concept mapping
“It’s been said that a picture is worth a thousand words. If so, concept mapping can greatly enrich teacher and student efforts to communicate in our predominantly text-based world”. In total agreement with the article, ‘COMPUTER-BASED CONCEPT MAPPING’ by Anderson-Inman, Lynne, Horney, Mark, I believe that every child should understand and create a concept map in an ‘electronic environment’.
I was introduced to ‘Inspiration’, a concept mapping tool, earlier this year. I found the software useful in facilitating visual thinking. Why do it on a piece of paper when I found that using the computer can be more accessible and less frustrating. In the same way that word processing has revolutionised writing, and writing instruction, computer-based concept mapping is revolutionised this important form of visual expression and literacy enhancement.
On prac I found that a lot of students were using this software. The teacher used it as a strategy monitor change in students’ understanding and if they were able to grasp the information.
One limitation the teacher spoke to me about was the difficulty in giving feedback to students. As I observed their maps, I too found it difficult to read unless the student or ‘creator’ could go through it with you. The authors of the article agree with the limitation I found. They say a major problem is “how to evaluate students’ learning or how to give feedback to students on the accuracy of their maps’ concepts and conceptual relationships”. However, I realised the same problem would occur if students used paper and pencil.
In short, concept mapping in an electronic environment has become a manageable way to integrate the power of the concept mapping process into the curriculum. “As a tool for visualising and communicating, concept mapping helps teachers and students to make the structure of their knowledge more explicit. This process of knowledge construction and knowledge representation is greatly facilitated when additions, deletions and modifications can be made easily and quickly”.
