Improving Problem Solving In
Small Group Settings With
Scored Concept Mapping
John Pelley, PhD, Texas Tech
and Marti Echols, PhD, Nova
Overview
• Why?
– Why not leave the students to their own way of
preparing?
– Why is it important to focus on preparation?
• How?
– How does concept mapping correct for differences
in learning style?
– How does concept mapping change reading
behavior?
The Problem
• Assumption that students know how to
prepare for problem solving exercises.
– TBL and other problem solving discussion settings
require knowledge of fundamentals.
– Students do not read and understand learning
objectives the same way.
– Students debate and defend answer choices
based on what they understand.
The Principle
• “The test drives the behavior.”
– Students do not study to understand, they study
to perform.
– Goal is to require understanding in order to
perform.
– Consider both the role of faculty written exams
and board/licensing exams
Experiential Learning Model
Outside
Concrete
experience
Can it be used?
(Kol b, 1 984, p.2 1)
Experience new
information
Testing implications
of concepts in new
situations
Observations and
reflections
What is it?
What does it mean?
Formation of abstract
concepts and
generalizations
Inside
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The Learning Cycle
Zull, 2002, The Art of Changing the Brain
6
Can You Find The Sittin’ And Readin’
Dendritic Tree?
Sittin’ and readin’
Complete learning cycle; plus
7.5hrs sleep (minimum)
Control left, LTP sensitized right
 Tree of long-term potentiated cells markedly
increased (hippocampus “rehearsal”).
 Dendritic trees = “processing power.”

7
Back To The Future
• Temporal (back) processing looks at
– Facts, grouping, memorized patterns
– From lectures, books, other resources
• Frontal (future) processing looks at
– “Discovered” patterns, inferences,
evaluation of options
– From dialog during TBL/PBL
8
What’s Your Favorite Lobe?
• What information do you give the most
attention to?
 Specifics, routine procedure
 The big picture, relationships, predictions
 Everyone does both, but only one is
preferred.
9
What’s Your Favorite Lobe?
• What information do you give the most
attention to?
• Sensing types (MBTI)
 Specifics, routine procedure
 Temporal lobes emphasized
• Intuitive types (MBTI)
 The big picture, relationships, predictions
 Pre-frontal lobes emphasized
10
How Do Students Learn Differently?
• Focus on Myers-Briggs Sensing and Intuitive
types
• Type preferences only indicate a comfort zone
for learning
• Type is not a limitation
• Both ways of learning can be developed
Adapting Learning
Based Upon MBTI
• Sensing types note every detail and see
how details relate to each other
• Intuitives can develop this skill
• Intuitives look at the structure and
hypothesize about outcome if the structure
changed
• Sensing types can develop this skill
Test Taking Style
• S style
– Seek answer that matches memorized knowledge
– Re-read question to stimulate recall
– Memorization learning requires recognition
• N style
– Rule out answer choices
– Don’t fit pattern
– Big picture learning establishes patterns
13
Concept Maps
• Background on Concept Maps
• Developed from the work of cognitive
psychologist, David Ausubel
• Believed “learning takes place by assimilating
new concepts & propositions into the existing
framework of the learner”
• Why “hands-on” learning is impt in science
Background (con’t)
• Very different from rote learning…must:
– Be clear & use examples; must have prior
knowledge and want to learn meaningfully
• Work in evaluation using concept maps is
Novak (2000) and clinical interview (Edwards
& Frase , 1983)
• Memory is not a vessel to be filled but a
complex of interrelated memory systems
Benefits of a Concept Map
• Tie new information to old knowledge
• Think about relationships of facts and
concepts
• Categorize ideas
• Clarify thoughts
• S & N both benefit
• Produces long-term memory (Novak, 1990)
Scoring a Concept Map
• Basics of higher order learning
• Link = 1 point; acquire facts, form node
• Branch Point = 5 points; Analysis &
Application or discover and
document, nodes with 2 or more links
• Cross Link = 10 points; between branches, converge
common nodes, develop patterns
• Higher scoring parts of the map drive lower scoring
• Type A personality wants the highest points
Anatomy Of A Concept Map
• Key terms enclosed in “bubbles”
• Fact = two connected bubbles
• Connections can contain verbs
– describes concept relationship
• Branch points represent groupings and
organization
• Cross-links are comparisons and cause-andeffect
• integrative thinking
18
From SuccessTypes
Prematriculation Program
www.ttuhsc.edu/SOM/success
19
Top-Down vs. Center-Out
Risk Factors For Breast Cancer
20
Top-Down vs. Center-Out
Risk Factors For Breast Cancer
Main Idea
21
Using Concept Maps
•
•
•
•
•
•
Concepts Maps “bridge the gap”
Develop higher order thinking skills
“S” learns how to categorize, relate
“N” learns facts to support relationships
“E” can think out loud
“I” can prepare in advance for meaningful
participation
How Does Concept Mapping Affect
Learning Styles
• Sensing types can learn intuitive type skills
– Discovery of patterns; relationships
– Improved “ruling-out thinking”
• Intuitive types can learn sensing type skills
– Recall of facts not in big picture
– Improved time on task
• Helps change the brain for Ss and Ns
Steps to Constructing
a Concept Map
• Faculty prepare key words from article or
lecture
• Give to groups to review & determine how
they relate
• Examine for relationships
• Draw arrows between words which relate
• Linking words above the arrows
Overview of Mapping
List – Group – Compare
1. List important terms
2. Group by major topic
3. Compare by drawing cross-links
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How to Concept Map
1. List or highlight the major concepts from
notes or text.
–
Try a regular outline if more comfortable
2. Identify the most general concepts (grouping).
3. Arrange with most general concepts at the
top
–
–
Label connecting lines to explain the relationship,
if needed.
Arrowheads can show direction, cause-and-effect,
etc.
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How to Concept Map
4. Try to branch out at each level of the
hierarchy with more than one link.
–
Reading becomes more normal now
5. Identify and draw cross-links between related
concepts.
–
This is a powerful step in developing integrative
thinking.
6. Alternative patterns: A “spider” or cluster
pattern can be constructed from the center
outward, but this will not be seen as readily
by linear learners.
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Scored Concept Mapping
• “The test drives the behavior”
• What can be scored?
– Individual facts (any two nodes connected)
– Levels of hierarchy (branch points)
– Cross-links
• Scores can be weighted to emphasize
integrative thinking.
Concept Mapping – Assessment
• Scoring system – What do we value?
– Recall – individual facts
• 2 points per valid link
– Analysis – grouping of related items
• 5 points per group (level of hierarchy)
– Comparison – relationships between groups
• 10 points per cross-link
Exercise 1
• Read handout passage for Exercise 1 (5 min)
• Make a list of all information that can be
recalled.
– This exercise resembles a typical student
preparation for a TBL session.
– Subsequently compared with construction of a
concept map for the same reading assignment.
Exercise 1 Continued
• Brief clarification of directions for constructing
a map
• Construct your own maps for the same
reading assignment (10 min).
• Brief discussion period to explore initial
reactions to reading vs. concept mapping.
Exercise 2
• Read handout passage for Exercise 2 and
construct a concept map (10 min)
• Exchange maps with a neighbor for scoring.
• When scoring has been completed neighbors
discuss their maps and the scoring with each
other (5-10 minutes)
Tally sheet: Use tick marks (////) to
count
Facts (links):
Groups:
Cross-links:
Discussion:
Effect Of Scoring On Reading
May Our Cross Path Again
As We Walk
Through the Journey of Life
Thanks for Spending Your Time
Learning With Us
Drs. John Pelley & Marti Echols