WRITING CENTRE   Level 3 East , Hub Central   North Terrace campus , SVNIT 

 ph   ( 320)202 - 0688x95843   hwillis@gmail.com   www.adelaide.edu.au/writingcentre/ 

 Mind Mapping 

 Writing Centre Learning Guide 

 Mind mapping is an effective means to take notes and brainstorm essay topics . A   mind map involves writing down a central theme and thinking of new and related   ideas which radiate out from the centre . By focusing on key ideas written down in   your own words and looking for connections between them , you can map   knowledge in a way that will help you to better understand and retain information . 

 What is mind mapping ? 

 Mind mapping was developed as an effective method for generating ideas by association . In order   to create a mind map , you usually start in the middle of the page with the central theme / main idea   and from that point you work outward in all directions to create a growing diagram composed of   keywords , phrases , concepts , facts and figures .     It can be used for assignments and essay writing especially in the initial stages , whereit is an ideal   strategy to use for your ‘ thinking ’ . Mind mapping can be used for generating , visualising ,   organising , note - taking , problem - solving , decision - making , revising and clarifying your university   topic , so that you can get started with assessment tasks . Essentially , a mind map is used to   ‘ brainstorm ’ a topic and is a great strategy for students .     How do I use mind mapping ? 

 You can use mind mapping for the following : 

    taking notes in a lecture and listening for the most important points or keywords 

    showing links and relationships between the main ideas in your subject 

    brainstorming all the things you already know about an essay question 

    planning the early stages of an essay by visualising all the aspects of the question 

    organising your ideas and information by making it accessible on a single page 

    stimulating creative thinking and creative solutions to problems 

    reviewing learning in preparation for a test or examination . 

 How do I get started with mind mapping ? 

 1 ) Place the central theme / main idea or controlling point in the centre of your page . You may 

 find it easier to place your page on the side , in landscape orientation , which is easier for   drawing purposes . 

 2 ) Use lines , arrows , speech bubbles , branches and different colours as ways of showing the 

 connection between the central theme / main idea and your ideas which stem from that   focus . The relationships are important , as they may form your essay paragraphs . 

 3 ) Avoid creating an artistic masterpiece . You should draw quickly without major pauses or 

 editing . Chances are , your first idea was fine and you placed that idea in the direction or on   the branch you thought made the most sense . It is important in the initial stages of mind   mapping to consider every possibility , even those you may not use . 

 4 ) Choose different colours to symbolise different things e.g. you may choose blue for 

 something you must incorporate in your paper , black for other good ideas , and red for the   things you need to research or check with your tutor / lecturer . Your method is entirely up to   you , but try to remain consistent so that you can better reflect on your mind map at a later   stage . 

 5 ) Leave some space on your page . The reason for this is that you can continue to add to 

 your diagram over a period of time . If A4 sized paper feels too small , you may like to use   A3 . 

 What does a mind map look like ? 

 A standard mind map begins with the following shape : 

 The following mind map is a basic model with which you can get started on a research topic : 

 You may prefer to turn your 

 paper to landscape . 

 Place your central 

 theme / main idea in the 

 centre of the page . 

 Draw lines , arrows , 

 speech bubbles , 

 branches , callouts , or any   other visuals to show the   connection to the central 

 theme / main idea . 

 Cluster similar information 

 together and form sub - branches . 

 Main 

 Idea 

 Who ? 

 Where ? 

 What ? 

 How ? 

 Why ? 

 When ? 

 Main 

 Idea 

 Example : Mind Mapping ‘ Strategies for Climate Change ’ Essay Topic 

 http://www.greendealsolutions.net/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/strategies-for-change.jpg [ Accessed : 10 July 2014 ] 

 How do I turn my mind map into an academic essay ? 

 Before you can begin to write your essay paper , you must first understand and determine what the   ‘ main ’ idea of your writing will be . What is the central theme / main idea or controlling point that you   are trying to convey to your reader ? Whatever the topic , it is always a good idea to think about the   issues that surround that topic and mind mapping is an excellent form of brainstorming .     The information that comprises your paragraphs must have a relationship to that controlling point .   The decision about what to include in your paragraphs ultimately begins with your ideas . Ideally ,   each paragraph in an essay should contain one idea or cover one aspect relevant to the central   theme on your mind map . 

 What are the benefits of using mind mapping ? 

 To achieve higher levels of concentration and creativity , together with greater organisation and   more concise communication , mind mapping might be an effective strategy for you to consider .   The benefits of mind mapping are many and varied . In summary they include : 

    giving you an overview of a large subject / broad topic and allowing you to represent it in a   more concise fashion 

    encouraging you to see the bigger picture and creative pathways 

    enabling you to plan / make choices about the selection of resource material you have for an   assignment and where you are going to place it 

    providing you with a more attractive and enjoyable format for your eye / brain to look at ,   muse over and remember . 

 Useful websites 

 http://www.udel.edu/chem/white/C342/CMap.ppt   http://tutorials.istudy.psu.edu/conceptmaps/   http://www.mind-mapping.co.uk/mind-maps-examples/education.htm   http://www.mindmapart.com/   http://www.informationtamers.com/WikIT/index.php?title=Information_map _ types 

 Videos on Mind Mapping 

 http://au.youtube.com/results?search_query=tony+buzan 

 © SVNIT 2014 

 Main 

 Idea 

 Paragraph 1 

 Paragraph 2 

 Paragraph 3 

 Paragraph 4 


EMAIL: hwillis@gmail.com
ID_NUM: 
NAME_STUDENT: 
PHONE_NUM: ( 320)202 - 0688x95843
STREET_ADDRESS: 
URL_PERSONAL: 
USERNAME: 

### Task: You are a PII (Personal Identity Information) Detection. Given a essays written by students, you have to identify ONLY the following:
NAME_STUDENT - The full or partial name of a student that is not necessarily the author of the essay. This excludes instructors, authors, and other person names.
EMAIL - A student’s email address.
USERNAME - A student's username on any platform.
ID_NUM - A number or sequence of characters that could be used to identify a student, such as a student ID or a social security number.
PHONE_NUM - A phone number associated with a student.
URL_PERSONAL - A URL that might be used to identify a student.
STREET_ADDRESS - A full or partial street address that is associated with the student, such as their home address.
### Input: WRITING CENTRE   Level 3 East , Hub Central   North Terrace campus , SVNIT 

 ph   ( 320)202 - 0688x95843   hwillis@gmail.com   www.adelaide.edu.au/writingcentre/ 

 Mind Mapping 

 Writing Centre Learning Guide 

 Mind mapping is an effective means to take notes and brainstorm essay topics . A   mind map involves writing down a central theme and thinking of new and related   ideas which radiate out from the centre . By focusing on key ideas written down in   your own words and looking for connections between them , you can map   knowledge in a way that will help you to better understand and retain information . 

 What is mind mapping ? 

 Mind mapping was developed as an effective method for generating ideas by association . In order   to create a mind map , you usually start in the middle of the page with the central theme / main idea   and from that point you work outward in all directions to create a growing diagram composed of   keywords , phrases , concepts , facts and figures .     It can be used for assignments and essay writing especially in the initial stages , whereit is an ideal   strategy to use for your ‘ thinking ’ . Mind mapping can be used for generating , visualising ,   organising , note - taking , problem - solving , decision - making , revising and clarifying your university   topic , so that you can get started with assessment tasks . Essentially , a mind map is used to   ‘ brainstorm ’ a topic and is a great strategy for students .     How do I use mind mapping ? 

 You can use mind mapping for the following : 

    taking notes in a lecture and listening for the most important points or keywords 

    showing links and relationships between the main ideas in your subject 

    brainstorming all the things you already know about an essay question 

    planning the early stages of an essay by visualising all the aspects of the question 

    organising your ideas and information by making it accessible on a single page 

    stimulating creative thinking and creative solutions to problems 

    reviewing learning in preparation for a test or examination . 

 How do I get started with mind mapping ? 

 1 ) Place the central theme / main idea or controlling point in the centre of your page . You may 

 find it easier to place your page on the side , in landscape orientation , which is easier for   drawing purposes . 

 2 ) Use lines , arrows , speech bubbles , branches and different colours as ways of showing the 

 connection between the central theme / main idea and your ideas which stem from that   focus . The relationships are important , as they may form your essay paragraphs . 

 3 ) Avoid creating an artistic masterpiece . You should draw quickly without major pauses or 

 editing . Chances are , your first idea was fine and you placed that idea in the direction or on   the branch you thought made the most sense . It is important in the initial stages of mind   mapping to consider every possibility , even those you may not use . 

 4 ) Choose different colours to symbolise different things e.g. you may choose blue for 

 something you must incorporate in your paper , black for other good ideas , and red for the   things you need to research or check with your tutor / lecturer . Your method is entirely up to   you , but try to remain consistent so that you can better reflect on your mind map at a later   stage . 

 5 ) Leave some space on your page . The reason for this is that you can continue to add to 

 your diagram over a period of time . If A4 sized paper feels too small , you may like to use   A3 . 

 What does a mind map look like ? 

 A standard mind map begins with the following shape : 

 The following mind map is a basic model with which you can get started on a research topic : 

 You may prefer to turn your 

 paper to landscape . 

 Place your central 

 theme / main idea in the 

 centre of the page . 

 Draw lines , arrows , 

 speech bubbles , 

 branches , callouts , or any   other visuals to show the   connection to the central 

 theme / main idea . 

 Cluster similar information 

 together and form sub - branches . 

 Main 

 Idea 

 Who ? 

 Where ? 

 What ? 

 How ? 

 Why ? 

 When ? 

 Main 

 Idea 

 Example : Mind Mapping ‘ Strategies for Climate Change ’ Essay Topic 

 http://www.greendealsolutions.net/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/strategies-for-change.jpg [ Accessed : 10 July 2014 ] 

 How do I turn my mind map into an academic essay ? 

 Before you can begin to write your essay paper , you must first understand and determine what the   ‘ main ’ idea of your writing will be . What is the central theme / main idea or controlling point that you   are trying to convey to your reader ? Whatever the topic , it is always a good idea to think about the   issues that surround that topic and mind mapping is an excellent form of brainstorming .     The information that comprises your paragraphs must have a relationship to that controlling point .   The decision about what to include in your paragraphs ultimately begins with your ideas . Ideally ,   each paragraph in an essay should contain one idea or cover one aspect relevant to the central   theme on your mind map . 

 What are the benefits of using mind mapping ? 

 To achieve higher levels of concentration and creativity , together with greater organisation and   more concise communication , mind mapping might be an effective strategy for you to consider .   The benefits of mind mapping are many and varied . In summary they include : 

    giving you an overview of a large subject / broad topic and allowing you to represent it in a   more concise fashion 

    encouraging you to see the bigger picture and creative pathways 

    enabling you to plan / make choices about the selection of resource material you have for an   assignment and where you are going to place it 

    providing you with a more attractive and enjoyable format for your eye / brain to look at ,   muse over and remember . 

 Useful websites 

 http://www.udel.edu/chem/white/C342/CMap.ppt   http://tutorials.istudy.psu.edu/conceptmaps/   http://www.mind-mapping.co.uk/mind-maps-examples/education.htm   http://www.mindmapart.com/   http://www.informationtamers.com/WikIT/index.php?title=Information_map _ types 

 Videos on Mind Mapping 

 http://au.youtube.com/results?search_query=tony+buzan 

 © SVNIT 2014 

 Main 

 Idea 

 Paragraph 1 

 Paragraph 2 

 Paragraph 3 

 Paragraph 4
### Output: 