Clarissa Freshwater
Elizabeth Honaker
Concept Mapping
Wendy Guthrie
Laurie O. Campbell
What does concept mapping do?
Concept mapping is seen as a supplemental
teaching method that promotes learning. As
opposed to graphical organizers, concept
maps are hierarchal in nature.
•A concept map is a graphical representation
of knowledge.
•Users create picture that demonstrates the
complexity of issues, thoughts, ideas, or
concepts.
•Concept maps were developed in 1972, by
Novak.
Why use a concept map?
• Visual spatial strategy
• Completed individually or collaboratively
• Partially filled out by student – completely filled
out by students
• Promotes shared sense of power
• Positively impacts achievement
• Allows students to take control over learning
• Promotes deep and meaningful learning
Sturm (2002) indicated
that students with
learning disabilities
wrote better essays after
learning how to create a
concept map.
Examples of Concept Mapping
Current Research
• Wendy Guthrie
• Cohort 2006 – Educational Psychology
A concept map is
intended to externalize
an individual’s cognitive
structure (Freeman & Jessup, 2004).
Current Research
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Kinchin, I.
Brown, D. (2000)
Canas, A, Ford, K, Novak, J. & Hayes, P. (2001)
Chang, K., Sung, Y., & Chen, I. (2006)
Cheung, L. S. (2006)
De Simone, C. (2007)
Freeman, L. A., & Jessup, L. M. (2004)
Güvenç, H., & Açikgöz, K. (2007)
Harpaz, I., Balik, C., & Ehrenfeld, M. (2004)
Hsu, L. (2004).
McLay, M., & Brown, M. (2003).
Sturm, J. M., & Rankin-Erickson, J. L. (2002)
Tergan, S., Graber, W. & Neumann, A. (2006)
Torp, L. (2002).
van Boxtel, C., van der Linden, J., Roelofs, E., & Erkens,
G. Zanting, A., Verloop, N., & Vermunt, J. D. (2003).
Gleanings from the Research
• effectiveness of concept mapping
for students.
• maps with some info completed by
the teacher are more effective
• complete concept mapping by
students may be too difficult
• thorough training is the key to
effective use of concept mapping
Ideas for future exploration in
Concept Mapping
• More studies with Elementary students and learning
level
• Extend training of how to do a concept map
• Test using concept mapping in distance education
• Consider cognitive styles of learners and concept
mapping
• Grading concept maps as an assessment
• What is the optimal class size to make effective use
of concept mapping?
More ideas for future exploration in
Concept Mapping
• Creating a Model for Teaching Concept Maps
• Study the Transfer of developing a concept maps to
other classes
• Using concept maps as assessments for book reports
• Training for Teachers to better utilize concept
mapping.
The process of creating
and using the map is as
important as the content
of the map (Freeman & Jessup, 2004).
Validity and Reliability
• Elizabeth Honaker
• 2007 Cohort – Character Education
Analysis/Criteria
Ruiz-Primo, Nelson,
Li, & Schultz (2001)
McLay & Brown
(2003)
Graff (2005)
Template concept Cognitive Style
Verbalization
Validity/
map
Index has reliability
recorded
&
reliability
included;
but was not
noted by
extensive
addressed. Survey
of
evaluation of each
researcher; 3 participant’s
did not
instrumentation types of
responses and
demonstrate
changes reliability or
mapping techn
brand new
Threats of
internal/
external
validity
Size of sample group mentioned;
“selection of mapping techniques not as complete as it
6-month delay between 1st
could have been”;
& 2nd steps of project
No Control group
validity
Study took
place at one
location
Overall Analysis Appropriateness
• Clarrissa Freshwater
• Cohort 2005 – Educational Psychology
The Research Study
• Laurie O. Campbell
• Cohort 2005 – Educational Psychology
Research Problem
Teachers do not know how to use
concept maps as an effective
strategy because of lack of training.
Furthermore it is unknown how
much training time a teacher
actually needs to effectively learn
how to create an effective concept
map.
Dependent Variables/Independent
Variables
• Independent variable – Teacher training (3
levels) (1 week, 2 weeks, 3 weeks)
• Differences
• Dependent variable – instructor’s rubric of
concept map – the rubric will contain
numbers that will correlate with each
category.
Target Population/Sampling
Technique
• Pre-service education major in
their 4th year of college (prior to
student teaching).
Threats and Controls
• Threats – students discussing the treatment
with each other – compensatory rivalry
• Controlled sign a pledge if one college
• Threats – students practicing at home
• Only done in class for the time period
• Sample size – could be small
• Strive for 90 – (30 in each group)
Internal and External Validity
• Internal Validity
• One professor teach
all students if
conducted at one
university.
• Have students sign
a pledge
• Times of classes
• Mortality – 3 weeks
should not lose
many
• External Validity
• Try to use more
than one University.
Intervention Fidelity
• Treatment Integrity – Will be addressed by
one instructor at one school or each school
Reliability and Validity of
Instrumentation
• Send the rubric (instrument) to several
educational psychologist to evaluate
• Revise the rubric accordingly
Quantitative and/or Qualitative
Methods used to analyze the data
• Quantitative methods will be
employed
• A number will be assigned to
each category being evaluated.
• The means per group will be
evaluated.
• ANOVA
Expected Results
• We expect that week 3 will demonstrate a higher
level of concept mapping and more in-depth map
that demonstrates critical thinking.
• We expect to evaluate the mean samples from each
group over several weeks to determine how much
training to teach concept mapping. (The one
week, two week, and three week groups will
produces an in-depth map that will be compared
against the rubric.
• The theoretical frameworks underpinning
concept mappings are the works of Ausbel’s
Assimilation Theory, Deese’s Association
Theory, (Freeman & Jessup, 2004) and the
constructivist approach to learning (Tergan,
Gruber & Neumann, 2006).
The active process of
developing a concept
map moves students
from being passive to
active learners (Clayton,
2006). Concept
mapping promotes the
development of a deep
level of integrative
knowledge.