Geotechnical Engineering Through Mind Maps

Abstract

Lenardo da Vinci and Einstein used their imaginations fully. It was Einstein who said: “Imagination is more important than knowledge”. Leonardo realized the power of using images and associations in order to unleash his brain’s infinite capacity. The mind map is that tool. The human brain does not think in tool bars and menu lists; it thinks organically like all natural forms, like human body’s circulatory and nervous system, or branches of a tree and veins in a leaf. That is how brain thinks. To think well it needs the tool that reflects that natural organic flow. Mind map is a diagram used to visually organize information. A mind map is hierarchical and shows relationships among pieces of the whole. It is often created around a single concept, drawn as an image in the center of a blank page, to which associated representations of ideas such as images, words, and parts of words are added. Mind Maps really come into their own for encouraging creativity and enabling us to generate new ideas in brainstorming sessions. The spatial layout helps you gain a better overview and makes new connections more visible so you can create an infinite number of thoughts, ideas, links and associations on any topic. iMindMap software used to generate mind maps improves student’s freedom to reflect, make changes, and develop relationships in line with their thinking process. Geotechnical Engineering is a discipline mainly focused on application of principles of soil mechanics and rock mechanics for design of foundations, retaining structures and earth structures where lot of assumptions, equations and derivation and theory exist. The primitive learning methodology of notes make the subject more tedious and difficult. This can be best dealt when the expression of radiant thinking along with reader imagination is presented in the form of mind map. This particular paper gives us an idea of how—why and whereabouts of a mind map together with an example in Geotechnical engineering.