Concept Maps and Assessment

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Concept Maps and Assessment
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Importance of Concept Maps

• Based on cognitive research.
• Measures content differently from objective
  exams.
• Naive conceptions (mis-conceptions) are extremely
  valuable.

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Map Task Options

• Students fill in a map.
• Teacher provides seed concepts.
• Students construct map from scratch.
• Rate relatedness of concept pairs.
• Provided with concepts.
• Provided with links.
• Collaborative construction.
• Students use multiple labeled links.

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Map Response Options

• Paper and pencil.
• Oral
• Computer (Inspiration)

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Map Scoring Options

• Scoring map components.
• Propositions (number of valid propositions,
  relation between concepts, direction of arrow,
  amount of branching, number of cross-links)
• Hierarchy levels
• Examples (number of examples of a specific
  concept)
• Use of criterion / expert comparison map.
• Combination of criterion / expert map and scoring
  map components.
• Holistic scoring.
• Teacher uses expert map to score student essay
  questions.

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Concept Map Assessment Structure

• Pre-map ? instruction (analysis of
  mis-conceptions)
• Instruction ? post-map (summative assessment)
• Pre-map ? instruction ? post-map (showing
  cognitive growth)

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References

• http//cresst96.cse.ucla.edu/CRESST/Reports/TECH43
  6.pdf
• http//www.clab.edc.uoc.gr/hy302/papers/concept_ma
  p_assesment.pdf
• http//cresst96.cse.ucla.edu/CRESST/Reports/TECH45
  5.pdf
• http//cresst96.cse.ucla.edu/CRESST/Reports/TECH38
  8.pdf
• Novak, J. D., Gowin, D. B., Learning How to
  Learn. 1984.