What are Idea Maps?

Whether students are searching for ideas for writing assignments, projects or presentations, often they need a spark to make ideas begin to flow. That's where idea maps come in. This visual learning technique stimulates students to generate ideas, follow them through and develop their thoughts visually. 
 

Idea maps help students brainstorm, solve problems and plan their work. Using fast, five-minute exercises in word and idea association, idea maps connect keywords, symbols, colours and graphics to form nonlinear networks of potential ideas and thoughts. 
 

Idea map 

Educators tell us they use idea maps in all kinds of applications. Prior to field trips, idea maps help students think about what they might see and learn. After the field trip, students use idea maps to record their observations. And idea maps give emerging or struggling writers a boost as they learn to generate ideas and gather and organise their thoughts.

Other visual learning techniques: 

Webs
Concept maps
Mind maps
Plots