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Original research papers
Effectiveness of mind maps as a learning tool for medical
students
1 1 1 2
Amila Wickramasinghe, Nimali Widanapathirana, Osuka Kuruppu, Isurujith Liyanage,
3
Indika Karunathilake
Background two equal groups based on their high
The Mind Map is an expression of Radiant school performance. (Mind map vs. self-
Thinking, the associative thought selected study technique). A text on iron
processes that proceed from or connect to deficiency anaemia was selected as self-
a central point, and is therefore a natural study material. The mind map group was
function of the human mind. It is a given a 30-minute lesson in the technique.
powerful graphic technique that can be Both groups were exposed to the study
applied to improve learning and clearer text for a 45-minute period and were
thinking (Buzan & Buzan, 1993). Mind requested to answer four structured essay
maps can be used as self-learning questions based on the study text.
methods that facilitate understanding of
difficult concepts. Results
There was no significant difference
Objective between the marks of two groups. The
The curriculum of the Faculty of Medicine, average mark of the entire group was
University of Colombo, Sri Lanka 34.4%. Majority (97.1%, N=34) from the
emphasises the need for self-directed mind map group felt that it is useful to
learning and deep learning. Our objective summarize information and 87.9% want to
was to evaluate the effectiveness of using study further about mind mapping.
mind maps as a self-learning method for
the new entrants to the Faculty. Discussion
Mind map technique is not superior in
Method newly trained for short-term learning;
Seventy-four new entry medical students however majority perceived it as a useful
were randomly selected and assigned to learning tool.
Background In a mind map the main study topic is
drawn at the centre with keywords
A mind map is a diagrammatic branching out in a divergent pattern.
representation of words, ideas, tasks or These key words correspond to subtopics
other items associated with a study topic. and then smaller branches project from
These maps are useful tools that can be the subtopics with further details regarding
utilized to represent the structure of the subject being included in a
knowledge in a form that is psychologically progressively branching pattern. By
compatible with the way human beings undergoing this process, information
construct meaning (All & Havens, 1997). initially contained within passages of text
becomes hierarchically organized, with the
most general information being presented
1
Demonstrator, Faculty of medicine, Colombo in the centre of the mind map and material
2
Student, Faculty of medicine, Colombo of increasing detail being presented at the
3
Senior Lecturer, Faculty of medicine, Colombo extremes (Farrand et al., 2002). It is used
to generate, visualize, structure and
Correspondence:
Dr. Amila Wickramasinghe, Medical Education classify ideas, and as an aid in study,
Development And Research Centre, Faculty of organization, problem solving, and
medicine, No 25, Kynsey Road, Colombo 8, Sri decision making. The elements are
Lanka arranged intuitively according to the
E mail: amilamfc@yahoo.com
South East Asian Journal of Medical Education
30
Inaugural issue
importance of the concepts and they are Methodology
organized into groups, branches, or areas.
The uniform graphic formulation of the A total of seventy four students from the
semantic structure of information on the new entrants to the Faculty of Medicine,
method of gathering knowledge, may aid Colombo were randomly selected to
recall of existing memories. participate in the study. They were
assigned to two equal groups designated
Mind maps can be used as self-learning the mind map group and the self-selected
methods, which enhance the focus on study technique group according to the
salient rather than irrelevant aspects. It rank obtained at the university entrance
also facilitates the achievement of a examination. There were only four
conceptual understanding of the dropouts from any of the sessions.
fundamental principals of a huge amount
of information and enables to assemble A text on “iron deficiency anaemia” was
and integrate many concepts together. selected from a recommended text book
Mind maps promote active learning. as self study material. The topic of the text
Analysis of the data indicates that, as a was carefully chosen to minimize the
strategy to improve memory for written possibility of participants’ existing
information, the mind map technique has knowledge in the selected study material
the potential for an important improvement from interfering with the results. The
in efficacy (Farrand et al., 2002). investigators developed four structured
essay questions from the study text and all
Medical schools have been changing their questions were of a similar length and
educational programs and teaching required the recall of a specific piece of
strategies, at national and international information presented in the text. Each
levels, to ensure that students have active question reflected a similar level of
responsibility for their learning process difficulty.
and are prepared for life-long, self-directed
learning (West et al., 2002). The effort Initially the participants in the mind map
toward developing active learning was group were given a 30-minute lesson on
based on the concern, expressed by the mind map technique to train them on
experienced medical educators, that the application of the method. The lesson
students memorized facts ("rote learning") used material totally unrelated to the study
instead of understanding and applying text to demonstrate the best ways to
concepts ("meaningful learning")( Rendas produce and memorize mind maps. During
et al., 2006). Unless there is the training the participants were given the
understanding, students may only commit opportunity to ask questions regarding the
unassimilated data to short-term memory technique.
and no meaningful learning will occur (All
& Havens, 1997). Following this training both groups were
exposed to the selected study text on iron-
The curriculum of the Faculty of Medicine, deficiency anaemia for a 45-minute period.
University of Colombo, Sri Lanka
emphasises the need for self-directed Participants in the mind map group were
learning and deep learning. Therefore the advised to divide the time between reading
study was performed not only to evaluate the study text and producing a mind map
the effectiveness of mind maps as a self and studying it. Participants in the self-
learning method, but also with the selected study technique group were
objective of introducing this technique to advised to divide their time between
the new entrants to the faculty. reading the text and applying their existing
study methods. None of the participants in
Objective the self-selected study technique group
used mind maps as their preferred method
Educational materials have recently of study. Following the study session all
emerged which aim to improve memory for participants were again given 30 minutes
medical information by representing facts to answer the questions. The perception
in the form of “mind maps”. Our aim was to regarding the technique was obtained from
evaluate the effectiveness of using mind the mind map group using a self-
maps as a self-learning method. administered questionnaire.
South East Asian Journal of Medical Education
31
Inaugural issue
In the study, a method was developed to However the mind map technique did not
score the Mind Maps prepared by students show any superiority over other
taking into account the map’s structure as conventional study techniques as a short
well as its content. The answers were term learning method in a newly trained
marked using this pre-prepared marking population. But the majority of the mind
scheme. Data was analysed using the map group perceived it as a useful way of
Statistical Package for the Social Sciences summarising information. They also
version 15. perceived it to be helpful in memorising
information in an organized manner
Results compared to their previous self study
techniques. Students expressed their
The average mark obtained by the entire interest to learn more about the mind
group was 34.4%. The average mark mapping technique and follow it in their
obtained by the mind map group was future academic activities.
31.3%. It was 37.6% in the self selected
study technique group. There was no The mind map technique may not be
statistically significant difference between effective in improving retention of
the two groups. information in the short-term. Further
studies should be undertaken to evaluate
However all the participants (100%, N= its effectiveness in retaining information in
34) in the mind map group have realized the long-term. Students’ perception of the
that it is a useful way of memorising mind map technique as an effective
information. Almost all (97.1%, N= 34) learning tool is a positive factor in deciding
from that group perceived the technique the use of mind maps as a learning
as a useful method of summarising method.
information and wanted to follow the
technique for their future studies. A References
majority (87.9%, N= 34) wanted to learn
more about mind maps. All, A.C. & Havens, R.L. (1997) Cognitive/concept
mapping: a teaching strategy for nursing, Journal of
Discussion advanced nursing, 25, pp 1210-9.
Buzan, T. & Buzan, B. (1993) The Mind Map Book,
The students of the mind map group as London, BBC Worldwide Limited.
well as the self selected study technique
group were able to achieve a satisfactory Farrand, P., Hussain, F. & Hennessy, E. (2002) The
performance level after being exposed to a efficacy of the `mind map' study technique, Medical
Education, 36 (5), pp 426-31.
totally unfamiliar topic. A majority in the
mind map group had grasped the concept Rendas, A.B., Fonseca, M. & Pinto, P.R. (2006)
of developing mind maps after the initial Toward meaningful learning in undergraduate
training session. A majority designed the medical education using concept maps in a PBL
pathophysiology course, Advances in Physiology
mind maps incorporating many of the key Education, 30, pp 23-9.
features of mind maps. The information
embedded in the mind maps varied from West, D. C., Park, J. K., Pomeroy, J. R. & Sandoval,
one student to the other reflecting J. (2002) Concept mapping assessment in medical
education: a comparison of two scoring systems,
individual educational needs. Considering Medical Education, 36 (9), pp 820-7.
the fact that they have been exposed to
the technique for the first time, it is West, D. C., Pomeroy, J. R., Park, J.K.,
supportive towards promoting the use of Gerstenberger, E.A. & Sandoval, J. (2000) Critical
thinking in graduate medical education: A role for
mind maps as an effective self-learning concept mapping assessment?, Journal of American
tool. Medical Association, 284 (9), pp 1105-10.
South East Asian Journal of Medical Education
32
Inaugural issue
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