Coggle is an online mind mapping tool that can be utilized in any grade level or subject. Users have the creative freedom to work individually, or with others, to make visually appealing and well-organized mind maps. This can be done with the variety of different shapes, colors, sizes, and formats offered, as well as with the unlimited image upload feature. The many functions made available through Coggle make it a community-, knowledge-, and learner-centered tool. Users can work with multiple people on one diagram, allowing them to learn with, and from one another; users apply their current knowledge to effectively create and organize cohesive mind maps; and lastly, users can construct their diagrams in a way that will best fit their needs, and therefore empower their learning.
Coggle can be a beneficial tool for teachers to promote critical thinking about the course material. Coggle allows its users to be creative with the diagrams they assemble and personalize them to best suit the user's needs and preferred method of organization. This can encourage students to be more engaged in learning new material, and the process of creating a mind map requires in-depth thinking and planning of concepts, which would naturally inspire critical thinking and a greater understanding of the material.
Price | Coggle starter: Free limited version; Coggle Awesome: $5/month; Coggle Organization: $8/ Month |
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Learning | Cognitivism, Constructionism, Social Constructivism |
Ease of Use | ★★★✩✩ |
Privacy | ★★★★✩ |
Accessibility | ★★★✩✩ |
Class Size | Unlimited |
Login Required | Yes |
ISTE*S | Global Collaborator, Innovative Designer, Creative Communicator |
COPPA/FERPA Compliant | No FERPA/COPPA policy found. Check with your school IT administrator. |
Coggle has three different types of plans for its users. The starter plan is free, the Awesome plan is $5/month, and the Organization plan is $8/month. Each plan allows for additional features, such as more creative freedom when making diagrams (Awesome), and user and data management (Organizer).
Students who use Coggle are learning new information through cognitive processes by organizing and assigning meaning to each concept.
Students learn by building mind maps and diagrams on topics they are introduced to, allowing them to process new ideas as they work on their creations.
Students can work collaboratively with their peers on mind maps in real-time, enabling them to share their knowledge, and learn with, and from one another.
We gave Coggle 3 stars for ease of use because the user interface is clear to navigate, and there are multiple instructional videos on the site (Video Tutorial Introduction, Keyboard Shortcuts). When using different features, a pop-up box with an explanation of each button appears when your mouse hovers over it, this makes it easy to create mind maps, even if you have never used Coggle before.
We gave Coggle’s privacy policy 4 out of 5 stars because it is clear about what happens to its users' data, however, there isn’t any information about whether it is COPPA and FERPA compliant. The privacy policy states that none of its users' data is shared with or sold to third-party sites without consent, however, a third-party site is required to create an account and login. It is stated in the policy that the only information they take is your name, email address, avatar, gender, and preferred language, all of which are permanently deleted once closing your account. Mind maps made privately with Coggle can not be accessed by anyone other than the creator, although this is not entirely true for people with the “Organization” plan. The privacy policy says that any diagrams made through the Organization plan are visible to Organization administrators, “even if you do not invite them.” For example, teachers should be aware that if you are on the organization plan, the school may or may not have access to your student's work without their permission (Coggle, privacy policy, 2022).
Coggle does have an accessibility statement that states the application includes hotkeys, a screen reader, and color changes for users with disabilities. There are still several limitations. According to Coggle, “text does not wrap onto the screen, but may scroll off the edge for large diagrams … The visual structure of Coggle diagrams may not be well represented by screen readers, and while the PDF exports of diagrams include text in an accessible format, the visual structure of the diagram in the PDF file will be ignored by screen readers, which will normally read the diagram from top to bottom” (Coggle, accessibility policy, 2022, para. 4-6).
There is no limitation on the number of students who can work on mind maps at once, as long as they have their own devices, users are allowed to add people to their mind maps by sending out an email invitation, however, the shareable links are only available for paid plans.
Educators and students need to log in to use Coggle, which can only be done with a third-party account such as Apple, Microsoft, or Google.
Students use this online tool to plan and design their mind maps using the provided colors, shapes, and formats.
Students can creatively present their visual representations of the content they learn in class.
Students can work with their peers in real-time to create mind maps on new material and concepts learned in class.
Dr. Ruben Puentedura’s SAMR model offers a lens for examining how technology is adopted in a classroom. As you strive to incorporate online tools into your classroom, we encourage you to use this model as an analytic tool.
Here is an example of how Coggle might fit within the SAMR model:
Younger students who are starting to learn geometry can use the Shapes in the Coggle template to create a diagram with the names of different shapes and how they are classified. As a way to practice this, they can identify shapes they see in their own lives and edit their diagram over seven days.
To explain a challenging concept, students could create a diagram that goes into depth on the key components of that concept. For example, in biology, a mind map that lays out you learn the structure and function of cells, which involves many components that can be difficult to understand and remember. Using a mind map that incorporates images can help students to visualize each step and how they relate to one another.
Students can use Coggle to create a diagram as an outline for an essay. Creating a mind map can be an effective way of categorizing thoughts, themes, and main points in a cohesive and visually appealing way.
Students can use Coggle to create a timeline of important historical events, as a way to remember when they occurred, as well as their significance in world history. Image of a public diagram on Coggle of a timeline of Roman historical events.
Coggle can easily change the language of the user interface, so students can create mind maps in the foreign language they are learning in school to memorize the meaning of words and phrases.
Arulchelvan, P., Veramuthu, P., Singh, P. K. P., & Yunus, M. M. (2019). iGen Digital Learners: Let’s Collaborate via Coggle. Creative Education, 10, 178-189. https://doi.org/10.4236/ce.2019.101014
Debbag, M., Cukurbasi, B., & Fidan, M. (2021). Use of digital mind maps in technology education: A pilot study with pre-service science teachers.Informatics in Education, 20(1), 47-68. https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1289388.pdf
This page was created by Anna Hellyar & Tom Yuan.
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