The Origin of Concept Maps and Theoretical Foundations Joseph D. Novak Cornell University, Professor Emeritus Senior Research Scientist Institute for Human and Machine Cognition Beijing Normal University Professor’s Program August Cleveland, Ohio Joseph D. Novak Cornell University, Professor Emeritus Senior Research Scientist Institute for Human and Machine Cognition Beijing Normal University Professor’s Program August Cleveland, Ohio

A concept map showing the key features of our concept maps

Our concept maps are based upon A Theory of Knowledge A Theory of Learning A Theory of Education

Epistemology: The study of knowledge and knowledge creation Most of the 19 th and 20 th Centuries: Dominated by Positivism and Logical Positivism: Truth, once established, is eternal. Developed in later half of 20 th Century: Constructivism: Knowledge evolves over time.

Stephen Toulmin: Human Understanding: Knowledge is a human creation 1972, Human Understanding: The Collective Use and Evolution of Concepts

Novak: Human Constructivism, 1987; 1993 Human beings construct new knowledge through the process of meaningful learning

1963-David Ausubel publishes the first comprehensive cognitive theory of learning

Key idea: Each person must construct her/his own meanings for concepts and propositions from experiences over time, building her/his knowledge structure Ausubel’s Theory of Learning

Ausubel, 1968 Epigraph: The most important thing influencing learning is what the learner already knows Ascertain this and teach him accordingly.

Three Requirements for Meaningful Learning: 1. Material to be learned must be inherently meaningful. 2. The learner must possess some relevant concepts. 3. The learner must choose to learning meaningfully.

Learning may vary from very rote to highly meaningful

Our brain is not An empty vessel to be filled

Most information learned by rote is lost in 6 months

Short-Term Memory Working Memory Long-Term Memory Affective System Motor System Information Input Our brain has several memory systems that interact

6 year old studying seed growth In the early 1970’s, Novak’s research group at Cornell University faced the problem: How can we assess changes in Children’s understanding of basic science concepts?

Knowledge is built up from organized concepts and propositions A Theory of Knowledge

Concept: A perceived regularity or pattern in events or objects, or records of events or objects, designated by a label A Theory of Knowledge

Proposition: Two or more concepts combined to form a statement about something: a unit of meaning A Theory of Knowledge

6 year old studying the particulate nature of matter

The design of each lesson had to be based on: What the learner already knows that is pertinent. What ideas will be needed in later lessons. What will interest and motivate the student. Each lessons required some 200 hours of staff time to design. Almost all equipment had to be designed by our staff.

A second grade child studying energy transformation in an Audio- Tutorial lesson

Novak’s research group used modified Piagetian clinical interviews

We needed a better way to represent children’s evolving conceptual understanding Concept mapping was invented and refined,

In our 12-year longitudinal study, we found some striking examples of highly meaningful learning

The same children were followed with periodic interviews through grade twelve.

A concept map showing the key features of our concept maps

Using concept maps, it is possible to see exact changes in cognitive structure over time.

A-T instructed students A-T instructed students have progressively more valid concepts and fewer invalid conceptions from grades 2 through 12. A-T instructed children were building organized knowledge structures

Better thinking leads to better feelings and better acting

Human Constructivism: Humans create new knowledge by using high levels of meaningful learning (1987).

The use of concept mapping can help students learn meaningfully and to construct powerful knowledge structures.

Both high and low ability high school physics students in Maracay Venezuela who do Concept mapping perform much better.

Mean Problem solving scores for Concept mappers (Blue) and Traditional instruction (Red)

Alberto Cañas has led the group that created CmapTools at the Institute For Human and Machine cognition

CampTools allows for adding any digital resource to concepts

CmapTools software is being downloaded all over the world

In Panama, President Torrijos visits a 5 th grade classroom creating concept maps using CmapTools software and the Internet

A concept map made by a team of 5th grade students in Panama

CmapTools and the Internet now make possible a New Model for Education

New Model for Education

For financial and educational reasons. Virtual Education is on the increase.

This is a statement of my theory of education as it stands today

The 2 nd edition of this book expands on the ideas presented and also presents my Theory of Education and a New Model for Education. Routledge, 2010

Thank You

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