Concept Mapping Approach and its Applications in ...

Concept Mapping Approach and its Applications in Instruction and Assessment Delwyn L. Haxnisch, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Takahiro Sato. NEC Corporation, Japan

Concept Mapping Approach and Its Applications in Instruction and Assessment Delwyn L. Haniisch, Takahiro Sato, Ping Zbeag, Susumu Yamagi, & Michael Connell

INTRODUCI1ON

Ping Zheng. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Susumu Yamagi, Johoku Saitama High School Japan Michael Connell, University of Utah

ABSTRACT This paper explores an aLternative approach to instruction and assessment the concept mapping approach. The paper also examines the use of concept maps as a tool for meaningful learning and for measuring students' understanding, particularly, the change in their knowledge structure with the acquisition of new knowledge. Practical illustrations are provided demonstrating how students structure their understanding of a topic in a course. Computer programs are discussed which are used to produce concept maps based on students' understanding of relationships among instructional components. Criteria for grading students concept maps are discussed. Emphasis is placed upon using concept maps as an alternative to traditional modes of instruction and assessment.

Classroom teachers are managers of classroom life. Classroom life is compLex and dynamic. The responsibilities of classroom teachers involve managing instructional content, relationships between students and content, and interactions among class members. In addition, teachers must also be a comsnusiicator of the educational process with others in the larger community, including the families. It is true that the teacher's knowledge of subject matter content is important in planning, implementing, and evaluating instruction. To be effective, teachers must also he able to organize activities within a single instructional event, recognize the interrelationships among instructional events that form a unit, and understand the more global curricular context of instructional units. This can be a very daunting prospect. In the face of these often conflicting demands upon the teacher's resources, it is not surprising that in mathematics teachers often fall back on teaching as they were taught. Given the current call for reforos in mathematics education this is clearly a problem. If change is to take place, the teachers will need to become even snore efficient in their utilization and management of information. Recent advances in cognitive science suggest new approaches to the assessment of student achievement. The basic premise here is that to have meaningful changes in our assessment approach we need to consider three main elements of the instruction and assessment cycle: (I) conceptions of specific subject matter areas; (2) a model of how students learn the subject matter; and (3) strategies for assessing student understanding in the subject matter domain. Major advances in mathematics education have taken place over the past two decades which includes progress towards an understanding of the nature of mathematical thinking and learning; setting appropriate goals for mathematics instruction at all levels, and developing courses aimed at achieving these new goals. The research community has blossomed with sew insights as represented in the Eandbookfor Research on Mas*emancs Teaching and Learning (Koehler, M. & Grouws, D., 1992). For example, the first four curriculum standards in the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics' (1989) Curriculum and Evaluation Standards for School Mathematics focuses on mathematics as problemsolving, mathematics as conununication. mathematics as reasoning, and mathematical connections. The Professional Standards fir Teaching Mathematics (NCTM, 1991) make it clear that the character of the classroom environment muss be reconceived. Many educators currently are shifting their teaching strategies and approaches to include a greater emphasis on critical thinking skills; the communication of mathematical ideas, the importance of a variety of approaches to mathematical content, and connections among topics. Equally Important is the role of assessment as a means of helping us to understand the change of students knowledge structure as a result of instruction. It is important to focus on the essential aspects of mathematical thinking and mathematical performance in assessment if it is true that "what you test is what you get" (Madaus, 1992). Concept mapping can be a valuable tool for assisting both teachers and students in managing the information in the classroom. We will begin this paper by introducing the basic ideas of concept mapping and then provide examples of how teachers can utilize concept maps in planning instruction, improving conceptual understanding, and evaluating concept representations generated by their students.

Paper prepared as part of the symposium entitled Approaches to Cognitive Modeling which was organized by William F. Stout, University of Illinois. Paper was presented at the 1994 Annual Meeting of the American Education Research Association (AERA) and National Council on Measurement in Education (NCME), New Orleans, April 4-9. concept Mapping Appoacb a'd is Aw!iicna in anenatos sad Asatsanong }tsSci. Sac, fleag, YsnajL & Conoen

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CONCEPT MAPPING

As currently utilized in instnictional design, concept mapping refer to a method of graphically displaying both individual concepts and the potentially complex set of relatimships between or among concepts (West, Farmer, & Wolff, 1991). Individual concepts ale usually retresented by knots or nodes (often shown in rectangular blocks or circles), and relationships are usually cpresented by linkages (often shown by wows). The concept map fonns a visual display that highlights tie relations among the concepts. The developed concept map forms a representation which can be nade external of an otherwise internal mental construct. This feature of concept mapping becomes highly raluable in designing new instruction and in assessment. Other terms used to describe concept mapping are "semantic mappisg graphic organizers" (Hawk, 1986), interpretive structural modeling (Chimura & Sam, 1984), infitmation mapping (McAleese. 1986), structured text design (Sam, 1991a) and networking (Holly & Dansenan, 1984). Asumptiona of Concept Mapping

There are at least two assumptions about the nature of how human Icings structure knowledge thatjustify concept mapping as a valid and effective means for instructional lesign and assessment. A fundamental epistemological assumption which is reflected in the concept napping metaphor is that knowledge is an internal human construction formed from personally meanuigful concepts and relationships between and among these concepts (Novak. 1987). A product Lif this assumption would be that every human being has a unique knowledge base consisting of different oncepts arranged or organized into person-specific structures. Although unique to the individual,these structures share a certain family resemblance to one another when viewed across many people. Generated concept maps, by making external and discussible these internal mental representations, becone a very powerful tool for planning, implenienting, and evaluating instruction. Furthermore, the geneated concept maps serve as a focal point for discussion concerning a domain by other experts in the area Scan actually help to define the core areas of a domain of study. Given the idea that knowledge structure of individuals are constantly changing, a major task of instruction is to design, implement, aix evaluate changes that enhance and develop the individual's current structure of knowledge. The second assumption is closely tied with some basic assumptionnf psychological motivation as well as epistemology. Human beings have a natural predisposition to lean if suitable problems are encountered. It should be noted that this is only true when the problem is perceived as being possible from their current standing, and of sufficient interest or impedance an as to warrant the time spent on it. Humans are constantly engaged in assimilating unfamiliar concepts into that knowledge structure, as a by-product of existence. When such personally meaningful learning occurs,a progressive differentiation of concepts and propositions occur as the new and old meanings are dynamially reconciled into coherent, valid hierarchical structures (Novak & Musonda, 1991). Taking this problen-based, student-centered, and dynamically constructed view of knowledge, concepts acquire meaning throigh their discovered relationships with other concepts. Concept meaning grows, differentiates, and gains in sophistication as personal experience becomes embedded in larger and more diverse propositbnal frameworks (Novak & Musonda, 1991). Based on these two assumptions, (Austsbe), 1963; Ausube 1968; Atisubel, Novak, & Hanesian, 1978), it is reasonable to hypothesize that use of the concept moping procedure can be an effective means for stimulating meaningful learning and helping the individsal to create increasingly sophisticated knowledge structures. Concept mapping procedures are a potential rich source for assessment of an individual's knowledge structure and the cognitive growth vaulting from learning.

change is to take place. Although the procedure has been used in other areas (Rarnisch, 1989; Hamisch 1990a, 1990b, 1991; Moriyarna & Harnisch, 1991; Sato, 1991b). the remainder of this paper will focus on the applications of concept mapping to instruction and assessment. When applied to classroom instruction, concept mapping has three primary applications identified in the literature: (a) instructional design, (b) assessment, and (c) cognitive research and curriculum development (e.g., Stewart. Van Kirk, & Rowell, 1979). Concept Mapping In Instructions Concept mapping has a wide way of applications in the instructional context. It can be used as a toot in instructional planning and designing. The instructor can create concept maps to make it easier for the student to comprehend instructional materials by graphically displaying the structural relationships among concepts for each instructional unit. The concept maps can also be used in the instructional process itself. Conceptual charts may be created to promote independent study and understanding of the overall structural relationships among the concepts. For example, students can compare conceptual charts among themselves. They can also compare their maps with those created by the instructor. By looking at the student-created conceptual charts, the instructor can identify the student's misconceptions of the relationships among the concepts that are otherwise difficult to detect. By knowing what problems students are experiencing and how they arise, the instructor can use instruction time more efficiently to promote students' understanding of the material. Figure I illustrates how concept mapping can be used in the instructional process involving both the instructor and she student. (insert Figure I about here) To successfully use concept maps as a tool in instruction, the instructor must first take time to investigate the relationships among concepts for a particular unit as well as the relationship of that unit with the rest of the instructional materials. In other words, the instructor, when creating concept maps, should have a big picture in mind. Yet he/she should also address in detail the concerns of that particular unit. Figure 2 is an example of a unit instructional design. The numbers without parentheses represent the concepts to be covered in the unit The numbers inside the parentheses indicate the concepts for which that concept is a prerequisite. For example, above concept number I, we have 2,7. and Sin parentheses. That tells us that concept number I is the prerequisite of concept numbers 2,7, and S. The arrows indicate that one concept directly relates to the other. (insert Figure 2 about here) Concept mapping, for the student, is a "mountain climbing exercise which requires step-by-step training. Here is how we suggest concept mapping maybe utilized in instruction. At the beginning of a unit, the reacher gives the students a framework sheet for them to develop their own learning structure chart. Students can record their understanding of the text in the boxes on the framewott sheet. At the end of each sub-unit, groups of three to four students get together to examine the contents of the filled-in boxes and discuss among themselves. After the discussion, they can draw lines connecting concepts in addition to the original relationship lines on the given structure chart. The teacher would want to prepare. as a part of the instructional plan, a conceptual chart using the Interpretative Structural Model (ISM) computer chart system, which is then given to students (Chimura & Sato, 1984). Exhibit I illustrates the manner in which the ISM approach creates an improved visualization of the student's cognitive network which students report as helping them to better understand the relational structure of prerequisite content along with the present content being studied. Teachers review these displays for detecting rnisconceptualizations.

APPLICATIONS OF CONCEPT MAPPING The use of concept mapping is attracting increasing attention as more educators and researchers begin to accept the individual-centered model of knowledge described abovr. This view, that meaningful learning and cognitive growth are more important than acquiring isolated dstails, is crucial if educational Ccacect Mgarg Appreal, aid in Apptrcadosa th Simse and Aasesner,t Ht.ch. sac. Theng. Yrnri. & Coonell

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Concept Maps In Assessment

Concept Mapping In Instructional Design & Knowledge Acquisition A significant body of research has focused on studying implications of concept mapping in instructional design and knowledge acquisition. Holley and Dansereaus' (1984) experimental studies of undergraduate students using concept mapping to study passages from Scientific American and a geology text found that when appropriate training (including an introduction to mapping, training on connections and relationship names, and practice on mapping) was provided, the treatment group recalled significantly more main ideas than the control group. The relevance of this finding to the public school setting is shown in Hawk's examination (1986) of using concept maps in middle school. In this study, the treatment groups were given seven concept maps developed for use with the seven chapters of a life science textbook and were explained as study guides at the beginning of instruction on each chapter. The experimental groups scored substantially higher than controls on the achievement test at the conclusion of the experiment. Atari elementary level. Boothby and Alverman (1984) showed the effectiveness of concept mapping for fourth-grade students who participated in a training session tasting three months. Students in the treatment gsoup participated three tints a week using maps with typical fourth-grade instructional materials. Additional research has demonstrated that elementary students are able to use concept maps as an effective tool in learning the subject master content (Hauf, 1971; Syminton, 1982; Wandersee, 1983; Stice & Alvarez, 1987). Concept maps were constructed for textbooks and similar instructional materials to assist both the learner and the instructor in gaining a greater understanding of the subject master.

All too often, assessment has taken the form of closure on a topic, representing to students the closing of a door on a set of skills. In an effort to establish a dialogue between teacher and student, many educators are turning to alternative modes of assessment. A primary weakness of traditional test formats, such as teacher-made multiple choice questions, is the insensitivity, to the structure of the knowledge (Surber, 1984). Concept-mapping-based assessment has been considered as an alternative to remedy the deficiency. Suggested methods include; •

Delete some concepts and relationships from the master map (usually constructed by the teacher) and ask students to supply the missing concepts and relationships (Surber, 1984).

•

Students are asked to match concepts, provide linkages, and supply directions of relationships (Huang, 1988).

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Compare student-constructed maps with the master snap to diagnose students' strengths and weaknesses (Harnisch, 1991, Park, 1993, Bagels, 1991; Satchwell, 1994; Anselin, 1986).

To effectively use concept mapping as an alternative approach in assessing students' understanding, it is important to establish assessment criteria in scoring a student's concept map. Three components of a concept map are worth considering: (a) hierarchical structure. (b) classification, and (c) crosslink or integration. To evaluate the hierarchical structure of a students, or more general, any concept map, we may ask the following questions:

Concept Mapping as laming Strategy Concept mapping has been demonstrated an effective learning strategy for different age groups (e.g., see Mahler, Hoz, & Fischl, 1991; Briscoe& LaMaster, 1991; Mikulecky, Clark, & Adams, 1989 for effective use of concept mapping at the college/university, level; at the high school level, see Schmid & Telaro. 1990; Novak. Gowin, & Johansen, 1983) across different knowledge domains when knowledge of concepts and relationships is the primary goal of instruction. Successful use of concept mapping in assisting instructions have been demonstrated in such subject domains as chemistry (e.g., Stensvold & Wilson, 1990; Basili & Sanford. 1991; Ebenezer, 1992), mathematics (e.g.. Malone & Dekkers, 1984). biology (e.g., Briscoe & LaMsster, 1991; Jegede. Alaiyemota, & Okebukota, 1990). and literature (e.g.. Leahy, 1989). A substantial numbers of studies also show that using concept mapping results in meaningful learning (e.g., Heinze-Fry & Novak. 1990; Pankratius, 1990; Clibnrn, 1990). The trade-off appears to be in the loss of the amount of detailed information which is available for immediate recall. This is a minor difficulty given the tremendous growth in information storage and recall systems. If a learner knows the structure of the domain and the key questions and relationships, the search for details is enhanced by virtue of the organization present in the mind of the learner. For learners to use concept mapping effectively it has been shown that training is necessary. to providing such training, it might be helpful to review some of the basic procedures for building concept maps, as shown in Figure 3: (instil Figure 3 about here)

•

Is a meaningful relationship among elements indicated by the concept map?

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Does the map show hierarchy?

•

Is each subordinate element more specific endless general than the element shown above it?

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Are all relationships displayed?

For the classification element, we may ask if all elements of the map are classified into groups or sub-maps of segments of the conceptual hierarchy. To assess the crosslink or integration, we may look at the following: •

Does the map show meaningful connections among sub-maps?

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Is each relationship displayed significant and valid?

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Does the map illustrate syntheses among related sub-maps?

Studies suggest that the mapping based assessment activity is a potential alternative and a supplement to traditional tests (Harnisch. 1991; Huang, 1988). Instruction in mapping is necessary if

Some studies suggest that concept mapping works more effectively in a cooperative learning environment (Mason, 1992; Okebukola, 1992). Figure 4 illustrates a hierarchical map of basic concepts in geometry. Figure 5 S an example of concepts linked by perceived interrelationships. It should be noted that it is often necessary to make several modifications to the concept map as one's understanding in an area becomes more well-defined. These revised concept maps reflect the process of learning and provide meaningful end products of the teachingileanting process for an interactions] unit.

such a test is to be administered. and the instruction should be designed to facilitate mapping techniques and knowledge representations. The investigations of Huang (1988) shows that learning to map does not depend on general ability, and that a concept-map-based testing does not require more time than other types of teacher-made tests.

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Concept Mapping - a Research Tool Concept mapping has recently attracted much attention as a tool for use in research. By making external an otherwise internal mental representation, concept mapping provides a tool to understand and measure an individuals knowledge structure and cognitive growth relative to concept maps created by other learners, other teachers, or domain experts (e.g.. Beyerbacls & Smith, 1990; Wandersee, 1990). In assessing cognitive growth through learning activities, researchers have compared the novices concept maps with those of experts in terms of amount of organization; depth of structure; and cognitive sophistication. For example, using concept mapping procedures. Novak and others (1991) found that there was a large overlap in the conceptual sophistication of elementary school students, high school students, and college students (nonscience majors), although the best high school or college students were better than the best elementary school students. The latter, however, constructed more valid and sophisticated concept maps than poor high school or college students. A promising area for further study would be to investigate the applications of graph theory to educational research, See Tatsuoka (I 986) for a review of the basic principles underlying the ISM approach. Given the extent to which constructed-response formats ale being used to measure complex processes, anew direction for concept mapping would be to use it for the analysis of the tasks and related properties associated with representing student understanding. Tatsuoka (1991) and associates have begun work in this direction which utilizes graph theory and Boolean algebra. These techniques hold much promise for improving our understanding of student achievement. CREATING CONCEPT MAPS Since concept maps are used to represent the relationships between concepts in addition to the concepts themselves, concept maps of large information sets can become very complicated. This is particularly the case for complex and ill-defined domains (Spiro, Coulson, Feltovich, & Anderson, 1988). Typically, concept maps combine several different types of mapping structure. For example, hierarchical maps can contain spider maps and vice versa. Here we will introduce three common types of concept maps identified by Jones, Palinscar, Ogle, and Carr (1987). They are spider maps, chain maps, and hierarchical maps. Each of these represent different types of structures of content. Figure 6 is an example of a spider map of the NCTM Professional Standards (1991) for K-4 mathematics. Changes in instructional methods/media are represented in Figure 7, which is a hierarchical map based on the work reported in the NC'IM Professional Standards. Figure 3 is a typical chain map. Chain maps are often used in delineating procedural or sequential activities. However, users are encouraged to experiment with different types of concept inapt In many cases, a combination of different types of concept maps has to be used to better represent the content structure. (insefl Figures 6 & I about here) In order to discuss the relationship between concept maps and the content structure, we need to look briefly at the basic structures of knowledge. Knowledge can be categorized into three types: declarative, conditional, and procedural. To put it into simple terms, declarative knowledge corresponds to 'knowing that"; conditional knowledge corresponds to 'knowing when'; and procedural knowledge corresponds to 'knowing how'. Therefore, when the material to be mapped is declarative in nature, either spider maps or hierarchical maps may be used. If the knowledge is procedural, the relationship will be either timing, causal or enabling and thus chain maps should be used (West et al., 1991). However, we must remember that these are general suggestions and that we have to choose appropriate types of maps taking into consideration the material to be mapped and the specific context. For example, sequence of time may represent declarative knowledge in the case, say, of chronicle events; it may also represent procedural knowledge such as a senes of steps that have to he followed in completing a task. Therefore, a particular type of map is not necessarily reserved for a certain type of knowledge. As the knowledge base consists of combination of different types of knowledge, it is not surprising that many of the concept maps

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we see are hybrids of different kinds of maps. Nevertheless, these three are the common types and they usually form the cornerstone of more complicated concept maps. Concept maps, as mentioned earlier, typically combine several different types of mapping structure. A careful analysis of the content and the structure of the subject matter to be mapped will greatly aid the mapping process. The following are some general guidelines in creating concept maps.

We mentioned earlier that the advantage of using concept maps is that it is easier for the learner to grasp major concepts and their relationships, and that the disadvantage is the loss of details. Therefore, if the objective is the mastery of details, concept mapping may not be a wise choice. Prior to constricting a map of a subject area, one should take into consideration such variables as subject mailer content and task outcomes.

The user has to carefully organize materials based on the reflection of the internal structures of materials to be mapped The success or failure of a concept map may be determined by the care taken in the creation of the 'chunks' of information and the manner in which these chunks are arranged. enactS. This is usually Isolate cs and deteranine ra.thfrb.a base or a step of trial and error. The user is suggested to write concepts on cards or on anything that can be easily moved around.

The decision is usually bated on the consideration of the material to be mapped, and the relationship between or among the concepts.

One approach to use with students in creating mathematical maps is to select 10-15 concepts from a topic of study and ask students to construct a map showing how these concepts interrelate. For younger students we can ask them to imagine that they are writing a mathematics textbook and given a stack of cards with names of particular mathematical ideas. The students are then asked to connect the cards together in the most appropriate manner that reflects the way that they would like the mathematical ideas organized and presented in the textbook, Students are not restricted to these ideas and can add extra headings if they feel that it is necessary. Computers can be used to draw the concept maps based on the relationships for the concepts which the user must specify. Application software is available for assisting users in mapping subject matter contents. One of these applications that we find useful is the l4atnifltTai (developed by Robert Kozrna, & John Van Roekel, University of Michigan) which allows the user to specify the concept (with definition cards) and interconnected relationships among the concepts with prepositional phrases printed. This particular application allows the students to document the connections among the key concepts for their respective courses. Such an applications is tometirnes referred to as an 'electronic notebook' in which they help the students to organize their noses and study for exams. Using these tools allows the student to build on their strengths and identify the gaps that an individual may have in learning. Another computer program that is used in building concept maps for visually displaying a framework for an instructional unit is the Interpretive structural Modeling method (ISM) (Chimura &

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Sato, 1984). This program requests the user to specify the concept elements and the order in which the concepts are related with each other. An example resulting from a run with ISM is found in the chart illustrated in Figure 2. The arrows are added by the student between the concept elements and indicate the logical structure of the subject matter topic as specified in the prerequisite matrix. Several uses of these maps have been noted earlier which includes its utility in being used as an advance organizer for a teacher when teaching a new instructional unit. These maps are also quite functional for students as it gives them a clear idea of the elements that are going to be covered as well as the connectivity among the elements. An example of the use of ISM for the relationships in a Mechanical Dynamics & Statics course is given in Figures 8a-Sd.

organized and how well an individual can use the knowledge he or she has acquired. Similarly, one needs to decide whether to develop a quantitative measure for each concept map or whether to accept qualitative scoring on some. Much of what is represented with the use of a revised concept snap may be less interesting than the steps the individual took to obtain the modified conceptual representation. Note An earlier version of this paper was given by DL. Harnisch and Ping Zheng as part of a workshop at the CID Lutheran Teachers' Conference. September, 1991.

(insert Figures 89-Sd about here) SemNet (SemNet Research Group, 1991), standing for semantic network, is a computerized organizer which allows one to represent a domain of knowledge in the form of a multi-dimensional web of ideas that are linked together in specific ways. The user can specify concepts and link them together using connecting relationships that he/she sees flu Multiple connections can be established, providing many possible paths linking even moderately distant concepts. The user can also scan in pictures which could be linked to the concept. SUMMARY Concept mapping, as a new assessment task, meets the criteria set forth by the National Research Council (1993). Using the concept mapping approach to assessment helps us to evaluate mathematical connections in a relatively direct way. Students are involved in a very thoughtful approach where they are asked to reflect on relationships among concepts and to consider the complexity of mathematical ideas. The resulting concept map is visual representation of a students understanding for others to see and discus, which builds on the criteria of mathematical communication. Consistent with the new emphasis in assessment, concept maps help students restructure mathematical information so that it becomes pant of their repertoire. Concept maps, when used over a series of instructional units in an interactive form. stimulates students to think, react to new situations, review and revise work, evaluate their own and others' work, and communicate mathematical results in verbal and visual ways. Small groups of three or four students can approach this task cooperatively in which the students are encouraged to work together to develop a map and communicate their findings to others. Research studies have indicated that the concept-mapping procedure is a useful alternative in designing, implementing, and evaluating classroom instruction. It stimulates meaningful learning and helps students internalize specific concepts and integrate than into their knowledge structure. Theoretically this is a preferable teaching mode. The results of a systematic set of research investigations support this approach. Therefore, we feel that classroom teachers should be encouraged to become familiar and experiment with this powerful visualization tool for professional practice. Psychometricians have dealt with the technical properties of traditional assessment for over half a century. Sophisticated techniques and a rich literature exists on the desired properties of these tests. However, when it comes to performance assessments, concept maps, portfolios, and so on, the situation is very different. These new modes of assessment are clearly much more aligned with the spirit of reform and more meaningful than traditional assessment measures. Additional studies are needed to examine the consistency, validity, and faimess, of such assessments. Significant research is needed to determine the salient characteristics of performance assessments and the evidence that can be gathered to determine whether a particular assessment approach has the desirable characteristics. Many other issues remain to be resolved in future research. The natural output from the concept mapping approach is a representation of ones understanding, Several possibilities exist for evaluating a concept map. One form of reporting might focus on how well the individual's knowledge structure of a domain is

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Exhibit I. Illustration of concept rearrangement with the use of the Interpretive Structure Modeling (ISM) approach

Determine Relationships

3 Plot Relationships

Fiture 3. Six steps in concept mapping, (Based on West, Fanner, & Wolff, 1991.)

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Filswt 6. Mathematics curriculum standards for Grades K-4. (Based m National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, 1991.

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Figure £. Example of ISM Conceptual Chat Showing Relationships Among Subject Matter Contents for a Mechanical Dynamics & Statics Course - Page 1 of 4

Figure Rb. Example of ISM Conceptual Chart Showing Relationships Among Subject Matter Contents for a Mechanical Dynamics & Statics Course - Page 2 of 4

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Figure M. Example of ISM Conceptual Chart Showing Relationships Among Subject Matter Contents for a Mechanical Dynamics & Statics Course - Page 4 of 4

Students Creating A Structured Concept Map of Key Elements in Chemistry for Instructional Unit on Acids, Bases & Salts Takahiro Saw, NEC Corporation, Japan Susumu Yamagi, Johoku Saitama High School, Japan Deiwyn J-Iarnisch, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

6.

Students rethink and discuss their understanding of meaningful relationships among elements and overall structure of their concept map. 8.

After students finish examining their handmade concept maps, students enter an element relationship data matrix into computer.

9.

The computer outputs the elements into a hierarchical structural order.

Key to Major Scenes in Video Program Learning environment • • • • 2.

Number of students: 45 students in class 15 working groups 15 computer units scissors, paste and cellophane tape

One week ago, the teacher gave each student cards of learning elements. The students brings his/her hand-made concept maps which organizes cards of learning elements as a structural chart.

3.

The teacher explains a typical example of direct relationships among elements.

4.

The teacher gives students instructional procedures for activities.

5.

Students of each group examine relationships among elements.

Students of each group rethink & discuss element relationships. Students modify relationships among elements as needed.

10. Students draw connecting lines between designated elements and thus they complete the ISM conceptual chart. 11. Students examine the computer generated conceptual chart. 12. The teacher reviews the structural relationships among elements for an instructional unit The teacher gives students some comments to promote understanding of overall structure. 13. Students revise their conceptual chart. When finished, they display an external representation of their internal understanding for the key elements in this topic. 14. Concept maps of all groups are displayed and reviewed.