Modeling on the process of cooperative discussional problem solving based on Extended Mind Map

Mind Map is an effective graphic tool in expressing divergent thinking and has been widely applied in brainstorming, work plan, decision making and document drafting and so on. The modeling process of Mind Map is based on humans´ subjectivity and lack of logical criterion support. On the other hand, it is expert in divergent thinking but weak in convergence, so it cannot meet the needs of divergence-convergence in cooperative discussional problem solving. Accordingly, the concept of Extended Mind Map (EMM) is put forward and the description of its semantic relation and logical operations are given. Besides, some relevant visualization methods which are applicable to cooperative discussional problem solving are also introduced into EMM, so that it can classify concepts quickly, enlighten thinking and provide support to evaluate and converge the results contemporarily. In the end, the prototype system is applied in practical problem solving of wiring harness enterprises and proved to be effective.