Enhancing Learning with Concept Mapping

1. Concept Mapping Mara Alagic

2. How Memory Works? • The brain stores information in memory sites by establishing structural links between synapses (connection between neurons or brain cells) • The number of branches that a neural process makes and the number and efficacy of synapses determine long term memory Mara Alagic: Concept Mapping

3. How Memory Works? (2) • Short term memory appears to be stored differently and in a variety of ways • It is believed that a familiar stimulus can set up "harmonics" of memory sites making connections to many other bits of stored information Mara Alagic: Concept Mapping

4. Structuring Information • Thinking is a complex process: thoughts may flow or leap or digress and return to the main idea again • If is difficult to follow the presentation if it is not structured so that we can make connections with previous knowledge Mara Alagic: Concept Mapping

5. Concept map • Concept mapping arose from Ausubel"s cognitive educational psychology • According to Ausubel, a given teaching strategy does not necessarily assure meaningful learning • Both the student’s background and learning approach determine a strategy’s effectiveness Mara Alagic: Concept Mapping

6. Graphic organizers or Concept Mapping or Mind Mapping? • Descriptive Concept Maphttp://www.graphic.org/desmap.html • Showing what we know: Numbers in the Environment http://www.curriculum.edu.au/download/lesspln/showing.htm Mara Alagic: Concept Mapping

7. Concept Map Development • The process of concept map development has a similarity to individual brain-storming • A logical sequence shown by the inter-connections of facts links the ideas in an hierarchical order Mara Alagic: Concept Mapping

8. Steps in Making a Concept Map (1) • Choose a topic/concept • Write down major terms/concepts about the topic • Identify the most general, intermediate, & specific concepts • Begin drawing the concept map • Concepts are circled • Place the most general concepts at the top/center • Place intermediate concepts below/next to general concepts • Put specific concepts on bottom/further Mara Alagic: Concept Mapping

9. Steps in Making a Concept Map (2) • Draw lines between related concepts • Label the lines with "linking words" to indicate how the concepts are related • Revise the map Mara Alagic: Concept Mapping

10. Concept Map: A Learning Tool Providing students with learning tools that integrate information helps learning: • taking notes • problem solving • planning study - as an organizer • preparing for examinations - identifies the integration of topics • planning essays or larger reports Mara Alagic: Concept Mapping

11. Graphic organizers or Concept Mapping or Mind Mapping? • Descriptive Concept Maphttp://www.graphic.org/desmap.html • The Concept Mapping Homepagehttp://www.to.utwente.nl/user/ism/lanzing/cm_home.htm • Inspirationhttp://www.engagingminds.com/inspiration/ Mara Alagic: Concept Mapping

12. Why Concept Maps? • Teaching and learning with concept maps utilizes visual and organizational features of the mind, to improve learning and confidence. • It takes time to develop a map; speed comes with experience. Reference: Novak, J. D, and Gowin, D. Bob, Learning how to learn, New York, Cambridge University Press, 1984. Mara Alagic: Concept Mapping

13. Concept Mapping and Curriculum Design • http://www.utc.edu/Teaching-Resource-Center/concepts.html#curriculum Mara Alagic: Concept Mapping

14. Mara Alagic: Concept Mapping