Concept maps are node-and-link diagrams that represent the key terms and relations among terms within a set of materials. Concept mapping refers to the activity of creating a concept map. There are a variety of ways to create concept maps, but all share common elements: People construct concept maps by identifying key terms or ideas, placing those key terms in nodes, drawing lines that link related terms, and writing a description of the nature of the relation along the link. Figure 1 shows an example of a concept map created by a college student while they read a text about the composition of blood. No sophisticated tools are needed to create concept maps—pencil and paper will suffice—but several computer programs have been developed to aid ...