Workshop
presented on
Friday
20 February 2009
What does it mean when a student says,
I understand?....
about
Designing
Assignments
by
Does understanding mean the same thing to
that student that it does to another student
or to you, the professor?..…
emphasizing
who uses
Hal White
Concept Mapping
How can students demonstrate their
understanding to others?
from the
Dept. of Chemistry
and Biochemistry
What is a Concept Map?
Good Assignments
Provide Accountability
A Concept Map Includes:
laptop
Linking Phrase
Students can demonstrate what
they understand.
Nodes
(terms or concepts)
needs a
Linking lines
(usually with a unidirectional arrow)
Linking Phrase
charge
Linking Phrase
Linking Phrase
Linking Phrase
Linking Phrase
Linking phrases
Instructors can assess how well
students understand.
Propositions
Why Use Concept Mapping?
Concept maps help students to organize and use course
content in a meaningful way
Concept mapping is a good active-learning technique that
helps to reach students with diverse learning styles
When used in a cooperative manner, concept maps help
students to evaluate and communicate their
understanding of the material
Reinforces the constructivist approach to learning =
student-centered
Purposes for Concept Mapping
•
•
•
•
Generate ideas (brainstorming)
Design complex structures (long texts, web-sites)
Communicate complex ideas
Aid learning by explicitly integrating new and old
knowledge
• Assess understanding or diagnose
misunderstanding
It is low tech!
From Clarissa Dirks, University of Washington
1
A Mini Concept Map
Short Assignment
Caused by
Pneumonia
Arrange the following three terms
and connect them with arrows and
linking phrases
Bacteria
Pneumonia
Antibiotics
Variations on a Theme
Pneumonia
Caused by
Antibiotics
Bacteria
Antibiotics
History of Concept Mapping
Antibiotics
Bacteria
Bacteria
By reversing the arrows,
changing the linking words,
and adding color, the focus
and emphasis changes.
Bacteria
Can cause
Pneumonia
Can cause
Pneumonia
• Developed by Joseph D. Novak at
Cornell University in the 1960’s
• Based on the ideas of David Ausubel
who stressed the importance of prior
knowledge for constructing new
understanding
Antibiotics
Origin of Concept Mapping
Concept Map Showing Key Concepts in Concept Mapping
CONCEPT MAPS
WORDS
Can be
Cognitive Theory
includes
includes
LINKING
WORDS
CONCEPT
LABELS
for
Associationist
Memory Theory
(Ausabel)
(Deese)
Are stored in
RELATIONSHIPS
MOST
GENERAL
COGNITIVE
STRUCTURE
are
MOST
IMPORTANT
to
are
Characterized
by
That influenced
in
EVENTS
in
OBJECTS
KNOWLEDGE
CLAIMS
Achieved by
MOST
SPECIFIC
are
LEAST
IMPORTANT
LEARNING
Networks
Joseph Novak
e.g.
Who created
Concept Mapping
from
PROPOSITIONS
form
PERCEIVED
REGULARITIES
CONTEXT
DEPENDENT
To form
CONCEPTS
Hierarchical
Memory Theory
is
HIERARCHY
SYMBOLS
To
measure
Students’ Knowledge
Structure
RAINING
EXPLOSION
PHOTOSYNTHESIS
e.g.
DOG
LEAF
WOMAN
Can be
ROTE
are
MEANFUL
Perception is
Adapted from: Joseph Novak (1991) Clarify with Concept Maps, The Science Teacher 58(7), 45-49.
2
CONCEPT MAP OF CONCEPT MAPPING
Ideas
Propositions
related
Study & Revision Aid
may
develop
Linear Text
by
CHEMISTRY
SENIOR SEMINAR
has
Goals
taken by
majors in
Chemistry
Chemical Education
Biochemistry
Environ. Chemistry
built around
Questionnaire on
Societal Issues
that
Relate Chemistry
to Society
who
form
filled out
Concepts
Classroom
Teachers
Metacognition
awareness
of
consists of
Concept Maps
suitable for
Research &
Assessment Tool
Learning
Processes
of
to assess
may
increase
Learning
Learning
Effectiveness
reveals
Misconceptions
Enjoyment
Affective
Objectives
Feelings &
Values
such as
improving
increasing
Motivation
FOOD
Deprivation leads to
Can be
limited by
Predicted by
Malthus 1819
Climate
Such as in
Eastern
Europe
create
that
Informative
Web-Sites
Leading to
Required
for
of
and
that
Animals
Grains
B.S.
M.S. *
Career Change
Possess
Plants
Genetics &
Breeding
Herbicides
Fertilizer
Haber
Process
NH3
Irrigation
Which significantly
supplements naturally
Required for
growth of
Symbiotic Bacteria
“Fixed” Nitrogen
That produce
Used for
Stages in the Construction
of a Concept Map
Brainstorming Stage
Organizing Stage
Layout Stage
Linking Stage
Revising Stage
Finalizing Stage
Frustration
Govt Lab
Director
Higher
Administration
Disillusionment
Walk-on-H2O
Letters
Golden
Handshake
Degraded
Grad. Students
#
Industry
Publications
Postdoc
‡
Poverty
Publications
Asst. Prof.
Grants
No Tenure
Publications
DuPont Hercules
Assoc. Prof.
Job Offers
Chairperson
$
Thesis
Ph.D.
Grad. Students
Legumes
Such as
Eaten
by
Such as
Job Search
Assignment
Academic Metabolism
in the Sciences
$
Africa
Agricultural Practices
using
Internet Sites
H.S. Graduate
Made
by
Distribution
who individually
engage in
Peer Evaluation
Campus Career Services
Provide Job Search Skills
and Resources
Essential Amino Acids
India
Unannounced Visitors
“Wild Cards”
who
evaluate
15 min Group
Presentation
10 min Q & A
that
that
Sharpen
Critical Thinking Skills
Law, Medicine,
Computer Science,
Organic Farming
Human Health
and Survival
Includes
and
engage in
present
Provide Experience
in Oral Communication
Population Growth
Contains
Politics
to form
Small Groups with
Similar Interests
Develop Visual
Communication Skills
Economics
Atmospheric N2
compare
Used
that
Work Cooperatively
on a Project
Journals & Newspapers
Requiring more
Protein
Last Day
Structure of Chemistry Senior Seminar Displayed as a Concept Map
A Concept Map Based on the Proposition:
Without the industrial chemical reduction of atmospheric
nitrogen, starvation would be rampant in third world countries.
Pesticides
First Day
to
Interest
Adapted from K. S. Taber (1994) Physics Education 29(5) 276-281
Starvation
and Famine
Address Ethical
Issues
Shunt
Publications, Awards
Full Prof.
Enemies
Friends
# Microscopic Reversibility
Questioned
* Nonobligatory Intermediate
‡ Unstable intermediate
often with sequential states
Brainstorming Stage
• List any and all terms and concepts associated
with the topic of interest.
• Write them on Post It Notes, one word or
phrase per note.
• Don't worry about redundancy, relative
importance, or relationships at this point.
• The objective is to generate the largest possible
list.
3
Brainstorming Stage
Organizing Stage
• Spread concepts on a table or blackboard so that all can be
read easily.
• Create groups and sub-groups of related items. Try to
group items to emphasize hierarchies.
• Identify terms that represent higher categories and add
them.
• Feel free to rearrange items and introduce new items
omitted initially.
• Some concepts will fall into multiple groupings. This will
become important in the linking stage.
Organizing Stage
Layout Stage
• Arrange terms so that they represent your collective
understanding of the interrelationships and connections
among groupings.
• Use a consistent hierarchy in which the most important
concepts are in the center or at the top.
• Within sub-grouping, place closely related items near to
each other.
• Think in terms of connecting the items in a simple
sentence that shows the relationship between them.
• Feel free to rearrange things at any time during this
phase.
• Do not expect your layout to be like that of other groups.
Layout Stage
Layout Stage
4
Linking Stage
• Use arrows to connect and show the
relationship between connected items.
• Write a word or short phrase by each
arrow to specify the relationship.
• Many arrows can originate or terminate on
particularly important concepts.
Finalizing the Concept Map
Revising Stage
• Carefully examine the draft concept map.
• Rearrange sections to emphasize
organization and appearance.
• Remove or combine items to simplify.
• Consider adding color or different fonts.
• Discuss any aspects where opinions differ
Finalizing the Concept Map
• After your group has agreed on an
arrangement of items that coveys your
understanding, convert the concept map
into a permanent form that others can
view and discuss.
• Be creative in a constructive way through
the use of colors, fonts, shapes.
Assignment
In your groups, begin constructing a
concept map for
Good Teaching
5