11 Scapple with Nick Balster — 05.01.2015

In the Active Teaching Lab on May 1, 2015, Nick Balster shared how he’s been using Scapple to design his courses. From semester overview to individual sessions, participants explored Scapple and other mind mapping tools and techniques that can be used for course design and student activities.

Key Takeaways

• Find what feels good: There are many tools available with different capabilities and options; play around with them and use what works for you.
• Mind maps are multipurpose: In addition to course design, mind maps can be used for: vision boards, curriculum mapping, task breakdown for project management, decision trees, outline writing, planning research.
• Simplify for in-class use: When using in class, don’t give students the option to waste time with formatting or font or color choices. Give them a simple tool (e.g., C-Map) so that they are focused on the concepts/content versus aesthetics.

If you’re interested in getting up and running with mind-mapping, watch the videos below and try stepping through the worksheet we used in this session!

The Active Teaching Lab, a Faculty Engagement program, provides a safe space for structured explorations of cool teaching tools and techniques that your colleagues are using to engage students and teach more effectively. During the academic year, labs are held weekly and will be listed on the Active Teaching Lab page.

Nick’s Scapple Story