Radiant Thinking and the Use of the Mind Map in Nurse Practitioner Education

Abstract

The concept of radiant thinking, which led to the concept of mind mapping, promotes all aspects of the brain working in synergy, with thought beginning from a central point. The mind map, which is a graphical technique to improve creative thinking and knowledge attainment, utilizes colors, images, codes, and dimensions to amplify and enhance key ideas. This technique augments the visualization of relationships and links between concepts, which aids in information acquisition, data retention, and overall comprehension. Faculty can promote students' use of the technique for brainstorming, organizing ideas, taking notes, learning collaboratively, presenting, and studying. These applications can be used in problem-based learning, developing plans of care, health promotion activities, synthesizing disease processes, and forming differential diagnoses. Mind mapping is a creative way for students to engage in a unique method of learning that can expand memory recall and help create a new environment for processing information.

A Preliminary study on the use of Mind Mapping as a Visual-Learning Strategy, in General Education Science classes for Arabic speakers in the United Arab Emirates.

“…The use of mind mapping in nurse practitioner education supports enhanced memorisation of concepts. It was found that mind maps are creative ways for students to engage in a unique method of learning that can expand memory recall of key topics and help create a new environment for processing information (Spencer, Anderson, & Ellis, 2013).…”

Retained mind mapping skills and learning outcomes in medical students: a mixed methods study

“…As for the facilitation and conversion of information into memory, it consists of spider diagrams, colour, pictures, keywords, association line, and highlighting key branches within a boundary known as 'chunking' (Howe, 1970;Bellezza, 1983;Day and Bellezza, 1983;Glass and Holyoak, 1986). This technique augments the visualisation of relationships and links between concepts, which aids in information acquisition, data retention, and comprehension (Spencer, Anderson and Ellis, 2013).…”

Help Students Take Notes in Different Stages of Learning

“…Visualization with the form of creating mental images is a fundamental cognitive process which has been proved that it can improve students learning. Mind map is an excellent way to do this [10,11]. When a course chapter was finished, we ask the students to transcribe the content of this chapter into a mind map.…”