It is said that the best way to prove your understanding of something is to teach it to someone else. Noted educator and researcher Joseph Novak developed Concept Mapping as a technique for organizing concepts in a way that illustrates a thorough understanding of a topic, problem, or situation. The result is an ideal method for achieving clarity; all of the information regarding a particular topic is laid out in a way that fosters shared comprehension. This is particularly helpful when you need to illustrate the various people, places, and things associated with a systematic solution.

A typical map includes various concepts (nouns) and relational links (verbs) related to a given subject area. It helps you document your current knowledge in a visual manner. In addition to guiding your initial exploration of a topic, concept maps are also an effective way of soliciting information from a subject matter expert, helping to guide you and your team to a fuller understanding of an unfamiliar domain.

• Deepens knowledge within a subject area.
• Facilitates interdisciplinary collaboration.
• Communicates complex ideas visually.
• Builds a shared understanding.

• Identify a subject area to focus on.
• Form a team of people with multiple perspectives.
• Create a list of concepts related to the topic.
• Think broadly. Include people, places, and things.
• Arrange the concepts in an orderly way.
• Draw lines with arrows to connect related concepts.
• Label the lines with words describing the relations.
• Circle and label related groupings.

• Use a very large whiteboard or work surface.
• Put concepts on sticky notes to make them moveable.
• Use the map as a living document. Update it often.