curated · working-in
Concept Map
Label the arrow, not just the boxes.
Origin: Joseph Novak and D. Bob Gowin, Cornell University (1970s)
The model
A diagram of concepts (nodes) connected by lines (edges), where each edge carries a labeled relationship — a verb, a preposition, a phrase. Developed by Joseph Novak's team at Cornell in the 1970s as a tool for surfacing what a learner understands. The labeled-edge constraint is the load-bearing part: an unlabeled arrow is not yet a concept map.
When to reach for it
- Studying a new domain — concept maps are the artifact that proves you have learned it.
- Planning a long essay; the map becomes the outline.
- Trying to understand someone else's mental model by mapping their writing.
When not to
- Communicating to readers who do not share the underlying vocabulary — concept maps demand the reader read both nodes and edges, and most readers will not.
Sources
- Joseph Novak — Learning, Creating, and Using Knowledge (1998)