More about mind mapping for presentations and in education

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Way back on August 4, 2009 I blogged about Mind mapping and idea mapping for planning speeches. More recently there is an article on SpeakerHUB at Medium from August 25, 2023 titled How to use mind maps for public speaking. They list the following ten steps:

 

  1] Choose your main concept

  2] Create your branches

  3] Fill out each branch

  4] Structure your presentation

  5] Create your presentation (branch by branch)

  6] Check your presentation against the mind map

  7] Practice the presentation

  8] Make any changes that are required

  9] Perform the presentation

10] Review your performance

 

There is a more general article by Sejla Hajric at CRM.org on May 27, 2025 titled All 10 Different Types of Mind Map You Need to Know About. Only the last one is specifically for a presentation. Those are:

 

 1) Tree map (hierarchical, tree-like structure)

 2) Flow map (flow chart with a sequence of steps)

 3) Dialogue map (visual representation of a discussion)

 4) Spider map (radiating out to subtopics)

 5) Multi-flow map (multiple flows representing causes or effects)

 6) Bubble map (describing a topic with adjectives)

 7) Double bubble map (two central bubbles rather than one)

 8) Tunnel timeline map (representing processes linearly over time)

 9) Circle map (where topic information radiates from a center)

10) Presentation map (used for topics in public speaking)

 

And there is a very detailed (10-page .pdf) article by Atiyeh Sadat Sajadi et al in the Journal of Education and Health Promotion on December 28, 2024 titled Using the mind map method in medical education, its advantages and challenges: A systematic review. Their Figure 2 is shown above.  

 

The third and fourth paragraph in their Introduction state:

 

“The mind map is an innovative learning method that increases student participation and consequently leads to meaningful learning. For the first time in the mid-1970s, Tony Buzan introduced the mind map method. In this learning method, a graphical image can be designed with the help of words, images, colors, and symbols, so that the student can remember the material more easily. In fact, the mind map is a visual educational method in which the main topic is in the middle of the page and ideas, words, pictures, symbols, etc. are placed around it in a branching and free-form manner. In the mind map, long texts are removed, which allows the user to synthesize, creates the best arrangement of information, increases the level of cooperation and participation within and between groups, and ultimately promotes ideation and critical thinking.

 

The mind map actually expresses the relationship between attitudes and ideas that are described visually. The use of this method has caused medical students to memorize a large amount of information for a longer period of time and accelerate the learning process. As a result, the success of students increases. The hemispheres of the brain have different functions, and these functions can be implemented in a unified way. Employing mind maps results in an elevated degree of cerebral hemisphere functionality. This approach arranges thoughts, establishes connections between ideas and perspectives, and offers a means to uncover novel subjects that can fortify existing notions and concepts. In essence, this method hinges on connecting a central idea to multiple sub-ideas.”