Conceptual model

A conceptual model, or conceptual framework, is a visual representation of the data in a system. Conceptual models are often pictures, diagrams, or maps that demonstrate the interaction of the different parts of a process. The models serve two broad purposes. They allow their creators to present the information they want to convey in a simple, organized, easily understood way. Similarly, they aid readers in understanding data that might otherwise be difficult to comprehend. Conceptual models may be used in almost any area of study to convey a countless number of ideas. A writer of a science textbook may use cartoons to portray how the human eye observes sunlight in different situations. Similarly, a school administrator may use a bubble map to identify how various factors combine to create an effective, successful school. Models are also highly important to architecture, since they allow architects to visualize structures before actually building them.

Background

Conceptual models can be useful tools at any stage of a person's development, from school to job training. These models can be especially helpful to students in numerous ways. First, creating conceptual models is a form of interactive learning that can teach students how multiple related ideas interact to form a large, cohesive idea. The visual aspect of conceptual models also allows students to keep track of an idea's various secondary processes that can be found in the discipline of systems thinking. This is the understanding of the myriad supplemental processes and ideas that make up a central theme. Organized bubble maps or other diagrams can help students think about complex, multifaceted systems rather than only simple, linear ideas.

Bubble maps are particularly useful types of conceptual models because they concisely classify all the sub-concepts contained within a single broad concept. A writer first records the main idea and then draws a circle around it. The writer then arranges the sub-concepts in circles near the main idea and uses arrows to show how these concepts interact with one another to form the central idea.

Teachers may find it helpful to use conceptual models to explain new subjects to their students so they can more easily grasp complex ideas from the start. Students learning mathematical equations will likely benefit from conceptual models that visually represent the equations. This can make otherwise abstract processes more accessible to students who may struggle with math. For instance, a conceptual model might consist of an image of a full coffee mug with steam rising from the coffee. Then, using labels on the coffee and the steam, the model might present an equation showing the negative feedback process that causes the coffee to cool gradually and become room temperature.

Conceptual models can also be simple cartoons that illustrate events that take place in the real world. One such model could feature two nearly identical cartoons side by side. One might show how people's eyes register sunlight and the sky depending on the intensity of the light. The other cartoon could show how that light will be perceived at a different intensity. These representations may make complex scientific formulas easier to understand, especially if the parts of the cartoon are labeled as factors of the equation. This way, students can see exactly how the components of the equation interact in the natural world.

Overview

Conceptual models can be used in teaching or instruction of any kind, not only of students in a classroom. Models may be used to present research, train new employees in the workplace, develop a company's budget plan, or plan an individual's or business's long-term schedule. People who create conceptual models for any of these or other purposes have several options available to them regarding the type of model they feel would work best to illustrate their ideas.

Bubble maps are helpful in organizing supplemental ideas around a main idea. Similar to bubble maps are flowcharts, which feature written ideas inside various shapes, each of which represents a different element of a process. Elongated circles, for instance, are used for start and end points in flowcharts. A rectangle might indicate a step in the process in which information is being analyzed. All these shapes, with ideas inside, are presented visually in a logical order, either "flowing" from left to right or from top to bottom. Lines connect the shapes to indicate the process's progression from start to finish. Solid lines represent the flow from one step to another. Dotted lines can extend out from any step to rectangles that contain comments or other nonessential information.

Although most conceptual models, by their nature, consist of some sort of visual such as a diagram, cartoon, or chart, not all conceptual models must be actual graphics. Plain text can also be a conceptual model if it is presented in logically flowing sections. Each section should clearly explain the process to be undertaken. Clear headings should identify each progressive section of text so that, as with pictures, readers can easily follow the development of the process.

Conceptual models are also important in architecture, as architects rely on the viability of scale models to determine whether the buildings or other infrastructure they have designed will be structurally sound. Drawing plans for a proposed building and then creating a physical model based on the plans allow architects to familiarize themselves with every aspect of the building's structure. This helps architects grasp whether their design will hold up if actually constructed.

Architectural models can be wood, clay, or any other material. They begin as rough assemblages that can be added to, subtracted from, or altered in any other way until they accurately represent the design. Some architects in the twenty-first century insist on creating scale models by hand rather than only digital models on computers. They argue that digital models, while useful, keep architects at a distance from their work, whereas building a physical model forces architects to come into close contact with their designs. However, conceptual modeling is continually evolving, with new methods and supporting technology constantly emerging and improving. Many modern-day modeling applications use hybrid typologies incorporating a mix of sequence, hierarchy, matrix, and network methods. User-created packages are also helpful in developing new techniques. All conceptual models—whether in architecture, business, research, or another field—are meant to be analyzed, and altered if necessary, before action is taken so the outcome of the process being modeled can be more accurately predicted.

Bibliography

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