- All are free
- All are for concept mapping
- All offer the ability to save maps
- All give the ability for users to work collaboratively with other users
Bubbl.us seems to have the least information as to how to use the program. I'm not sure if this was because the site seemed to be experiencing difficulties at the time of this post or if it doesn't give you very much information or guidelines on creating concept maps. For those who may have writer's block, I'm not sure if this would be a good program unless you knew your starting point. You can design how you want the map to look - it does not offer any templates.
Webspiration seems to be very easy for adults to use. I can see that kids would use it as well, but the site touts "professionals, educators, and college" for its audience. The site offers help in getting started, tips and tricks, and examples to help get you started on your "visual thinking." The interface seems very easy to work with and use.
Exploratree is somewhat like Webspiration in that it allows you to view examples of others work as templates. Exploratree goes a step further by allowing users to customize the work of others to fit your personal needs. If that feature does not fit your needs, you can design your own using one of their empty templates or a template you make yourself. Exploratree is also for students as well as teachers. This is definitely a resource I would introduce to students. I also think the ability to research the work of others helps when you have writer's block and don't know where to start. The best examples are always ones that have been written.
I found an additional resource from http://mind42.com/
Mind 42 is a browser based online mapping application. This is from the website:
In Mind42, 42 is not only the answer to Life, the Universe, and Everything! 42 means FOR TWO and indicates the collaborative character of mind42, because that is exactly what mind42 is: A collaborative browser-based online mind mapping tool.
It allows you to manage all your ideas, whether alone, twosome or working together with the whole world. As mind42 runs inside the browser, installing mind mapping tools is no longer needed - for a hassle-free mindmapping experience. Just open the browser and launch the application when needed - it behaves like a classical desktop application!
Mind42 is a web application - however, this doesn't mean yout have to set your comfort aside. Mind42 is a WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) mind map editor supporting keyboard shortcuts, drag and drop, zooming and much more. No forms and lists which are generally used in web application. A real application - within your browser.
Definitely interesting!
No comments:
Post a Comment