Creativity and Innovation - Concept Maps and Vee Diagrams Notes

Concept Map

• A concept map os a diagram that shows concept relationships.
• Most concept maps show ideas as boxes or circles (nodes) connected by lines or arrows (arcs).
• These lines have linking words and phrases that clarify topics.

Concept Maps vs. Mind Maps

• Mind Maps:
  • Used to develop internal concepts.
  • Represent a broader variety of tasks and concepts, therefore their use is more adaptable.
  • Contain a single word, phrase, or image in the center of the map, with related ideas spreading outward.
  • Show themes with a single parent and multiple children.
• Concept Maps:
  • Symbolize underlying knowledge, such as a theory or concept, which is mostly external.
  • Represent academic knowledge, hence their use is formal.
  • Include general knowledge at the top and related concepts underneath.
  • Show topics with cross-linking and multiple relationships.

Key Features of Concept Maps

• Concept maps have specific characteristics that differentiate them from other visual tools:
  • Concept
  • Linking words/phrases
  • Propositional structure
  • Hierarchical structure
  • Focus question
  • Parking lot
  • Cross-links

Concept

• Concepts are defined as abstract thoughts that originate from conscious cognitive processes that can occur without sensory stimuli.

Linking Words or Phrases

• On the lines connecting items in a concept map are linking words or phrases that describe the relationship between two concepts.
• They are brief and contain verbs.
  • Examples: "causes," "includes," and "needs."

Propositional Structure

• Propositions, also called semantic units, are two or more concepts linked by linking words.
• Concept maps visually represent a series of propositions about a topic.

Hierarchical Structure

• General, inclusive concepts are at the top of a concept map, with specialized, exclusive concepts below.
• A concept map reads top to bottom.

Focus Question

• A focus question defines the concept map's problem.
• Creating a focus question helps steer and sustain the path of your concept map.
• The focus question should be at the top of the concept map's hierarchical structure as a reference point.

Parking Lot

• Before beginning your concept map, it can be beneficial to list the main concepts that need to be included.
• Create a list from the most general to the most detailed.
• This list is called a parking lot because you'll place objects on the map as you figure out where they go.

Cross-Links

• Cross-links show how concepts in different concept map domains are connected.
• Cross-links and hierarchical structure promote creative thinking, and they often signify creative moments.

How to Create a Concept Map

• Label the relationship’ link between two related terms with a word or phrase.
• Use single or double arrows to link related terms.
• Enclose an important term or concept in a circle or oval.
• Arrange ideas to best reflect the information.
• Identify key terms or concepts for your map.

Where to Use Concept Maps to Maximize Creativity

• Reviewing knowledge
• Learning & retention
• Increased productivity
• Better presentations
• Clear hierarchy
• Visualizing outcomes
• Quick interpretation
• Ongoing professional development

How Can a Concept Map Help?

• Consolidates and absorbs knowledge during the learning process.
• Defines knowledge that exists in your head but hasn’t been formally documented.
• Integrates new and old concepts to better grasp the big picture.
• Encourages collaborative brainstorming and creative thinking.
• Fosters discovery of new concepts and their connections.
• Provides clear communication of complex ideas to assess understanding.
• Identifies areas that need further knowledge or review.

The Knowledge Vee Diagram

• The Vee diagram is another visual tool for representing knowledge and understanding. It connects conceptual thinking with practical methods.

Conceptual (Thinking) Side

• Includes elements such as:
  • World View
  • Philosophy
  • Theory
  • Principles
  • Constructs
  • Concepts

Methods (Doing) Side

• Includes elements such as:
  • Focus Question(s)
  • Value Claims
  • Knowledge Claims
  • Transformations
  • Records
  • Events and/or Objects

What is the Vee Diagram?

• A Vee diagram, named because of its shape, is a visual representation of a complex analysis.

Why Do We Use the Vee Diagram?

• The Vee diagram promotes understanding between what is observable or known and what needs to be understood.
• It's useful for multi-layered concepts in educational settings to enhance students' thinking abilities and attitudes toward deeper thought.

Implementation of a Vee Diagram

• Using a Vee diagram begins with a focusing question and then develops along doing and thinking pathways.
• V diagram works as "thinking" and "doing". It starts with drawing a big V.
• Students write conceptual information “thinking” on the left side of the V and experiment, while the project or problem statement stages “doing” are on the right.
• The diagram's middle contains the process's focus question(s), which is a dynamic bridge between known knowledge and action-based estimations.

Advantages and Disadvantages of V Diagram

Advantages

• This is a highly disciplined model and phases are completed one at a time.
• This model emphasizes verification and validation early, increasing the likelihood of an error-free, high-quality result.
• It enables project managers to track progress accurately.

Disadvantages

• It is not suitable for projects where requirements are not clear and contains a high risk of changing.
• It does not support the iteration of phases.
• It does not easily handle simultaneous events.

Vee Diagram Example – Software Development Model

Design Phase – Verification Phase

• Requirement analysis: This phase involves communicating with the customer to understand their needs and expectations.
• System design: This phase includes system design, hardware setup, and communication.
• Architectural design: Modules with diverse functions break down system design. The data transit between internal modules and the outside world (other systems) is clear.
• Module design: This phase splits the system into modules. Low-Level Design (LLD) specifies module details.

Testing Phases – Validation Phase

• Unit testing: Module design includes unit test planning. Unit test plans eliminate code or unit-level bugs.
• Integration testing: Modules are combined, then the system is tested. Integrated testing occurs during architecture design. The test confirms module communications.
• System testing: System testing tests an application's functionality and communication. It also tests the application's non-functional requirements.
• User acceptance testing (UAT): UAT is done in a production-like setting. UAT ensures the provided system satisfies user needs and is ready for real-world use.

Exercise One - Storyboard

• Storyboarding can be a particularly useful creative exercise for telling a coherent and interesting story.
• Rather than presenting the story in paragraphs, draw each scene in a series of small, rectangular boxes, like a comic strip.
• You might discover a useful new step in the process that you hadn't considered.

Storyboard Example - The Perfect Soda

• Illustrates a series of scenes in small boxes, depicting children being thirsty, a mother bringing them a new drink called SODARADES, and showcasing the drink's flavors and benefits.

Quote by George Lois

• “Creativity can solve almost any problem. The creative act, the defeat of habit by originality, overcomes everything.”