Concept Maps and the Trajectory of Learning for Teachers Peter R. Hester Teacher Education Faculty of the Future June 2, 2006

How People Learn: Brain, Mind, Experience and School “Expert teachers know the structure of their disciplines and this provides them with cognitive roadmaps that guide the assignments they give students, the assessments they use to gauge student progress, and the questions they ask in the give and take of classroom life.” (Bransford, Brown, and Cocking, 2000)

A Cognitive Roadmap for Teaching and Learning “Meaningful learning involves the assimilation of new concepts and propositions into existing cognitive structures" (Novak & Gowin, 1984).

Graphic Organizers as Cognitive Road Maps Graphic organizers are designed as visual representations of cognitive structures (knowledge, concepts or ideas). A sampling of graphic organizers is entabled below: Flow chartFishbone diagramEvents chain Venn diagramBrainstorming webHierarchy diagram Story boardConcept mapChart / Matrix Word webKWL chartCycle diagram File and folderThinking gridMind map

Sample Graphic Organizers Chart / Matrix Venn Diagram Fishbone Diagram KWHL Chart

Educational Applications of Graphic Organizers Convey a clear general picture of topics. Can be used in creative ways to assess student achievement Help identify misconceptions and/or missing concepts Reinforce understanding through visualization of relationships between key concepts

The Problem How can prospective teachers (ELD-376 students) address perceived gaps in their content preparation in order to better prepare themselves for teaching?

ELD-376: Teaching Science Social Studies & the Arts The course has been a major requirement for three distinct populations:  junior-level elementary education majors (w/ any CLAES second major)  junior-level secondary education majors (w/ science second major)  junior-level secondary education majors (w/ social studies second major)

Enrollment in ELD-376 Fall 2005Spring 2006 ELED majors3355 2º social studies majors 711 2º science majors 20 Total enrollment 4266

Trajectory of Learning Experiences Each student begins by finding a topic they feel uncomfortable about teaching. Students begin developing an annotated list of resources to learn about their topic and post entries to the online Web-Bib database. Students create and subsequently modify a concept map for their topic. Students develop materials to teach their topic to K-12 students (one grade level).

Why concept maps? "The most important single factor influencing learning is what the learner already knows. Ascertain this and teach accordingly" (Ausubel, 1968).

A Concept Map of Concept Maps

A Constructivist Approach The concept maps that students create in ELD-376 serve two purposes: –They provide the instructor with a “window” onto students’ understanding. –They actively engage students in identifying what they know…and what they need to learn.

Data Collected Concept maps were constructed by pairs of students over the course of each semester using Inspiration™ and laptop computers in the TLC. A series of questions was asked of students in a “test” on Blackboard™ at the end of the semester (Fall 2005 and Spring 2006).

Student Concept Maps Iteration 1: Physics Iteration 2: Physics

Iteration 2: Weather

Iteration 2: Weather (highlighted by instructor)

Iteration 2: Weather (Detail)

Web-Bib Entry Screen

Web-Bib Sample Entry

Inserting a New Web-Bib Record

Editing an Web-Bib Existing Record

Exporting Web-Bib Records

Results of Blackboard “Quiz Results of Blackboard “Quiz” Perceived usefulness of concept maps Fall 2005Spring 2006Total Useful Not useful6814 QUESTION #1: Do you think that the concept mapping activities we did in class this semester were useful to your development as a teacher? (n = 97)

QUESTION #1: Do you think that the concept mapping activities we did in class this semester were useful to your development as a teacher? Student response - The concept map is a useful graphic organizer because it literally lets me visualize the connections between the various aspects in a particular unit. When I can see that two concepts can be connected, I am much more likely to understand the content.

Results of Blackboard “Quiz Results of Blackboard “Quiz” Perceived changes made on concept maps Fall 2005Spring 2006Total Major changes Minor changes No changes5914 QUESTION #2: Did you make any changes in your concept map over the course of the semester ? (n = 98)

Student response - Throughout the semester, I have added a lot of information to my concept map …My map was constantly changing [as] I was bringing in new ideas and going in different directions…Just through adding the new information, I was able to see how I could incorporate science into my other lessons and classes. QUESTION #2: Did you make any changes in your concept map over the course of the semester ?

Results of Blackboard “Quiz Results of Blackboard “Quiz” Prediction of future concept map use Fall 2005Spring 2006Total Will use Will not use5611 QUESTION #3: Do you expect to use concept mapping as a teaching or learning tool in the future? (n = 98)

Student response - I most definitely plan to use concept mapping as a teacher ….[and] as a learning tool in the future. I am a very visual learner, and this activity gave me a new way to learn information. I think I will use concept mapping when I need assistance in relating information and making connections. QUESTION #3: Did you make any changes in your concept map over the course of the semester?

Summary of Responses to “Quiz” Questions ~85% indicated that they felt concept maps were useful ~58% indicated making major changes, ~28% indicated making minor changes, ~14% indicated making no changes to concept maps during the semester ~90% indicated that they plan to use concept maps in future teaching and learning

Future Work Analyze the relationship between the concept maps that students produce and their Web- Bib entries (the Web-Bib database currently contains ~2200 annotated sources). Qualitatively analyze student responses to Blackboard “quiz” questions in order to improve concept mapping instruction and Web-Bib resource. Conduct a longitudinal study to examine usage of concept mapping as a tool for teaching and learning among Rider Education graduates.

Thank You! Concept mapping software: cmap.ihmc.us Graphic organizers: