Does Mind Mapping Enhance Learning (Published)
In a setting whereby, students of the English Department at the College of Basic Education are exposed to course materials across a number of courses, in a language other than their mother tongue, requiring them to read, comprehend and analyse, note taking gets extremely complicated. The current study focuses on such a complex dilemma, with its objective to find out whether mind mapping may successfully be used by our students in order to overcome their linguistic problems. For the purpose, fifty third/fourth year English language students were used as the study’s sample. The students were divided into two groups and trained to use two different note taking techniques. Later they were given a 10 MSCs, each followed by subjective response question: know, remember, guess. In addition, students were asked to write about their experience to obtain qualitative data. Findings of the study suggest a higher level of performance when the students learn their study material using MM as opposed to SNT. More positive attitudes in favour of MM were also elicited from their selection between the three responses (Know, Remember & Guess)
Keywords: Attitudes, EFL, Higher Education, Long-Term Memory, Mind Map (MM), Performance, Short-Term Memory, Standard Note Technique (SNT)