Using Electronic Mind Maps in developing students’ Reading Comprehension

Abstract

Reading comprehension is an important skill that significantly impacts academic achievement and emotional well-being. It demands students to connect studying with personal experience, or what they are already aware of in order to make a meaning when reading. In order to improve reading comprehension, novel techniques such as electronic mind map have been investigated. Mind maps especially digital ones, are a pictorial representation of the way the brain organizes, stores, and retrieves information. Mind maps help learners interconnect concepts and digest data to enhance memory and understanding. The current study focuses on the use of electronic mind maps for reading comprehension. Through the use of images, blue, and hierarchical structure, mind maps ensure that both right and left sides of our brains are activated and enhanced, thus stimulating creative and logical thinking. Studies show that students are more engaged in their learning process when they use visual thinking methods, such as mind maps, to map out the relationships between ideas. This study also highlights Buzan’s seven steps to creating an effective mind map such as employing a central image, adding colors, curved branches to maximize engagement and increase memory. The resulting evidence suggests that electronic mind maps are an effective method to enhance reading comprehension, afford a flexible, responsive and motivating way of learning. This approach is adaptable to a variety of learning styles, promotes deeper cognitive involvement, and is a useful instructional tool.