Concept Mapping

Concept mapping is a common visualization technique used in learning and communication in order to represent and structure knowledge. A concept map is a diagram that represents connections among concepts and ideas in a map-like structure. There are two key elements in any concept map:

• Concepts: A concept or idea enclosed by a box or circle (or other shapes).
• Connectors: A line connecting any two concepts/ideas with short phrase describing the connection. The connector may be directed (with arrows) or non-directed (no arrows).

Some popular concept mapping tools in science classrooms include Inspiration or its variations and IHMC Cmap. Today we are going to learn how to use the concept mapping tool in iKOS. Follow the tutorial on how to draw concept maps in iKOS and complete the following:

• Create a concept map on a particular Disciplinary Core Idea (DCI) at the level of your interest. When create the concept map, develop a reasonable color / shape scheme you can use to distinguish different types of concepts/ideas to help better visualize the map.
• Design an assessment task that employs concept mapping on this DCI. When develop your assessment task, consider the following questions: What information do you provide for the assessment item (e.g., a list of preselected words, a provided structure)? How do you score students’ concept maps? How do you use this assessment (pretest? posttest? In-class activity?)? Are you able to diagnose students' misconceptions from their concept maps? Share your assessment task on the Wiki mode in iKOS.