mental sketch mapping
Mental mapping is a way of making visible the distinctive elements of our cognitive maps by drawing and/or describing the elements that stand out to us. This study uses two original adaptations of Lynch's (1960) mental sketch mapping research method to minimize barriers to participation and maximize participant autonomy in contributing their expert knowledge to this study.
Participants are invited to choose the method (one or both) that works best for them:
- Online Questionnaire using text-based descriptions that will take an estimated 30 minutes to complete (up to 120 minutes, depending on the level of detail contributed). The link is accessible from any internet-enabled device, enabling anytime/anywhere access and use of language translation, voice-to-text, internet search, and other supports.
- Paper Field Journal (provided in-person or by email) using participants' preferred tools for drawing and/or writing descriptions that will take an estimated 60 minutes to complete (up to 120 minutes, depending on the level of detail contributed).
Mapping What is Meaningful to Us and Between Us
This study invites Thompson Rivers University’s Master of Education students (enrolled in at least one on-campus course in 2023) to describe and/or draw what comes to mind in response to:
- 10 open-ended questions related to belonging at TRU – for example, question 5 asks: Where on campus do you most feel invited to belong? How would you describe it to someone who has never been there before?
- 10 multiple-choice questions related to belonging at TRU – for example, question 18 asks: Do you identify as a person with a disability? Demographic information like this is being collected to develop a better understanding of how Master of Education students from different and intersecting backgrounds differ in their perceptions of belonging at TRU, and where opportunities may exist for increased intercultural understanding, empathy, and mutual respect (TRC, 2015, 63iii).
Research on mental maps
Circular Visual Education Process
In The Image of the City, Lynch (1960) describes mental sketch mapping as a circular process: visual education impelling participants to act upon their visual world, and this action causing them to see more acutely.
Oral Storytelling Traditions
Secwépemc research is informed by the Secwepemctsín word s-tcúcmenstem that means ‘to look inside of ourselves, to search for meaning’ (Gottfriedson et al., 2019). In Celtic traditions, cultivating knowledge from the seeds sowed by experience and the wisdom accumulated in stories is a vital path to finding inner belonging (O’Donohue, 1997).
Experiential Learning Cycle
Kolb's (1984) experiential learning cycle involves the transformation of experiences and abstract concepts into effective knowledge through reflection and experimentation, a relational process guided by "self-awareness and reflection-in-action in light of our inter-relatedness with others” (Elias, 2019, p. 86).
online questionnaire
The online questionnaire involves text-based descriptions that will take an estimated 30 minutes to complete (up to 120 minutes, depending on the level of detail you choose to contribute). The link is accessible from any internet-enabled device, enabling anytime/anywhere access and use of language translation, voice-to-text, internet search, and other supports.
paper Field journal
Paper-based field journals involve drawing and/or handwriting responses to the same set of research questions as the online questionnaire, providing more space for creativity. Field journals are expected to take 60 minutes to complete (up to 120 minutes, depending on the level of detail contributed).
Updated February 1, 2023 | Kara Wright | Thompson Rivers University