Brainstorming with MIND MAPS are visual ways to structure ideas. They show relationships between concepts. Because they require active thinking, rather than rote repetition, mind maps [also called cognative maps or lateral maps] assure a deeper understanding of an idea. Mind mapping is typically used as a brainstorming technique and helps to determine lateral relationships and connections between and among different data sets -- particularly useful when conceptualizing interactive multimedia! In this exercise students will become familiar with "creative thinking" through the use of a trial version of Inspiration. Specifically, students will: Login to the Social Science Mac Lab Computers Review the introduction to Inspiration & then individually, complete a brief [15 minutes] Tutorial [print out & turn in!] Working in pairs, students will then complete a Mind Map of a possible multimedia project [turn this in too!] At your leasure, visit some Brainstorming & Creativity links Finally, don't forget to Logout! Introduction to What exactly is Inspiration? Inspiration is a visual thinking software package [for both Mac & Windows] that helps clarify and organize your ideas and information. Inspiration provides you with the tools that let you create a picture of your ideas or concepts in the form of a diagram. It also provides an integrated outlining environment to further develop ideas and organize written documents. With Inspiration, you learn to think visually. When you work with visual representations of ideas, you easily see how one idea relates to the others. Learning and thinking become active rather than passive. You discover where your deepest knowledge lies, and where gaps exist in your understanding. Screen-shot of "Stewart Little" Mind-Map The TRIAL version of Inspiration we will use [version 6.0] has its own "overview" and tutorial that you should explore prior to beginning your brainstorming session. The tutorial is a 24 page Acrobat file [quicktutorial6.pdf] in the "lab_03" sub-directory on the "www.soc.hawaii.edu" server which you should download, print, and review prior to lab. This document contains instructions on how to quickly become familiar with effectively using Inspiration as a brainstorming tool. Please note: as a trial version of Inspiration, you will be allowed to explore all of the program's functions, but the software will become effectively unusable after 30 days [from the original installation date]. If you choose to use Inspiration for your multimedia project development, remember that the clock is ticking on this trial version of the software! Before you begin your tutorial session, take a few moments to become familiar with your working environment. Below is a "screen shot" of the Diagram View in version 6.0 of Inspiration. Screen Shot of Inspiration's Diagram View Since version 5.0, Inspiration's Outline View has sported a useful Outline Toolbar making outlining easier and more intuitive. Both the Diagram and Outline view will work to keep track of your ideas. Working in Outline View makes it easy for you to see how your ideas are organized. It's also easy to arrange your ideas in a specific order. Most times, however, you will work in Diagram View to create a mind map showing how ideas or concepts interconnect. After initial brainstorming, most people then switch to Outline View in order to establish an order or hierarchy to the mind mapped ideas. Screen-shot of Inspiration's Outline View A Step-by-Step Guide Because people work in different ways, Inspiration offers several alternative ways to do things -- from toolbar buttons to menu &/or palette commands to keyboard shortcuts. While these options are readily available, in the tutorial you're mostly shown only a few of the many possible ways of completing. Still, don't be affraid to explore other alternatives if they "fit your head" better! In this tutorial you will use Inspiration to perform a common brainstorming and planning task -- picking a place to go for your family vacation. Remember that this is just one of the many ways Inspiration can work with thoughts and ideas. As you go through this tutorial, fill-in the particulars with "data" from your own family... PLEASE NOTE: before you begin, notice that this tutorial provides instructions for both MacOS and Windows-based computers. When you are instructed to press a key or click a command on a menu, you will be given the MacOS instructions first, followed by the Windows instructions in parentheses immediately afterward. Here are two examples: Press Return (Enter) Press the Command (Ctrl) key. Getting Started . . . When you start Inspiration, you're in Diagram View. Therefore, the tutorial begins as you would begin any Inspiration diagram -- by entering text in the Main Idea symbol. The Main Idea symbol appears in the center of your screen, with the placeholder text, "Main Idea", already selected. All you do is type. Now, follow the rest of the tutorial's instructions making sure you replace any of the suggested data with information relevant to you own family's "typical response" to the question, "Where should we go for our family vacation?" Oh, by the way... if you want to customize the way your diagram looks, the symbols can be modified using the "Symbol Palette" located just left of your diagram [assuming you haven't already moved it elsewhere!] or in the drop-down "Symbol" menu option. Changing shapes does not alter the words typed inside the symbol -- you may change symbol shapes as many times as you wish. Under the "Effects" menu you can also experiment with changing the fill and text color of selected symbols or the color, thickness and arrow direction of links. When you are finished experimenting, embellishing and generally making it "pretty," print out a single page copy of your diagram, make sure your name is on it, and turn this in. Mind Mapping with As you have no doubt discovered, you can create many types of visual diagrams in Inspiration. It doesn't matter if you are planning a project, looking at cause and effect, or developing your understanding of a complex concept. The kind of diagram you create in Inspiration depends on the idea you want to develop. Below are a couple of "cheat sheets" you can use to begin your brainstorming exercise. Remember, once you have exhausted the primary brainstorming session, it's time to shift to the secondary, somewhat more critical, phase where you begin to look for patterns and linkages -- this secondary mind map is the one you print out and turn in! Reminder: because this is a trial version of Inspiration you will not be able to continue working with the program after the 30-day trial period is over. What you should do is either print out copies of all your work directly from Inspiration, &/or save an electronic copy to your ZIP disk for safe keeping. Should you choose to print your work, be sure to print enough copies for everyone in your production team. Before you leave, be sure everyone's name is on the paper you turn in for credit. F.Y.I. -- Links on Brainstorming & Creativity Inspiration's own take on "Why Visual Learning?" Tony Buzan [originator of mind mapping!] Mind Mapping Page Excerpts from Tony's book The Mind Map Book Mind Tools (1995), Brainstorming Site Aha! 10 Ways to Free Your Creative Spirit and Find Your Great Ideas Charles Cave's Creativity Web, Resources for Creativity & Innovation See also his Mind Mapping F.A.Q. The how to and advantages of mind maps by Peter Russell   [ Syllabus ][ Lab Assignments ][ Downloadable Resources ][ Back to Home ]   Copyright © 1999-2000   By: M. R. Ogden -- ogden@hawaii.edu   (Rev. 31 May 2000)