The concept map

The integration of concept mapping into university teaching is constantly growing. This constructivist approach which is constantly evolving has facilitated the process of acquiring information in several disciplines including the medical field. It offers a structured representation of knowledge optimizing assimilation and memorization capacities.Based on reciprocal interaction between learner and teacher the concept map has become both a learning and an assessment tool with both a representational and a verbal mode. The concept map is particularly useful in cardiac surgery where it is used to link the various concepts of a given theme adapting them to clinical reasoning and to the assessment of the skills of the various participants.Based on the development of step-by-step animated concept maps we explain how they are designed and how they are involved in the student's training process based on a structured approach to a given problem.