Indian J. Pharm. Biol. Res. 2014; 2(4):58-60 CODEN (USA): IJPB07 ISSN: 2320-9267 Indian Journal of Pharmaceutical and Biological Research (IJPBR) Journal homepage: www.ijpbr.in Original Research Article Mind Map: Medical Student’s Views Mamatha P Samaga1*, Hemalatha Nr2 1 Assistant Professor, Department of Microbiology, MIMS, Mandya, India Associate Professor, Department of Physiology, MIMS, Mandya, India 2 ARTICLE INFO: Article history: Received: 28 October 2014 Received in revised form: 15 November 2014 Accepted: 18 November 2014 Available online: 31 December 2014 Keywords: Learning, Medical education, Medical students, Mind map, Time. ABSTRACT The Mind Map is an expression of Radiant Thinking, the associative thought processes that proceed from or connect to a central point, and is therefore a natural function of the human mind. It is a powerful graphic technique that can be applied to improve learning and clearer thinking. In recent years, there have been a growing number of publications on learning strategies used in medical education, which can help students to learn and integrate information. The objective of our study was to know if the students liked or disliked mind map as a study tool and know the reasons for the same.The study was conducted on 56 first year MBBS students after taking their written informed consent. They were taught using mind map of a topic which was previously taught using traditional method. They were asked to write if they liked or disliked mind map and quote the reasons for the same. Out of 56 students who participated in the study, all of them except 2 students liked mind mapping method of teaching. Multiple reasons were quoted by the students for liking mind mapping. The most common reason cited by 34 students(60.71%) was that mind mapping could enable them to study vast topic in short time. With this feedback from the students, we can consider mind map as a good teaching tool for medical students. It is a technique which can be easily taught and learned. Introduction A learning strategy is a thinking tool that a student can use to actively acquire information and some examples include mnemonics, charts, and maps [1]. Mind mapping was developed by Tony Buzan [2] and inspired by the notebooks of Leonardo da Vinci [3]. Unlike most learners' notes, da Vinci's notes were not linear but elliptical– he used pictures and text to illustrate ideas and often connected different concepts on the same page. Mind maps, like da Vinci's notes, are multi-sensory tools that use visuospatial orientation to integrate information, and consequently, help students organize and retain information [4]. The Mind Map is an expression of Radiant Thinking, the associative thought processes that proceed from or connect to * a central point, and is therefore a natural function of the human mind. It is a powerful graphic technique that can be applied to improve learning and clearer thinking [2]. During their undergraduate years, medical students are exposed to a large amount of information. In this scenario, it is likely that students often become passive recipients of abundant information transmitted by teachers, and are rarely, if ever, actively involved in the learning process itself [5]. Although the amount of information that medical students are expected to retain is voluminous [6], there are limited learning strategies available to these students to master the information and succeed in medical school [7]. Given this very large amount of information, many medical students resort to passive learning, a phenomenon that has been shown to increase the risk of academic failure because it leads to poor retention [8]. Passive learning refers to learning strategies that Corresponding Author: Dr. Mamatha P Samaga, Assistant Professor, Department of Microbiology, MIMS, Mandya, Karnataka, India. E-Mail: [email protected] 58 Samaga et al. / Indian J. Pharm. Biol. Res., 2014; 2(4):58-60 emphasize ze memorization without an attempt to connect and understand information. Passive learners are not stimulated cognitively during the learning process and do not attempt to form connections between information . In contrast, active learning encourages this interconnectivity and engages the learner in activities that promote meaningful learning [1]. In recent years, there have been a growing number of publications on learning strategies used in medical education, which can help students to learn and integrate information [9, 10]. The mind map strategy may be a useful tool that medical students can use to facilitate the learning process.The objective of our study was to know if the students liked or disliked mind map as a study tool and know the reasons for the same. Material and Methods This was a cross sectional study conducted in Mandya Institute of Medical Sciences, Mandya. 56 students from first MBBS course voluntarily participated in the study. Written informed consent was taken from all of them. They were taught about the topic in the traditional method previously. The same topic was again selected to teach using mind mapping and opinion of the students about mind mapping method was collected. The students were asked to write if they liked or disliked this method and give reasons for fo the same. The data was analysed using descriptive statistics and results expressed as percentages. Results Out of 56 students who participated in the study, 27(48.2%) were males and 29(51.8%) were females. All of them (96.4%) except 2 (3.6%) females liked mind mapping method of teaching. Multiple reasons were quoted by the students for liking mind mapping. The most common reason cited by 34 students (60.71%) was that mind mapping could enable them to study vast topic in short time. Also 33(58.93%) felt that it helps in long term memory, easy to recall and remember. 25(44.64%) felt it was a good revision tool, 15 (26.78%) felt it could be easily carried and 14(25%) liked the pictorial presentation,. 2 females disliked this method quoting the reason that it was difficult to understand the depth of the topic and the topic gets confusing, respectively. Liked Disliked Fig 1: Percentage of students who liked and disliked mind mapping Discussion Mind mapping is a visual technique where information and knowledge are converted into a hierarchical diagram, formatted and illustrated, with structural key terms associated with a theme, helping learners to understand certain content better, integrate it and memorize it faster [11] [11]. Our study showed that majority of the students udents (96.43%) (96.43% liked mind mapping. The most common reason cited by 34 students (60.71%) was that mind mapping could enable them to study vast topic in short time. Also 33(58.93%) felt that it helps in long term memory, easy to recall and remember. Original Research Article A study by Toi (2009)[12] shows that Mind Mapping can help children recall words more effectively than using lists, with improvements in memory of up to 32%. And according to a study conducted by Farrand, Hussain and Hennessey (2002)[11], Mind Mapping improved the long-term long memory of factual information in their participants by 10%. Incorporating Mind Mapping into the teaching of comprehension skills enhances students’ understanding and memory of comprehension passages [13]. [13] 59 Samaga et al. / Indian J. Pharm. Biol. Res., 2014; 2(4):58-60 We also noted that 14(25%) liked the pictorial presentation of mind map in our study. Research by D’Antoni and Pinto Zipp (2005)[14] found that, from a pool of 14 physical therapy students, 10 out of 14 agreed that the Mind Map technique enabled them to better organise and integrate the material presented in their course. Survey data collected by Mento et al (1999)[15] indicates that the majority of students appreciated the power and simplicity of Mind Mapping and its “significant advantage over linear note-taking for recall and creative thinking”. Wickramisinghe et al (2007)[16] discovered that the majority of medical students who had been newly introduced to Mind Mapping perceived it to be helpful for memorising information in an organised way compared to their previous self-study techniques. A study conducted at Newchurch Community Primary School in Warrington showed a variety of improvements in pupils’ learning after Mind Mapping was introduced. Evidence includes improved concentration, staying on task for longer periods of time, improved questioning and answering during class discussions and improved independence. Cain (2001/2002)[17]. We found that 15 (26.78%) students felt that mind maps were easy to carry. Mind maps could provide them a concise picture of all important points which they could revise even while travelling. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. Conclusion 14. We found that majority of our students liked mind mapping. They could cover studying vast topics in short time, could remember the topic for long time and revise easily. With this feedback from the students, we can consider mind map as a good teaching tool for medical students. It is a technique which can be easily taught and learned. It requires no extra equipment or high costs. This learning-teaching strategy merits further exploration as a tool to aid in active learning. 15. 16. Conflict of interest statement We declare that we have no conflict of interest. 17. References 1. 2. 3. Gage NL, Berliner DC: Educational psychology. (Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company; 1998) Buzan T, Buzan B: The mind map book. (London: BBC Books; 1993). Gelb MJ: How to think like Leonardo da Vinci: Seven steps to genius every day. (New York: Dell; 1998). McDermott P, Clarke DN: Mind maps in medicine. (Edinburgh: Churchill Livingstone; 1998.) Gwee MCE. Medical Education: Issues, trends, challenges & opportunities. SMA News 2003;35(2):4-8. Anderson J, Graham A: A problem in medical education: Is there an information overload? Medical Education 1980, 14:4-7. Rye PD, Wallace J, Bidgood P: Instructions in learning skills: An integrated approach. Medical Education 1993, 27:470-473. Dolan S, Mallott DB, Emery JA: Passive learning: A marker for the academically at risk. Medical Teacher 2002, 24:648-649. D’Antoni AV, Zipp GP, Olson VG. Interrater reliability of the mind map assessment rubric in a cohort of medical students. BMC Med Educ 2009;9:19. D’Antoni AV, Zipp GP, Olson VG, Cahill TF. Does themind map learning strategy facilitate information retrieval and critical thinking in medical students? BMC Med Educ 2010;10:61. Farrand P, Hussain F, Hennessy E. The efficacy of the ‘mind map’ study technique. Med Educ 2002;36:426-31. Toi, H (2009), ‘Research on how Mind Map improves Memory’. Paper presented at the International Conference on Thinking, Kuala Lumpur, 22nd to 26th June 2009. Wong-Ang Gek Moi and Ong Lee Lian (2007), ‘Introducing Mind Map in Comprehension’. Educational Research Association (Singapore) 2007. Study conducted at Compassvale Primary School D’Antoni, A. V., and Pinto Zipp, G. ‘Applications of the Mind Map Learning Technique in Chiropractic Education’. Journal of Chiropractic Education, 2005;19:53-4. Mento, A. J., Martinelli, P. and Jones R. M. ‘Mind Mapping in Executive Education: Applications and Outcomes’ The Journal of Management Development, 1999;18(4). Wickramisinghe A., Widanapathirana, N., Kuruppu, O., Liyanage, I. and Karunathilake I. (2007), ‘Effectivness of mind maps as a learning tool for medical students’. South East Asian Journal of Medical Education, 2007;1, No.1 (inaugural issue). Cain, M. E. (2001/2002), ‘Using Mind Maps to raise standards in literacy, improve confidence and encourage positive attitudes towards learning’. Study conducted at Newchurch Community Primary School, Warrington. Cite this article as: Mamatha P Samaga, Hemalatha Nr. Mind Map: Medical Student’s Views. Indian J. Pharm. Biol. Res.2014; 2(4):58-60. All © 2014 are reserved by Indian Journal of Pharmaceutical and Biological Research This Journal is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial -Share Alike 3.0 Unported License. This article can be downloaded to ANDROID OS based mobile. Original Research Article 60
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