Learning Maps
Inspiration from everyday maps to guide learners in their journeys
👋 Hi there! Welcome to those who have been with us before and to the new subscribers of The Learning Dispatch. Before we jump into this week’s format, we're excited to announce that our workshop, "Implementing Game-Based Learning in the Classroom Using AI," is up for consideration at SXSW! 🎮 Help us empower educators to create interactive learning games with no tech expertise needed. Could you take a moment to vote for us? Your support means the world!
Now on to this week’s format!
Maps are everywhere. We have maps for navigating time and space, maps of legendary lands, sensory maps, maps of our bodies, maps of stereotypes, maps of our daily lives, music maps, and even Alice in Wonderland as a subway map… But what about maps for learning?
Traditionally, learning is presented in static syllabi or in the linear progression of a learning management system. But learning, in reality, is far from linear. It’s a journey filled with knowledge, skills, challenges, unknowns, and revelations. What if we could visualize this journey as it truly is? What if we had maps that could guide learners through the complex terrain of learning?
That’s the format we’re exploring today.
📰 What’s the format?
A Learning Map is a visual tool that outlines a learner's journey, showing how knowledge and skills are interconnected, tracking progress, and highlighting challenges. Like a regular map, it helps you understand where you are, where you want to go, and how to get there.
A map is defined not only by what it includes but also by what it excludes. The intentional blank spaces, the simplifications that aren’t really flaws but features... Maps focus attention on what matters most: the path to your destination. And just like in any journey, the timing of when to pull out the map is crucial.
💡 Why is it effective for learning?
Think about skills you've mastered quickly —chances are, they were well-scaffolded. Effective learning often happens when foundational elements like terms and definitions are introduced at just the right time: after the learner has engaged with concrete examples, problems, and first-hand experiences.
This approach contrasts with the traditional method, which often starts with abstract concepts, followed by exercises as applications. It’s like putting the map at the beginning of the book before the reader has any context.
James Somers captures this idea in his reflection on Ulysses Annotated, by Don Gifford. Gifford’s guide places maps relevant to each chapter at just the right moment, allowing readers to trace characters' paths through the city in real-time. By the end of the chapter, readers have created a “movie” in their minds, thanks to the well-timed introduction of the map.
This example shows how a well-timed map can turn an abstract journey into something tangible and memorable.
🎛️ What are the features?
When designing a Learning Map, consider these features:
Pathways and Nodes: Represent different topics or skills as nodes, with pathways showing the connections and sequence.
Milestones and Achievements: Mark significant milestones to motivate learners.
Challenges and Obstacles: Highlight common challenges and provide resources to overcome them.
Progress Tracking: Allow learners to see their progress and areas that need more attention.
Feedback Integration: Include points for feedback and adjustments.
Customization: Enable personalization based on individual goals and preferences.
Take a look at this example from a course on building learning games (by Sententia Gamification):
And this one on Machine Learning:
How might we highlight skills and interconnections in this Math Map?
💌 An Invitation
What if we took inspiration from the maps we encounter in our everyday lives to create more effective learning maps? From subway maps, we learn the importance of simplicity and clarity, ensuring that key routes and connections are easy to follow. From sensory maps, we see how to capture and represent complex, multi-layered information in a way that is both accessible and engaging.
Even fantasy maps, like those of legendary lands, remind us that a map can spark imagination and curiosity, inviting learners to explore new territories. By drawing on these different types of maps, we can create learning maps that are not only informative but also intuitive, engaging, and inspiring…
🏷 Summary
Learning maps as tools: Learning maps visually represent the journey of acquiring knowledge, highlighting connections between concepts, and tracking progress.
Timing matters: Effective learning maps are introduced after students have engaged with concrete examples, making abstract ideas clearer.
Inspiration from other maps: By drawing on features from everyday maps (simplicity, clarity, imagination), learning maps can be made more intuitive and engaging.
👉 Coming Up Next
What happens when you pair thirty-five strangers with deep expertise in disciplines ranging from Classical Chinese literature to biophysics, give them ninety minutes to make something strange, bold, and new, and ask them to present the results? Find out in the next Learning Dispatch. Stay tuned!
I value your feedback (suggestions, critiques, positive reinforcement, constructive ideas…) as well as your tips or suggestions for future editions. I’d love to hear about you in the comments.
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How exciting!! I'm so motivated by your work, thank you and I look forward to seeing more!
What a refreshing perspective, Stefy. I’ve always thought that giving a map in subjects like maths or literacy is a much better way to go about it. Rather than keeping kids guessing on what’s the next step, when these paths have been travelled many times before. I’m curious if you’ve come across any brilliant case studies where schools have turned cities into learning scavenger hunts. I’m imagining a Pokemon Go for Education.