I just wanted to gauge how much experience others have with concept mapping and whether or not they have a positive or negative attitude towards them. I have had a lot of exposure to concept maps in my earth and space science class in high school and my science methods course as an undergraduate. I like how they can keep what you learned organized and can show relationships between concepts.
However, this was only my second time attempting to make a concept map on a computer. The first computerized one I made I used PowerPoint. I found that to be somewhat cumbersome and preferred making concept maps the old fashion way with pen and paper. This time I tried a new software Inspiration 9. I found it to be pretty user friendly. I am highly considering purchasing the software for my own personal use and studying.
Anyone find another software for concept mapping that they liked?
I too find it quicker and easier to make concept maps with pencil and paper.
ReplyDeleteI've never been a large fan of standard concept maps. I tend to do a lot of note-taking and drawing out of relationships between ideas. In science classes I always drew out and labeled diagrams as a way of engaging myself in figuring out what was going on, especially in courses where much of the content could be conveyed through labeled diagrams. Think of much of geology, especially structural geology, the rock cycle, relative age relationship diagrams, structure of the earth and plate tectonics, and much more. Same with meteorology.
However, after reading the Novak article, I am beginning to appreciate that concept maps have a lot going for them. Preparing them certainly forces one to think about what the essential relationships are - to identify them - in a given domain.
Concept maps could be useful before starting a unit. Brainstorm ideas with the class. Write ideas on the board. Have students work in groups to create simple concept maps including some of the brainstormed ideas. Give students automatic ten points (or however many fits) for the maps. Retain them. Teach most of the unit. Return the concept maps, and have them draw up new ones. Collect both sets back, and analyze the gains in knowledge, the continuing problems and misconceptions, etc. Then create a summary set of concept maps for problematic concept domains or for major concepts that absolutely have to be understood by everyone (and might not be understood by all) for students to fill out as homework and as review. Collect, score, and return, going over anything necessary.
In today's world, having professional-looking worksheets, lab instruction sheets, tests, etc. is essential. So, ultimately, if we are going to create concept maps for use in classes we teach, we are going to have to make concept maps with professional tools on computers. And that means trying out a bunch of programs and finding something that fits our needs.
I played around a bit with CmapTools but ended up making a concept map on the role of water in weathering.
Hmm...pasting did not work right on that last sentence, which might better read:
Delete"I played around a bit with CmapTools but ended up making a concept map with PowerPoint on the role of water in weathering.
Actually, I made the map in pieces on large PowerPoint slides (11x17), then copied the pieces into place on a single large slide. Then grouped the pieces, copied them, opened them with Photoshop Elements, created jpgs for the student and teacher versions, and then inseted them into a WORD document, which I then saved as a pdf.
It might have been easier to just use CmapTools. I guess I need to try Inspiration, since several in the class seem to like it.
I like your idea about having students work in groups to generate concept maps. Great idea!
DeleteI also used Inspiration for this assignment, and I thought it was extremely easy to use. I can see how powerpoint would be way more difficult to use. I am going to be teaching physics, so I'm not sure how often I would be able to use concept maps. However, if I do want to use them, this software is probably what I will use (unless I find a free software that is just as easy).
ReplyDeleteConcept maps are a very easy way to show the relationships between different concepts and ideas. This is a good activity for the students to do in order to grasp concepts they may be struggling with.
I would think that taking a look at Hewitt's Conceptual Physics text would allow you to see how a minimally mathematical approach to physics allows one to figure out ways to usefully employ conceptual maps in teaching physics.
DeleteI recall not having a good enough math background when I first tried to learn some physics (many, many years ago). Conceptual physics helped a lot in bridging me to the point where the math made a lot more sense.
Also, I have heard instructors recommend looking at such books, because they make you step back and think what it all means, in a rigorous but still conceptual way.
A big problem with traditional physics classes is that they so heavily base grades on solving math problems quickly, efficiently, and accurately, that an overall understanding of the physics often takes a back seat. Even A students who can solve any relevant physics problem can find themselves floundering when asked to put basic physics in laymens' type terms.
An amazing amount of even highly mathematical subjects can be expressed clearly in words, with relatively little overt mathematics....that is the lesson of conceptual physics....in my opinion.
I agree that math can be expressed in words, but I also feel that concept maps could actually combine both the words and the formulas.
DeleteIf while making the concept map the student can't see the relationship between certain concepts, this could indicate to students that they need to review those particular concepts further.
DeletePencil and paper would certainly be an easy way to get this done quickly. I also used Inspiration, and was very pleased at how quickly I could learn and use it.
ReplyDeleteWhen I was a senior in high school, I took a Modern Physics course. My teacher used concept maps, but had us create our own from scratch rather than providing an outline and a wordbank. We did this at the completion of each unit. This helped each of us form our own connections between concepts, and we shared our maps with the rest of the class. In this way, we could learn multiple ways to make these connections, which helped to deepen our understanding. I thought it was a really neat process.
I actually think that concept maps are optimal when the student creates them on their own. It allows them to think about how concepts fit together and it contributes to deeper learning unlike just filling in the blanks on an outlined version. Just as you said that you made them at the end of the unit, I believe this serves as a great way to review the material.
DeleteI would say that I am selectively a big fan of concept maps. I made a brief one about astronomy because those topics have very clear classifications and connections. I left out some obvious connections that I could have made though because I did not want it to become visually overwhelming. I think when concept maps try to do to much they only serve as a deterrent in the form of a handout.
ReplyDeleteThe use of concept maps can be extend though, if used in the way Lagrange88 described. As an assignment where students make the map from scratch using only a word bank. I actually did a similar assignment when I took physics that was very helpful to my own learning. Personally I thought the Novak example of "Seasons" to be too much as a handout, it looks cluttered and loses the point, but as an assignment it could help students break away from rote learning and form their own, and therefore more meaningful, connections.
I think as an guided assignment concept maps can be very helpful for students, but if left as a handout I feel it can often do more harm than good by overwhelming the student with information.
I'm also a big fan of concepts maps, whether they are paper and pencil or generated by software. I particularly like Inspiration. It seems to work like I think, which sometimes is not as apparent with other programs. I think the hardest part of making a concept map is coming up with the connecting phrases. This requires quite a bit of thought on the student's part to succinctly state the relationship between the concepts and/or descriptors. I usually have students quickly capture the concepts/processes and then go back and think about the relationships. Most of the time, this leads to a rearrangement of the concepts. Students have a chance to think about how the concepts/processes are linked and are able to look at them in various ways.
ReplyDelete