Organizing Ideas and Visual Mappings

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Software like Inspiration can help with the organization of ideas for writing. Inspiration (Inspiration Software Inc.)

Idea organizing and visual mapping are techniques that can be implemented on or off the computer. The capacity to create "half-full" templates for content and structure, however, make technology-based idea mapping ideal for creating universally designed environments. Inspiration, an outliner and visual organizer, provides alternative ways of representing relationships between ideas and therefore accommodates different learners' needs. The subject of considerable research attention (Anderson-Inman & Horney, 1996-1997; Anderson-Inman, Knox-Quinn, & Horney, 1996; Anderson-Inman, Redekopp, & Adams, 1992; Anderson-Inman & Zeitz, 1993, 1994), Inspiration helps writers generate either traditionally structured hierarchical outlines or graphical "idea maps" that represent relationships between ideas through geometric shapes, spatial orientation, and connecting lines. In either mode, this program supports brainstorming by making it easy to move ideas around on the computer screen and to experiment with different arrangements or sequences. When key ideas are arranged in an organized form, students can better see gaps in their writing plan and move to fill them.

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With Inspiration, options for textual or graphical formatting accommodate learner preferences. Inspiration (Inspiration Software Inc.)