Perspectives Regarding Mind Maps and Their Impact as a Self-Directed Learning Tool Among First-Year Undergraduate Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) Students

Background: Mind mapping is a visual, non-linear learning technique in which information is organized around a central concept with related topics and subtopics arranged as branches. It promotes active learning by helping students organize, understand, and recall information. In medical education, where students are required to learn large volumes of conceptual content, mind mapping may serve as a useful self-directed learning tool. Aim: This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of mind mapping as a self-directed learning method among first-year Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) students and to assess students' perceptions regarding its use in the context of physiology. Materials and methods: This quasi-experimental, non-randomized controlled crossover study was conducted among 100 first-year MBBS students at All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) Jammu in Jammu, India. Students were divided into two routine practical batches of 50 each. In Phase 1, Batch A served as the mind mapping group and Batch B as the traditional learning group for the topic "Acid-Base Disorders". All students were first trained in mind map preparation using a topic unrelated to the study intervention. Students in the mind mapping group studied the assigned topic by preparing mind maps, while students in the traditional learning group used their usual study methods. Immediate and delayed post-tests were conducted, with the delayed test performed one month after the intervention. In Phase 2, crossover was performed using the topic "Physiology of EEG and Clinical Relevance", and the same process was repeated. At the end of the study, students' perceptions were assessed using a structured five-point Likert scale questionnaire. Data were analyzed using IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows, Version 15.0 (SPSS Inc., Chicago, Illinois, United States), and a p-value of ≤0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: Immediate assessment scores did not differ significantly between the mind mapping and traditional learning groups in either phase or in the combined analysis. In the delayed assessment for Phase 2, the mind mapping group scored significantly higher than the traditional learning group. The combined delayed assessment analysis also showed significantly higher scores in the mind mapping group compared with the traditional learning group, with 100 observations in each group (6.97±1.97 vs. 6.30±2.28; p=0.029; Cohen's d=0.313). Student perception was favorable, with most students reporting that mind mapping improved understanding, organization of concepts, engagement, confidence, active participation, and independent learning. These findings suggest that mind mapping was well accepted by students as a self-directed learning strategy and may contribute positively to independent learning, engagement, and the overall learning experience in undergraduate medical education. Conclusion: Mind mapping did not significantly improve immediate assessment performance compared with traditional learning; however, it was associated with better delayed assessment scores, suggesting a potential benefit in long-term retention. Students perceived mind mapping as an engaging and useful self-directed learning tool. Mind mapping may be incorporated as an adjunct to traditional teaching-learning methods in undergraduate medical education.