Hey Guys!

The appilication that I cannot wait to show you is MindMeister!

MindMeister is an online mind mapping application that allows its users to visualize, share and present their thoughts via the cloud. This app provides a way to visualize information in mind maps utilizing user modeling, while also providing tools to facilitate real-time collaboration, coordinate task management and create presentations. By using cloud storage, MindMeister users can share updates in mind maps in real-time with other users across in-browser and mobile apps. Mind maps can be shared both privately with an unlimited number of users or publicly.

The main keyword I would use that highlights the core technique in this tool is that of brainstorming, which was explained thoroughly in my project proposal update. Now that I have built my own mind map and also experimented with its features, it is time to give all of you a general overview of what to expect by giving an example of the interface from the lesson I produced, how to use the tool, and also give my final opinion of its usage.

• My lesson

Since this app is an informatic visualisation tool, I thought what better way to display data by creating a mind map to describe the life events and facts about who many consider to be the father of theoretical CS and AI nowadays, Alan Turing. The link to the lesson can be found here. (This can be accessed from a multitude of devices including iOS, Android, and from any supported browser.

For the visual learners such as myself, we can appreciate the visualisation of the data in a way that an essay could not. Seeing how different facts link to each other in Turing's life for example, helps to understand better and create our own informative links between ideas.

One may notice the sheer lack of multimedia used in my mind map. This is because the app requires to user to purchase a subscription to use such features, which in my opinion is quite a drawback to be explained later on. I found other mind maps which make use of the stunning features, such as The Theory of Evolution, Nouns and also Book Report mind maps.

I can easily see teachers teaching students about nouns of a new language by creating a mind map such as the one linked above, with the students having the ability of referring back to it throughout the year. 

Let's imagine the teacher is introducing a new topic and begins with a discussion. The cloud ability allows students to fully edit the mind map in real time (being that they take it seriously 😛) so that students can link up their ideas with the teacher's and also with their classmates. In this way, instead of a student taking down notes, they would find it easier to recall what they learned if they take down notes in a mind map instead. This is mainly due to the linear method most teachers use, which makes it difficult to refer back to previous points, but in this visual manner the student can establish the links themselves.

Another perfect example is that a student would make use of this tool whilst preparing for an exam. It forces you to review the information you’ve learned and look at that information critically to form connections. Plus, the visual nature of a mind map makes information easier to recall when you’re actually taking the exam, which could improve your grades. The below picture speaks for itself:

Study Map Using MindMeister

• The interface & how to use

Interface

The above is what the user sees upon creating a new mind map.

1. The sidebar: this ois where you can change font size, background colors, add icons, and much more. You can add pictures or videos directly from the web, fully customize the backgrounds and borders of your ideas and branches, or even add custom visuals!
2. Presentation mode: here the user can present the mind map where the tool automatically creates it for them. There is also the feature to revert back to previous changes and view the user history in the case that a collaborative mishap occurs; in other words, everything is tracked.
3. Share: these mindmaps can be shared either via link, social media, or even published for the public. The user can edit the sharing settings to view only or even send it to other users so that they can all work on the map in real time. Collaborators can quickly comment on topics, vote on ideas or discuss changes in the integrated chat.
4. Task Management: users can add notes and keep track of remaining tasks. The notes can be private or public depending on the user's choice.

All you need to do to add branches is by selecting the '+' sign (or TAB as a shortcut). 

Adding a new branch

Effectively, a new branch is added where we can add text, multimedia, etc. This idea can be dragged to anywhere on the screen.

New Idea!

We can also edit the idea...

Edit example

A few edits here and there, and we may end up like this:

Example of a fully fledged mind map

As you can tell, the possibilities are endless. This is why MindMeister has integrated a fully comprehensive tutorial to guide you through the tool. They also have an online forum and customer support to aid any problems the users might face. This online community is referred to as MindMeister Academy which is a great aspect to consider as a benefit.

• Benefits and drawbacks

Benefits include the very attractive UI, easy to get started, real time collaboration, fully fledged tutorial, base features are free, portability between devices, extensive community, full customization, and overall an endless amount of possible combination of designs.

Drawbacks are that it is difficult to master (as most other things) however the user is unable to do so since many lush features are hidden behind a paywall. For example, when creating the Alan Turing mind map, I was only allowed to use 1 custom image. I also was not allowed to add file attachments, export to .png or .pdf, and also print the mind map.

With all this being said, the price of the subscription is considerable, especially when you are a teacher ready to make full use of the apps features and integrate it into your lessons. The benefits are many, so I would encourage teachers to look into using such an app, as the positive impact it would have on visual learners such as myself is significant.

• Conclusion

Overall, I like the idea behind this app. Brainstorming is in my opinion underused in modern teaching, and when it is actually used, the interaction between the teacher and the student is minimal. MindMeister is the solution to this problem as it is easy to use and very user friendly, and that is why I recommend giving it a try. 

MindMeister does not only need to be used in teaching, as it can also be used in designing user experiences when creating an app, planning finances or even planning an event. This goes to show how beneficial the brainstorming technique is across a wide variety of sectors.