Concept mapping is a cognitivist learning model in Joseph Novak's words described as “a visual representation of the relationships between concepts held by an individual, materials of a lecture, textbook, or laboratory exercise.”

Concept maps should help both sides in the educational process to learn more meaningfully.

Novak describes the concept map building process in following steps:

• Identification of key concepts of the material
• Ranking the concepts by placing most important ones at the top of the map
• Adding other concepts under the main ones
• Connection of concepts by lines and labeling those connections with linking words
• If desired specific examples of concepts can also be added below concept labels

An example of a concept map about concept maps can be found here.

Novak, J. D. "Introduction to concept mapping".