Abstract
ABSTRACTThis paper describes an analysis of mind maps capturing the experiences of the participants in an experiential and outdoor education course. The method of mind mapping is usually limited to a quantitative scoring analysis and comparative content analysis of concepts. As a consequence, the visual elements of the information are usually ignored, but to analyze the holistic information, it is necessary to analyze its visual elements. This intention underlines this study of five chosen pairs of mind maps made by participants in the outdoor course comparing their impressions at the beginning and end of the course. A qualitative review of the visual and symbolic levels of information found a significant impetus occurring in the participants’ view of their life journey and the possibility of changes due to the course experience. There is a visible tendency toward changes between first and second maps, from vague fears to acceptance of one's self, from polarity to holistically perceived reality, from vague concepts to colorful visual symbolism, from focus on the past to open acceptance of the future, from personality to community, and from the physical dimension of the experience to the spiritual or holistic level of the meaning of the experience.
Highlights
The possibilities for personal development via informal learning have not been adequately addressed in existing research, and studies focusing on outdoor winter courses are almost nonexistent
We can only conclude that map no. 2 often has a lower score than map no. 1, which might be a sign that there is less elaboration in the mind maps at the end of the project, but that is not a conclusion that could be generalized: This is true of only 11 respondents, whereas 6 respondents have a higher score on map no. 2 compared to map no. 1
It does not involve a genuine, in-depth understanding of the participant experience because it is completely detached from the visual element of the created artifacts
Summary
The possibilities for personal development via informal learning have not been adequately addressed in existing research, and studies focusing on outdoor winter courses are almost nonexistent. This was one reason for conducting research on the participant experience of a 12-day-long trek through a winter landscape, as manifested through the participant’s mind maps. After introducing the course itself, we offer a possible approach to qualitative interpretation of mind maps as a new method for educational research. This procedure is applied to five pairs of mind maps, the visual and symbolic aspects of which will be analyzed in detail. There is some evidence for personal change and development during the course visible in maps themselves
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