Creative Learning Activities Research Articles

A mindtool-based collaborative learning approach to enhancing students' innovative performance in management courses

<p>Educators have indicated that creative teaching is the most important educational activity; nevertheless, most existing education systems fail to engage students in effective creative tasks. To address this issue, this study proposes a mind map based collaborative learning approach for supporting creative learning activities and enhancing students' innovative performance. An experiment has been conducted on a university management course to evaluate the effectiveness of the proposed method. The experimental results show that the proposed approach significantly enhanced the students' innovative performance in a project-based learning task. Such a finding not only provides evidence of the cultivability of innovative thinking, but also good references for those researchers who are interested in conducting creative learning activities.</p>

Teaching Interprofessionalism to Nursing Students:A Learning Experience Based on Allport's Intergroup Contact Theory

FACULTY SEEKING TO CREATE LEARNING ACTIVITIES THAT FACILITATE EXPOSURE TO AND ENHANCE THE LEARNING OF INTERPROFESSIONAL (IP) HEALTH CARE TEAM BEHAVIORS WILL BENEFIT FROM AN UNDERSTANDING OF GROUP PROCESSES AS ADVOCATED BY SOCIAL SCIENTIST GORDON ALLPORT. In 1954, Allport postulated that prejudice or stereotyping within groups can interfere with the successful functioning of groups, and that just putting individuals together and expecting them to function is not enough (Pettigrew, 1998). Today's nursing students must be academically and experientially prepared to participate in the IP environment in order to assimilate the roles expected by employers and provide the highest quality patient care (Lindqvist & Reeves, 2007; Sullivan & Godfrey, 2012). However, while interprofessionalism is inherent in what nurses do every day in performing their job, there is often little focus on IP within nursing education. As the system of delivery of health care services changes to include the IP health care team process, the educational preparation of health care providers will have to evolve (Gillespie & McFetridge, 2006). This article provides a brief theoretical framework to support the development of team-oriented thinking and behavior through the use of faculty-guided learning experiences whereby nursing students can learn the skills necessary for working in IP health care teams. An example of a learning experience that can take place early in the student's nursing education, in a didactic setting, is provided. Barriers to Interprofessionalism The IP health care team is characterized as a group of health care professionals from various disciplines who share the responsibility of collaborative decision-making to achieve desired patient goals (McCallin & Bamford, 2007). A distinct focus on team-based health care delivery allows this group to address complex patient needs within a structure that also considers the full spectrum of care, including quality of service, its cost, and access to health care. The goal of the team partnership is joint decision-making to achieve patient-centered outcomes using collaborative knowledge, skills, and varied professional perspectives (Jansen, 2008; Johanson, 2008, Royeen, Jensen, & Harvan, 2009). Working under such complex conditions requires collaboration, team decision-making, and assertiveness and self-confidence, as well as a balance between one's profession and the team activities (Atwal & Caldwell, 2006; Kvarnstrom, 2008; Young, Baker, Waller, Hodgson, & Moor, 2007). However, researchers have identified barriers to the team approach, including varying perceptions of teamwork, differing ability levels in team members, stereotyping behaviors, and the potential for one profession, specifically medicine, to exert dominance over the others (Atwal & Caldwell; Gilbert, 2005; Royeen et al., 2009). McCallin and Bamford (2007) suggested that to change stereotypical perceptions attached to other professions, team members use communication techniques such as pluralistic dialoguing, which recognizes and respects the notion that alternative points of view have merit. Participants in this mode of communication are open to various perspectives and have a good understanding of the roles and skills of other practitioners. Interprofessional Education and AIIport's Intergroup Contact Hypothesis In an academic environment that seeks to promote IP education, simply creating a class roster of students from various professions and expecting the students to accept the perspectives of the individual professions represented in the class are not sufficient to create the attitudes necessary to function as an IP team in providing patient care (Lidskog, Lo, Mark, & Ahlstrom, 2007). Allport's intergroup contact hypothesis holds that prejudice can be reduced within and among groups and that there can be positive attitude changes in a group if certain elements exist. …

Contribution of Student's Perception Toward Teacher's Goal Orientation and Student's Goal Orientation as a Mediator in Test Anxiety on Elementary's Final Exams

Test anxiety has become a problem in education. Its impact can be detrimental; it can even threat students to fail in academic area. Goal orientation is the purpose of individual to engage in activities and achievement. In the classroom teacher has goal to create learning activities so that students get the expected achievement, this is called teachers’ goal orientation which will be perceived by students and later influence student personal goal orientation. This research is aimed to see the contribution of student's perception toward teacher goal orientation and student's goal orientation as a mediator in test anxiety on elementary student's final exams. Subject were 190 students of 6th grade elementary level at south district of Jakarta Indonesia. The result shows that the performance goal orientation is positively and directly and indirectly related through student's goal orientation that serves as a mediator with test anxiety. Whereas, student's perception about mastery goal orientation and work avoidance are negatively related, directly or indirectly, through student goal orientation with test anxiety. The result suggested applying mastery teacher's goal orientation in the classroom so that student can adopt goal orientation and it will expect to reduce test anxiety.

Theories, relationships and interprofessionalism: Learning to weave

In this article, we illustrate the application of a number of theoretical frameworks we have used to guide our work in interprofessional education (IPE) and collaborative interprofessional care (IPC). Although we do not claim to be experts in any one of these theories, each has offered important insights that have broadened our understanding of the complexities of interprofessional learning and practice. We have gained an appreciation for an increasing number of theories relevant to IPE and IPC, and, as a result, we have woven together more key principles from different theories to develop activities for all levels of interprofessional learners and clinicians. We pay particular attention to relational competencies, knotworking/idea dominance, targeted tension and situational awareness. We are now drawing on the arts and humanities and complexity theory to foster relationship-building learning. Evaluation of our endeavors will eventually follow these latter theories for methods that better match the human and social experiences that underpin learning. Our “theoretical toolbox” therefore may be of value to educators who develop and implement creative interprofessional learning activities, as well as clinicians interested in moving toward more effective collaboration.

Exploring an Alternative Model of Human Reproductive Capability: A Creative Learning Activity

Biological and social evolutionary processes, along with social and cultural developments, have allowed humans to separate procreation from pleasurable/recreational sexual activity. As a class learning project, an alternative, hypothetical reproductive scenario is presented: “What if humans were biologically ready to conceive only during one period each year?” Discussion is followed by small-group or individual research on the possible effects of this scenario on human reproductive response and its further effects on human life, society, and civilization. An important purpose of the activity is to stimulate active learning through small-group interaction, communication, and research.

Creative Osmosis: Teacher Perspectives of Artist Involvement in Professional Development

This inquiry examined the impact of a professional development program in the arts for teachers offered in partnership with Canada’s cultural institutions and the involvement of artists over a three-year period. The research focused on the teachers’ personal growth and professional practice by employing a multiple-perspectives methodology entitled Integrated Inquiry. Findings indicate that it was the inspirational settings in cultural settings, the creative learning activities with artists, and the opportunities to discuss and reflect on their personal perspectives that promoted the teachers personal growth and professional practice. Participation in a wide variety of creative arts activities in cultural settings increased the participants’ willingness to teach the arts in their own classrooms. These experiences enhanced their tolerance for ambiguity and sensitivity to different learning styles. The reflective journal was a powerful tool for making the practical theoretical. It enabled them to relate arts experiences to learning theory and to develop and nurture new ideas. Major obstacles to implementing the arts in schools are inadequate resources, limited peer support, insufficient expertise to assess student achievement effectively, and lack of time. Teachers could overcome these obstacles by engaging in arts advocacy, developing cross-curricular arts themes, enrolling in upgrading courses in evaluation, and adopting an integrated approach to curriculum delivery, respectively.

Student Evaluations: Synchronous Tripod of Learning Portfolio Assessment—Self-Assessment, Peer-Assessment, Instructor-Assessment

Background: Learning portfolios are increasingly being introduced in higher education including undergraduate and postgraduate medical education. Due to their highly personalized nature, creation of an assessment tool that accurately reflects the value for the learner of the ‘work’ created is challenging, and has prevented a more widespread use of this valuable tool. Innovation & Evaluation: Forty-one physical therapy students were asked to create a learning portfolio as a component of their pathology course. This collection of evidence of learning was evaluated at the midterm and final examination by a synchronous tripod of assessors-the ‘self’, a peer, and the instructor- to provide a formative and summative evaluation. Results: Grades awarded by the three assessors were more similar at the end of the semester when compared with those at the midterm. A quantitative and qualitative satisfaction questionnaire was additionally given to students to determine the usefulness of this educational activity. Though the majority of students responded favourably, with notable self-reported improvements in communication, team-work, and professional growth, primary challenges included negative perceptions related to increased time commitment, student and teacher-related stress, and uncertainty regarding the value and the immediate and long-term relevance of this creative learning activity. Conclusion: Reflection on our study authenticates that the combination of formative and summative evaluations from such tripod assessments of learning portfolios is particularly suited for explicit inclusion in higher educational programs including medicine and allied health professionals. We recommend learning portfolios as a creative learning tool and assessment tool in higher education.

On the HorizonMobile Devices:Are They a Distraction or Another Learning Tool?

FACULTY OFTEN CRINGE AT THE THOUGHT OF SMART PHONES, iPADS, iPODS, OR ANY OF THE VARIOUS NEW TABLET DEVICES IN THE CLASSROOM. They see them as distractions, certain that students are using them to read Facebook postings or text their friends during class. Some educators have responded by banning this new technology from learning space, demanding that students turn off their smart phones and keep their tablet computers stowed in their bags (Parry, 2011, p. 16). I love my new iPad2--it is effortless to use and it weighs next to nothing. But it has made me wonder about impact mobile will have on learning. The recent 2011 Horizon Report projects mobile learning's time to adoption as one or less with two convincing statements: 2015, 80% of people accessing Internet will be doing so from mobile devices and Internet-capable mobile will outnumber computers within next year (Johnson, Smith, Willis, Levine, & Haywood, 2011, p. 12). As educators, we need to learn how to embrace mobile both inside and outside our classrooms. As Parry (2011, p. 16) suggests, We are called on as teachers to teach them [students] how to use these technologies effectively, to ensure that they end up on right side of digital divide: side that knows how to use social media to band together Parry believes that mobile web literacy is as important as basic literacy and a necessary skill for future employment. Yarmey's (2011) research also supports idea of promoting information literacy in a mobile environment. According to Schubert, president of Abilene Christian University and a pioneer in this area, Mobile-learning strategies can reconnect students to their peers, challenge them with real-world data, and involve them in real-world conversations--all providing relevance that students need for academic, social, and professional success (2011, p. 8). To provide evidence for his mobile initiative, Schubert cited a press release about 2009 National Survey of Student Engagement, which found students whose classes used course management technologies ... or interactive technologies ... scored higher on NSSE benchmarks, participated more in deep approaches to learning, and reported higher academic and personal gains during college (NSSE, 2009). He also cited research conducted by Carini, Kuh, and Klein (2006, p. 10), which demonstrated that student engagement is linked positively to desirable learning outcomes such as critical thinking and grades As we have all read from educational research and best practices, learning needs to be active, engaging, make connections to prior knowledge, and provide authentic, real-world learning experiences. Rodrigo (201 I) states that the promise of mobile learning is ability to engage students with creative and/or sophisticated content learning activities on their multimedia production devices. To achieve promise of mobile learning, we have to stop thinking about these powerful mobile multimedia as only consumption and get students using them as production devices So, it is time to put an end to death by PowerPoint and begin to engage our students, leveraging rather than banning these mobile devices. Creative Ideas for Engaging Students By using mobile learning, educator can promote three different types of literacy (Parry, 2011). The first is most obvious, understanding information access. It is fairly easy to call upon students to access information from their mobile to answer questions or solve problems in class. For example, you might present a case study of a patient and ask different groups of students to find information, such as, what diagnoses are associated with patient's signs and symptoms, what nursing interventions are appropriate as defined by their text or evidence (research or clinical guidelines), or what patient educational materials are available online. …

An Interdisciplinary Design Project in Second Life

Virtual environments can resolve many practical and pedagogical challenges within higher education. Economic considerations, accessibility issues, and safety concerns can all be somewhat alleviated by creating learning activities in a virtual space. Because of the removal of real-world physical limitations like gravity, durability and scope, virtual space allows for an expansion of possibilities and approaches to knowledge transfer and discovery learning and becomes an “environment for information” rich with collaborative possibilities. Experimentation and participation in conceptual as well as applied projects is encouraged for both students and instructors. One of these virtual environments, Second Life, was used in a cross-disciplinary project for the creation of a Marine Science virtual class environment as an assignment for design students at a major southwestern research university in the United States. This paper reports on the findings from a project that utilized Second Life as a medium for enhancing and extending design education using a process of interdisciplinary collaboration.

“Writing Information Literacy” Revisited

Librarians and instructors are longtime allies share goal of teaching information (IL). The IL concept, however, has been undertheorized in its relationship to pedagogy In a series of articles on and IL, Norgaard challenges librarians and instructors to engage in an conversation between and information as disciplines and fields of endeavor. Removing usual Norgaard defines writing information literacy as the notion theory and pedagogy can and should have a constitutive influence on our conception of information literacy? (1) He suggests IL theory should also have a reciprocal influence on composition pedagogy. Norgaard describes basic problem with traditional conceptions of and IL: If libraries continue to evoke, for teachers and students, images of quick field trip, scavenger hunt, generic, stand-alone tutorial, or dreary research paper, fault remains, in large part, rhetoric and composition's failure to adequately theorize role of libraries and information in its own rhetorical self-understanding and practice. (2) Norgaard places blame squarely on his own discipline, but he also suggests librarians must learn from theoretical insights from rhetoric and composition. Norgaard describes paradigm shifts in instruction have opened possibilities for teaching a more situated, process-oriented, and inquiry-driven rhetoric. Librarians have much to learn from these theoretical contributions. We also have much to learn and offer from our own theoretical tradition. In fact, both IL and rhetoric and composition draw from same intellectual well, building upon more general developments. This shared intellectual history can enliven practice of both disciplines, creating a rhetoricized IL and an informed rhetoric. If instructors have undertheorized IL in relation to writing, this is, in part, because of librarians' failure to articulate contributions our theoretical tradition can make to rhetoric and composition and, by extension, learning in general. Furthermore, many of prevailing pedagogical of IL, such as Norgaard's generic stand-alone tutorials, scavenger hunts, and dreary research papers, reinforce traditional notions of IL and writing, derailing efforts to create a richer instructional practice) This article describes several enactments of IL are based on social constructivist and sociocultural learning theory First, it explores ways in which librarians and instructors at Utah State University collaborate to counter a limited reading of IL through creative learning activities. Then it identifies some of barriers to creating a more situated IL through a brief, exploratory analysis of ways in which instructional tools shape differing, even contradictory, understandings of and These exploratory case studies are meant to be illustrative of promises and challenges of true writing IL. INFORMING RHETORIC:THEORIES OF INFORMATION LITERACY Both librarians and instructors have explicitly cited intertwined relationship between IL and writing. Three decades ago, Michael Kleine, a instructor, described horrors of night library, a place where students were merely copying and seeing their purpose as one of lifting and transporting textual substance from one location, library, to another, teachers' briefcases. Kleine saw no searching, analyzing, evaluating, synthesizing, selecting, rejecting, etc.(4) Nearly fifteen years later, librarian Barbara Fister identified same problem, citing Kleine's image of night library as one example. Fister writes library instruction's focus on information retrieval suggests to students that research consists of ordered use of tools to locate pieces of information from which research projects can be assembled. …

Rethinking the creativity training in design education: a study of creativethinking tools for facilitating creativity development of design students

A deliberate design and arrangement of creative learning activities in tertiary design education is crucial in helping design students to release their creative potential. Unfortunately, a systematic and deliberate design of creativity training has not yet been implemented in any higher design education institutes in Hong Kong. This article aims to classify various creative-thinking techniques in order to provide design educators with the chance to rethink the arrangement of creativity training in higher design education. Although this article is unable to provide a pedagogical framework for design educators, the five categories, namely (1) identifying and mapping attributes; (2) making possibilities; (3) changing and shifting perspectives; (4) making associations and analogical thinking; and (5) probing emotion and the subconscious, have been classified and introduced to support the importance of arranging appropriate creative-thinking techniques to learning and teaching of creativity in design education.

Creative learning 3‐11 and how we document it – Edited by Anna Craft Creative LEARNING—Activities and games that REALLY engage people – By Robert W Lucas

This article reviews the books Creative learning 3-11 and how we document it, edited by Anna Craft, and Creative LEARNING--Activities and games that REALLY engage people, by Robert W. Lucas.

Science in the virtual learning environment as more than online conversation

The asynchronous computer conference still finds itself largely ignored as an effective vehicle for supporting student-centered, collaborative learning experiences. When it is employed the quality of the learning experience varies widely. The literature reports students either unengaged with the medium or overwhelmed by the discussion threads. The online discussion itself tends to take on the nature of an accumulation of independent facts and little peer-to-peer engagement. It is recognised that learning environments in introductory science courses play a crucial role in Higher Education, and dialogic inquiry is understood to play a vital role in the study and understanding of science. According to Biggs “constructively aligned” learning environments in which careful attention is given to the relationship between learning outcomes, learning activities and teaching practice and assessment strategy are supportive of inquiry. Based on a series of introductory online physical science modules, designed and taught by the author for the University of Maryland University College (UMUC), it is shown that an aligned virtual learning environment is feasible and supports deep learning. Key factors instrumental to the successful delivery include clear communication of tutor and student role, ample opportunities for social networking and a range of creative learning activities and meaningful assessment tasks. The asynchronous conference plays a central role in which ideas are not only shared but critically examined and improved. Interaction goes far beyond conversation, reaching a deeper level of collaborative inquiry and ultimately knowledge construction. Science educators are encouraged to incorporate asynchronous conferencing to undergraduate science courses with the aim of fostering collaborative inquiry and critical thinking skills. The case study demonstrates that if the above described features are realised in the online design, the asynchronous conference by default becomes the showplace for knowledge construction from the outset and increasingly the students’ major learning resource3.

Walking the Walk

Walking the Walk

Science in the virtual learning environment as more than online conversation

The asynchronous computer conference still finds itself largely ignored as an effective vehicle for supporting student-centered, collaborative learning experiences. When it is employed the quality of the learning experience varies widely. The literature reports students either unengaged with the medium or overwhelmed by the discussion threads.The online discussion itself tends to take on the nature of an accumulation of independent facts and little peer-to-peer engagement. It is recognised that learning environments in introductory science courses play a crucial role in Higher Education, and dialogic inquiry is understood to play a vital role in the study and understanding of science. According to Biggs “constructively aligned” learning environments in which careful attention is given to the relationship between learning outcomes, learning activities and teaching practice and assessment strategy are supportive of inquiry.Based on a series of introductory online physical science modules, designed and taught by the author for the University of Maryland University College (UMUC), it is shown that an aligned virtual learning environment is feasible and supports deep learning. Key factors instrumental to the successful delivery include clear communication of tutor and student role, ample opportunities for social networking and a range of creative learning activities and meaningful assessment tasks. The asynchronous conference plays a central role in which ideas are not only shared but critically examined and improved. Interaction goes far beyond conversation, reaching a deeper level of collaborative inquiry and ultimately knowledge construction.Science educators are encouraged to incorporate asynchronous conferencing to undergraduate science courses with the aim of fostering collaborative inquiry and critical thinking skills. The case study demonstrates that if the above described features are realised in the online design, the asynchronous conference by default becomes the showplace for knowledge construction from the outset and increasingly the students’ major learning resource3.

Mary Breckinridge meets healthy people 2010: a teaching strategy for visioning and building healthy communities

In both midwifery and nursing education, it is essential to include innovative teaching strategies that address the health of communities. This article presents a creative learning activity for midwifery and/or nursing education that integrates Mary Breckinridge’s historical example with today’s national goals for building communities. The establishment of the Frontier Nursing Service in 1925 is an excellent example of the Mobilize, Assess, Plan, Implement, and Track (MAP-IT) framework for building health communities. Advanced practice nursing and midwifery students can use this historical template to implement their ideas for building healthy communities today.

Mary Breckinridge meets healthy people 2010: a teaching strategy for visioning and building healthy communities

In both midwifery and nursing education, it is essential to include innovative teaching strategies that address the health of communities. This article presents a creative learning activity for midwifery and/or nursing education that integrates Mary Breckinridge’s historical example with today’s national goals for building communities. The establishment of the Frontier Nursing Service in 1925 is an excellent example of the Mobilize, Assess, Plan, Implement, and Track (MAP-IT) framework for building health communities. Advanced practice nursing and midwifery students can use this historical template to implement their ideas for building healthy communities today.

Learning and teaching.

Learning and teaching.

More than a ‘Bag of Tricks:’ Using Creative Methodologies in Environmental Adult and Community Education

That's only good for kids! That was a lot of fun. When do we start studying? activity gives a warm and fuzzy feeling, but are they learning? The above comments are just a few examples of the reactions I have heard when I use creative and participatory activities in workshops and training programs. Have you heard similar reactions when you conduct creative activities? Or do you yourself react this way when presented with creative activities? Reactions, such as those mentioned above, were the motivation for wanting to explore with other educators the tensions that often accompany the use of creative activities in adult and community education programs. Together with Shirley Follen of the Learning for Environmental action Programme (LEAP), Canada and Meena Ragunathan of the Centre for Environment Education, Ahmedadbad, India, we conducted a workshop during the International Conference on Environmental Education of the Australian Association for Environmental Education (AAEE) held in Sydney, Australia in 1999. We used a creative activity adapted from the 'Tree of My Life' (Guevara, 1995, p. 104) and the 'Tree of Expectations, Forest of What we Have Learned' (Clover, Follen, & Hall, 2000, p. 63) to facilitate introductions and initiate discussion. The participants were given paper cutouts. Four represented different parts of a tree namely, the roots, trunk, leaves, and flowers. The fifth cutout was in the shape of an axe. On each of the cutouts the participants were asked to write brief responses to the following questions: Roots: What has influenced you most in teaching of adult education? Trunk: Write your nickname. Leaves: Write the title or brief description of a favorite creative activity you have used. Flowers: What are some of the outcomes of using creative learning activities? Axe: What are some of the constraints of using creative learning activities? After a few minutes we asked the participants to sit in a circle with a huge outline of a tree in the middle. We took turns sharing our responses and attaching the paper cutouts on to the tree. I have used these responses as my way of recollecting and reflecting on the discussion in preparing this article. I have used my experiences as a community educator with the Center for Environmental Concerns--Philippines to illustrate some of the ideas discussed. Through this article I therefore hope to begin to explore the contents of this bag of tricks and hopefully, lighten the load by identifying a pocketful of principles involved in the use of creative methodologies in adult and community education. Descriptions, Definitions, and Boundaries First, it is important to make a distinction between methods and methodology as it will be referred to and further argued and developed in this article. Method specifically refers to how the learning will be facilitated, the particular technique or activity that will be conducted. On the other hand, methodology is a more encompassing term that refers to the educational rationale or philosophy that explains why these methods were selected or used. For example, creative methods that were identified by the participants on the leaf cutouts included drawing or art, nature activities, adult games, energizers, and story telling. According to the participants, their rationale for using these creative methods, identified from the flower cutouts were to attract attention, encourage active participation, provide space for reflection, motivate greater cooperation, stimulate discussion and debate and, of course, to inspire. Second, it is necessary to clarify that CEC's experience in adult education was focused on community settings in the Philippines. The Center's mission, taken from their 1989-1997 Vision, Mission, and Goals statement, is to enhance environmental consciousness and improve the socio-economic capabilities of the local communities through grassroots education for people empowerment. …

Concept mapping: A strategy for promoting meaningful learning in medical education

Concept mapping is an educational tool that encourages meaningful learning. Fostering meaningful and self-directed learning among medical students is now recognized as a major goal of medical educators (ACME-TRI Report, 1992). Meaningful learning (learning with understanding) is much stronger and longer-lasting than rote learning (learning by memorization) because students address the conceptual meaning of the knowledge being learned, and link this new information with previous knowledge.Concept mapping is an active, creative, visual and spatial learning activity in which concepts are organized according to their hierarchical relationships. Linking words are used to describe the relationships among the concepts. To create a concept map, students must understand the information that will appear in the map. Students must also relate and integrate the concepts that will be recorded in the map. As a result students replace unidirectional linear organization with thinking which proceeds in multiple directions. This improves long-term information retention, reduces verbatim retention of non-meaningful information, and improves transfer of knowledge in future problem solving activities.Interested students and faculty can acquire concept mapping skill through a 2–3 hour workshop. Participants are given a brief overview of meaningful learning and concept mapping. Then, with guidance from workshop facilitators, they create their own concept maps. Next, a debriefing session is held for participants to discuss their experience with concept mapping. Finally, to consolidate and enhance newly developed concept mapping skills, follow-up mapping activities are assigned.Once students acquire concept mapping skill, they can use it to: (1) organize and integrate information; (2) assess existing knowledge; (3) gain insights into new and existing knowledge; and (4) relate basic science concepts to clinical presentation of the patient. Students can continue to use concept mapping as they go through clinical clerkships and residency programs. As practicing physicians they can use the method to gain a meaningful understanding of new concepts and to integrate these new concepts with prior concepts retained in long-term memory.