overall learning journey by prior
planning and then tracking along the way.
Don’t worry too much about the details of each part at this point. In this chapter, I
just provide an overview of each part of Memletics. This is because there are many
interrelationships between the five parts of the system. Having a broad
understanding first helps you recognize those linkages as they arise.
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L E A R N
provides steps to follow when Memletic Process
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Introducing the Memletics Accelerated Learning System
particular skill or fact. This approach provides a repeatable process you can refine
to improve your overall learning performance.
The diagram above shows the five activities of the Memletic Process. These are:
• Locate. Firstly, you find and prepare content for your learning goal. This may
involve using standard books and manuals, however it could also involve
getting notes from lectures, one-on-one tutoring sessions, the Internet and
other references.
• Explore. Here you work through and understand your content. There are some
general principles to follow, such as learning to a level deeper than needed.
There are also some approaches relevant to particular learning styles that you
may want to try.
• Arrange. Next, you select which material you want to memorize, and prepare it
for memorization. You select Memletic Techniques based on the type of
knowledge you want to learn. This book has over twenty different techniques
you can apply to various forms of content. You then prepare your content for
use with those techniques.
• Reinforce. You then use those techniques to reinforce knowledge, skills and
behaviors. Further reinforcing techniques help you lock in that material for the
long term.
• eNquire. Lastly, you review both how well you learned your content, as well
how well you applied Memletics along the way.
Notice how the first letters of these steps spell out LEARN (eNquire starts with
the ‘N’ sound).
Don’t feel like you have to stick rigidly to these activities. They sometimes
overlap. For example, when you explore content you start to form ideas on the
techniques to use to memorize it. You start to reinforce material when you explore
and arrange it. You may need to rearrange some material during the reinforcing
process, as it may not be suitable for the particular technique you chose. Your
mind naturally connects topics, associates information and does its own reviews
as you progress. Letting it do so helps the whole memorizing process.
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As well as the techniques, I also discuss some common reasons why techniques
may not work as well as you expect at the end of the techniques chapter.
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Introducing the Memletics Accelerated Learning System
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If you’d like to learn more about the Memletics Accelerated Learning System, visit
the home page for the Memletics Manual at
www.memletics.com/manual/default.asp
This manual is the core reference for Memletics –
there are no other materials describing Memletics in
depth.
Also on the Memletics website, you’ll find:
• Memletics Statistics. See some interesting
statistics on Memletics users.
• Instructor-led training. Learn about
upcoming instructor-led training for
Memletics.
• Testimonials. Don't just take our word for
it. See some comments from readers and
reviewers of Memletics.
• Resources. See some of the additional resources that are available to
Memletics Members.
• Accelerated Learning Research Projects. Find out about some of our
current research projects, including information on Memletics VR (Virtual
Reality).
You can also learn more about us.
Index
Please note: Bold page numbers indicate the term is part of a heading.