Quantitative concept mapping in pulmonary physiology: comparison of student and faculty knowledge structures.

2000 ◽  
Vol 23 (1) ◽  
pp. S72-81 ◽  
Author(s):  
W C McGaghie ◽  
D R McCrimmon ◽  
G Mitchell ◽  
J A Thompson ◽  
M M Ravitch
Keyword(s):  
Concept Mapping ◽  
Concept Learning ◽  
Quantitative Research ◽  
Concept Maps ◽  
Knowledge Structures ◽  
Veterinary Students ◽  
Faculty Knowledge ◽  
Pulmonary Physiology ◽  
Qualitative Approaches ◽  
Student Instructor

Quantitative concept mapping, in contrast with qualitative approaches, is rigorous scientifically and permits statistical analyses of data about concept learning. This study extends past quantitative research on the structure of student concept learning in pulmonary physiology. Pathfinder scaling is used to derive concept maps for medical and veterinary students and their physiology instructors at Northwestern University and the University of Wisconsin, respectively. The concept maps are evaluated for coherence (internal consistency), student-instructor similarity, and correlation of similarity with final examination scores. Results show that student and instructor concept maps are coherent and that student concept maps become increasingly similar to instructors' concept maps from pre- to postinstruction, but that student-instructor concept map similarity does not correlate with examination performance. Research outcomes are discussed concerning possible sources of variation in student and faculty knowledge structures.

scholarly journals Editorial: Pedagogic frailty and concept mapping

2017 ◽  
pp. 254-260
Keyword(s):  
Concept Mapping ◽  
Concept Maps ◽  
Expert Knowledge ◽  
Explanatory Power ◽  
Frailty Model ◽  
Knowledge Structures ◽  
Special Issue ◽  
Mapping Tool ◽  
Expert Knowledge Structures ◽  
Influence Activities

The model of pedagogic frailty adds cohesion to consideration of the factors that impinge upon teaching at university and which may inhibit innovation. The model was developed through the examination of expert knowledge structures using concept maps. In this editorial, we summarise the pedagogic frailty model and explain its relationship to the concept mapping tool. We emphasise the need to use excellent concept maps (succinct maps with high explanatory power) for the development of theory and the exploration of the ‘yet-to-be-known’. We introduce the papers in this special issue that each consider pedagogic frailty and/or concept mapping from different perspectives. This illustrates the utility of the frailty model and how it connects to a variety of well-established bodies of research that influence activities within universities at all levels.

Using concept mapping to uncover students' knowledge structures of chemical bonding concepts

2015 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
pp. 53-66 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nikita L. Burrows ◽  
Suazette Reid Mooring
Keyword(s):  
Concept Mapping ◽  
Concept Maps ◽  
Concept Map ◽  
Covalent Bonding ◽  
Knowledge Structures ◽  
Think Aloud ◽  
Chemistry Curriculum ◽  
Covalent Bonds ◽  
Student Interviews ◽  
Chemical Concepts

General chemistry is the first undergraduate course in which students further develop their understanding of fundamental chemical concepts. Many of these fundamental topics highlight the numerous conceptual interconnections present in chemistry. However, many students possess incoherent knowledge structures regarding these topics. Therefore, effective assessments are needed to identify these interconnections. The use of concept-mapping and think-aloud interviews to investigate the knowledge structures of undergraduate organic chemistry students' regarding bonding concepts is the focus of this research study. Herein, we spotlight the bonding concepts of electronegativity and polar covalent bonds. In essence, the study found that understanding of electronegativity was weak among students with low concept map scores (LS students) compared to students with high concept map scores (HS students). Additionally, several common misconceptions of electronegativity were revealed through student interviews. An examination of LS student interviews further revealed that a lack of understanding of electronegativity led to a misunderstanding of polar covalent bonding. The think-aloud interviews were a reflection of the connections students made with the concepts of electronegativity and polar covalent bonding in their concept maps. Implications for the chemistry curriculum are also presented.

Explicit teaching of problem categorization using concept mapping, and an exploratory study of its effect on student achievement and on conceptual understanding – the case of chemical equilibrium problems

2021 ◽  
Vol 0 (0) ◽  
Author(s):  
Antonios Bakolis ◽  
Dimitrios Stamovlasis ◽  
Georgios Tsaparlis
Keyword(s):  
Student Achievement ◽  
Problem Solving ◽  
Concept Mapping ◽  
Conceptual Understanding ◽  
Chemical Equilibrium ◽  
Concept Maps ◽  
Equilibrium Problems ◽  
Solution Process ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Long Term Memory

Abstract A crucial step in problem solving is the retrieval of already learned schemata from long-term memory, a process which may be facilitated by categorization of the problem. The way knowledge is organized affects its availability, and, at the same time, it constitutes the important difference between experts and novices. The present study employed concept maps in a novel way, as a categorization tool for chemical equilibrium problems. The objective was to determine whether providing specific practice in problem categorization improves student achievement in problem solving and in conceptual understanding. Two groups of eleventh-grade students from two special private seminars in Corfu island, Greece, were used: the treatment group (N = 19) and the control group (N = 21). Results showed that the categorization helped students to improve their achievement, but the improvement was not always statistically significant. Students at lower (Piagetian) developmental level (in our sample, students at the transitional stage) had a larger improvement, which was statistically significant with a high effect size. Finally, Nakhleh’s categorization scheme, distinguishing algorithmic versus conceptual subproblems in the solution process, was studied. Dependency of problem solving on an organized knowledge base and the significance of concept mapping on student achievement were the conclusion.

scholarly journals The Synthesis Map Is a Multidimensional Educational Tool That Provides Insight into Students’ Mental Models and Promotes Students’ Synthetic Knowledge Generation

2015 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
pp. ar14 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ryan A. Ortega ◽  
Cynthia J. Brame
Keyword(s):  
Best Practices ◽  
Concept Mapping ◽  
Student Understanding ◽  
Knowledge Structures ◽  
Cognitive Domain ◽  
Knowledge Generation ◽  
Natural Evolution ◽  
Student Work ◽  
Presentation Software ◽  
Insight Into

Concept mapping was developed as a method of displaying and organizing hierarchical knowledge structures. Using the new, multidimensional presentation software Prezi, we have developed a new teaching technique designed to engage higher-level skills in the cognitive domain. This tool, synthesis mapping, is a natural evolution of concept mapping, which utilizes embedding to layer information within concepts. Prezi’s zooming user interface lets the author of the presentation use both depth as well as distance to show connections between data, ideas, and concepts. Students in the class Biology of Cancer created synthesis maps to illustrate their knowledge of tumorigenesis. Students used multiple organizational schemes to build their maps. We present an analysis of student work, placing special emphasis on organization within student maps and how the organization of knowledge structures in student maps can reveal strengths and weaknesses in student understanding or instruction. We also provide a discussion of best practices for instructors who would like to implement synthesis mapping in their classrooms.

scholarly journals A theoretical view on concept mapping

2011 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ray McAleese
Keyword(s):  
Concept Mapping ◽  
Concept Maps ◽  
Learning Activities ◽  
Theoretical View ◽  
Concept Representations

Auto-monitoring is the pivotal concept in understanding the operation of concept maps, which have been used to help learners make sense of their study and plan learning activities. Central to auto-monitoring is the idea of a 'learning arena' where individuals can manipulate concept representations and engage in the processes of checking, resolving and confirming understandings. The learner is assisted by familiar metaphors (for example, networks) and the possibility of thinking 'on action' while 'in action'. This paper discusses these concepts, and concludes by arguing that maps are part of the process of learning rather than a manifestation of learning itself. Auto-monitoring is suggested as an appropriate term to describe the process of engaging in the learning arena.DOI:10.1080/0968776940020105

scholarly journals Quantitative and Qualitative Approaches to Generalization and Replication–A Representationalist View

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matthias Borgstede ◽  
Marcel Scholz
Keyword(s):  
Qualitative Research ◽  
Boundary Conditions ◽  
Quantitative Research ◽  
Deductive Reasoning ◽  
Syntactic Structure ◽  
Inductive Reasoning ◽  
Statistical Testing ◽  
Bottom Up ◽  
Qualitative Approaches ◽  
Case Based

In this paper, we provide a re-interpretation of qualitative and quantitative modeling from a representationalist perspective. In this view, both approaches attempt to construct abstract representations of empirical relational structures. Whereas quantitative research uses variable-based models that abstract from individual cases, qualitative research favors case-based models that abstract from individual characteristics. Variable-based models are usually stated in the form of quantified sentences (scientific laws). This syntactic structure implies that sentences about individual cases are derived using deductive reasoning. In contrast, case-based models are usually stated using context-dependent existential sentences (qualitative statements). This syntactic structure implies that sentences about other cases are justifiable by inductive reasoning. We apply this representationalist perspective to the problems of generalization and replication. Using the analytical framework of modal logic, we argue that the modes of reasoning are often not only applied to the context that has been studied empirically, but also on a between-contexts level. Consequently, quantitative researchers mostly adhere to a top-down strategy of generalization, whereas qualitative researchers usually follow a bottom-up strategy of generalization. Depending on which strategy is employed, the role of replication attempts is very different. In deductive reasoning, replication attempts serve as empirical tests of the underlying theory. Therefore, failed replications imply a faulty theory. From an inductive perspective, however, replication attempts serve to explore the scope of the theory. Consequently, failed replications do not question the theory per se, but help to shape its boundary conditions. We conclude that quantitative research may benefit from a bottom-up generalization strategy as it is employed in most qualitative research programs. Inductive reasoning forces us to think about the boundary conditions of our theories and provides a framework for generalization beyond statistical testing. In this perspective, failed replications are just as informative as successful replications, because they help to explore the scope of our theories.

scholarly journals REPERTORY GRID ANALYSIS AND CONCEPT MAPPING: PROBLEMS AND ISSUES

2012 ◽  
Vol 48 (1) ◽  
pp. 91-106
Author(s):  
Thomas J.J. McCloughlin ◽  
Philip S. C. Matthews
Keyword(s):  
Concept Mapping ◽  
Concept Maps ◽  
Repertory Grid ◽  
Assessment Procedure ◽  
Research Needs ◽  
Traditional Concept ◽  
Grid Analysis ◽  
Common Structure ◽  
Living Things ◽  
Work Concept

'Repertory grid analysis' was used as a way of constructing representations of learners conceptions of living things; and finding a common structure or understanding; this was described in previous work. 'Concept mapping' has been stated as an appropriate assessment procedure in science curricula in a number of countries. Previous relevant published work describing the benefits of 'concept mapping' as a learning, teaching, and assessing tool is large. However, the existence of a large literature is not justification in itself, and in this work we provide a critique of the current literature. Problems with 'concept mapping' are simply ignored. However, it is thought that 'repertory grid analysis' does overcome some of the recognized problems of 'concept mapping' such as: i) comparison of concept maps between students or between students and educators: in repertory grid this becomes not only possible but a reliable method - this has proven to be one of the more problematic areas in traditional 'concept mapping'; ii) quantification of concept mapping - integer scoring of whole concept maps in 'repertory grid analysis' is eliminated since the arranged structure of the graph produced holds significance for the conceptual structure. More research needs to be done in repertory grid analysis and its implications and applications in curricular research have yet to be fully explored. Key words: concept mapping, conceptual frameworks, repertory grid analysis.

scholarly journals Analyzing the use of linking words in concept maps designed for pathophysiology learning in medicine

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nuno Neuparth ◽  
Marta Fonseca ◽  
Beatriz Oliveira ◽  
Inês Canha ◽  
Hélder Dores ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Concept Mapping ◽  
Concept Maps ◽  
Clinical Case ◽  
Visual Display ◽  
Rank Test ◽  
Clinical Vignettes ◽  
Signed Rank ◽  
Signed Rank Test ◽  
The Difference

Pathophysiology at NOVA Medical School adopted the concept mapping methodology to promote the visual display of pathophysiological reasoning and learning, based on clinical vignettes. The objective of this project is to identify and label the linking words, in order to study their role in the structure and organization of the concept maps constructed by the students. We used an adopted classification of linking words, categorized in 5 groups: dynamic, static, illustrative, definition and clinical case information. At the end of the semester the concept maps related to the respiratory (mid-semester) and endocrine systems (end of semester) were analyzed and compared. We found linking words not included in any of the five categories, thus a group named “other” has been created. Statistically significant differences were found in dynamic and “other” categories (p=0,049 and p= 0,011, respectively; Wilcoxon signed-rank test). The dynamic words were the most commonly used, probably reflecting students’ need to better describe pathophysiological mechanisms, and the difference found was probably due an improvement in the learning process and concept maps building technic. It would be interesting next year to conduct a more detailed analysis, increasing the sample and ensuring a more robust dataset. 

Use of concept mapping in an undergraduate introductory exercise physiology course

2012 ◽  
Vol 36 (3) ◽  
pp. 197-206 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kim Henige
Keyword(s):  
Blood Pressure ◽  
Student Success ◽  
Concept Mapping ◽  
Concept Maps ◽  
Exercise Physiology ◽  
Learning Opportunities ◽  
Acute Response ◽  
Acute Increase ◽  
Cardiorespiratory Endurance ◽  
Physiology Students

Physiology is often considered a challenging course for students. It is up to teachers to structure courses and create learning opportunities that will increase the chance of student success. In an undergraduate exercise physiology course, concept maps are assigned to help students actively process and organize information into manageable and meaningful chunks and to teach them to recognize the patterns and regularities of physiology. Students are first introduced to concept mapping with a commonly relatable nonphysiology concept and are then assigned a series of maps that become more and more complex. Students map the acute response to a drop in blood pressure, the causes of the acute increase in stroke volume during cardiorespiratory exercise, and the factors contributing to an increase in maximal O2 consumption with cardiorespiratory endurance training. In the process, students draw the integrative nature of physiology, identify causal relationships, and learn about general models and core principles of physiology.

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