Workshop on Effective Teaching 16 July 2013 © 2013 D. M. Dhamdhere 1 Workshop on Effective Teaching Prof. D. M. Dhamdhere CSE Department, IIT Bombay All original content © 2013 D. M. Dhamdhere

Workshop on Effective Teaching 16 July 2013 © 2013 D. M. Dhamdhere 2 Representing Knowledge Many issues can be tackled effectively if knowledge can be represented –Planning a course or curriculum –Checking whether a learner has prerequisites or prior learning –Detecting misconceptions in a learner’s mind –Evaluating whether learning has occurred in a course

Workshop on Effective Teaching 16 July 2013 © 2013 D. M. Dhamdhere 3 Concept Map Developed by Novak based on work of Ausubel –A concept is a perceived regularity in events and objects is represented by a circle or box, having a label against it Concepts are represented hierarchically –A proposition is a relationship between concepts is represented by a line and linking words A concept map has a graph structure –A concept map is not unique

Workshop on Effective Teaching 16 July 2013 © 2013 D. M. Dhamdhere 4 Concept Map Figure from Novak, 2006

Workshop on Effective Teaching 16 July 2013 © 2013 D. M. Dhamdhere 5 Concept Map Why seasons ? Figure from Novak, 2006

Workshop on Effective Teaching 16 July 2013 © 2013 D. M. Dhamdhere 6 Concept Map A concept map serves as a kind of template or scaffold to help to organize knowledge and structure it (Novak, 2006) –It helps to retain knowledge for long periods of time Concept map leads to iconic learning –It can be remembered as a visual image It helps in assimilating new knowledge A free online concept mapping tool: IHMC CmapTools

Workshop on Effective Teaching 16 July 2013 © 2013 D. M. Dhamdhere 7 Concept Map Use in a classroom –Training a learner in developing a concept map –Checking learner’s prior knowledge and misconceptions –Assimilating new knowledge –Checking amount and quality of learning –Group learning

Workshop on Effective Teaching 16 July 2013 © 2013 D. M. Dhamdhere 8 Concept Map Use in a classroom –Training a learner in developing a concept map Give list of known concepts and ask students to draw a concept map –Checking learner’s prior knowledge and misconceptions Ask learner to draw a concept map: misconceptions will show up! –Assimilating new knowledge –Checking amount and quality of learning –Group learning

Workshop on Effective Teaching 16 July 2013 © 2013 D. M. Dhamdhere 9 Concept Map Use in a classroom –Training a learner in developing a concept map Give list of known concepts and ask students to draw a concept map –Checking learner’s prior knowledge and misconceptions Ask learner to draw a concept map: misconceptions will show up! –Assimilating new knowledge Ask learner to modify a concept map to incorporate new knowledge (Requires dialog, exchange, sharing and sometimes compromise) –Checking amount and quality of learning –Group learning

Workshop on Effective Teaching 16 July 2013 © 2013 D. M. Dhamdhere 10 Concept Map Use in a classroom –Training a learner in developing a concept map Give list of known concepts and ask students to draw a concept map –Checking learner’s prior knowledge and misconceptions Ask learner to draw a concept map: misconceptions will show up! –Assimilating new knowledge Ask learner to modify a concept map to incorporate new knowledge (Requires dialog, exchange, sharing and sometimes compromise) –Checking amount and quality of learning Ask learner to draw a concept map and compare with the old map –Group learning

Workshop on Effective Teaching 16 July 2013 © 2013 D. M. Dhamdhere 11 Concept Map Use in a classroom –Training a learner in developing a concept map Give list of known concepts and ask students to draw a concept map –Checking learner’s prior knowledge and misconceptions Ask learner to draw a concept map: misconceptions will show up! –Assimilating new knowledge Ask learner to modify a concept map to incorporate new knowledge (Requires dialog, exchange, sharing and sometimes compromise) –Checking amount and quality of learning Ask learner to draw a concept map and compare with the old map –Group learning Ask a group to draw a concept map Very useful in cooperative learning

Workshop on Effective Teaching 16 July 2013 © 2013 D. M. Dhamdhere 12 Concept Maps Concept maps and meta-cognition –Metacognition is “thinking about thinking” One aspect of metacognition entails mulling, connecting, rehearsing, expressing, assessing, reflecting, revising, … –Constructing a concept map involves all these activities –Constructing a concept map is a critical thinking activity; it makes learning more meaningful

Workshop on Effective Teaching 16 July 2013 © 2013 D. M. Dhamdhere 13 Some References