About
Map how people, settings, and broader influences connect across scales. Starting with a research memo, students build a network graph that connects everyday relationships and local settings with institutions, laws and policies, and wider historical and sociological influences. The map develops across Micro, Meso, Exo, and Macro, giving students a way to examine how these connections shape the issue they are studying.
The project draws on ecological systems theory and asset mapping to examine both the barriers people face and the resources they draw on, including community organizations, informal networks, and local knowledge. Students use evidence from their research to decide what belongs on the map, which connections need further investigation, and where there may be opportunities for community advocacy.
Maria Mavrides Calderon proposed Systems Mapping for a course on the systems that shape the lives of young people and families in New York City. It was prototyped and developed through the Critical AI Literacy Institute by CAIL's Zach Muhlbauer. These support docs are in beta and subject to change.
Getting Started
To begin, you can upload your first memo in Memo, then choose Submit memo and add nodes. In Notebook, you can review the nodes at Micro and draw their relationships at Meso.
At Exo, you can add your second memo in Memo to extend the map with outside settings and broader conditions. At Macro, you can connect them to the settings and relationships they affect. Field Notes are optional.
Using the Guide
Getting Started walks through access, project creation, and the two memos. Workspace Basics explains Memo, Notebook, Tools, and the difference between Back and Undo. The Four Levels helps you decide where things belong.
Use Memos & Map Updates when revising a source, The Map for nodes and connections, and Evidence & Field Notes to explain your analysis. Export & Sharing covers downloads and project links.
For Instructors
Use Course Access and Instructor Console to prepare the workspace and course questions. Student Onboarding, Teaching Tips, Sample Activities, and Use Cases offer ways to introduce the work.
Privacy and Help
Read Privacy & Limits before using fieldwork or sharing sources. Use the app's bug icon to report a problem or request a feature. Contact AI Lab support about access.