Concept mapping is a great way to aid student's cognitive learning. Showing a student the "big picture" allows them to grasp where it is their learning should be going. I personally am a very visual learner, however, simply seeing a picture does not a long-term memory make. For me. like many students, they need to organize incoming information and sort it in a way that makes sense to them. Once the big picture is processed them students can dig in further and build on that foundation.
Relating information in any way possible to things that can remind a student of something they already know will grant ques for remembering and storing information. Students need to form attachments to the goals they are learning. It seems to me that a student would better retain information that they organize themselves rather than copying notes from a book, overhead projector or lecture. I could write or copy something one hundred times and still not understand what it is that I am writing. I need to make those connections, attach meanings and organize my thoughts in a way that works for me. Technology has granted us many options these days. We have new and exciting ways to organize and sort incoming information. Even our blog reader provides us with and easier way to sort and chose the new information coming in.
