Students’ Experiences of Using Online Mind Mapping as a Pre-Writing Strategy for Academic Essays

Abstract

This study aimed to describe students’ experiences of using online mind mapping as a pre-writing strategy for academic essays, including their perceptions, perceived benefits, and challenges, as well as the implications for writing instruction in higher education. It employed an exploratory qualitative approach. The participants were nine Bachelor of Nursing Science students of Universitas Bhamada Slawi, purposively selected from 48 students, who used the Coggle application in an Indonesian language course. Data were collected through observation, semi-structured interviews, and document analysis of mind maps and essay drafts, analyzed thematically, and checked through triangulation. The findings, which are drawn mainly from the interviews, yielded three themes. First, participants perceived online mind mapping positively because it helped them visualize ideas, keep their writing on track, and feel more confident when starting to write. Second, participants reported strategic benefits in the pre-writing stage, namely selecting and organizing ideas, flexibly rearranging the order of ideas, and finding it easier to start writing, which some of them associated with reduced writer’s block. Third, participants encountered challenges, namely the limited features of free accounts, slow internet connections, and initial difficulty in using the application interface. In conclusion, online mind mapping was perceived as a useful pre-writing support, but the findings describe participants perceived experiences and do not show measured improvements in essay quality. Lecturers are advised to anticipate technical constraints and guide students through the initial adaptation period.