Topic: Effectiveness of Concept Mapping
(
Mar 2008 ).
Learning
About Seasons in a Technologically Enhanced Environment: The Impact of
Teacher-Guided and Student Centered Instructional Approaches on the Process of
Students' Conceptual Change.
Science Education,
v92 n2,
320-344.
Summary: This paper outlines research
designed to compare the efficacy of a technology-enhanced learning (TEL) course
using two separate approaches to presentation of the material. One group was
designated the teacher-guided (TG) class and the other the student-centered (SC)
class. The TG class used whole class presentation methodology and the SC used
individual online learning. The study groups were two classes of second year
high school students in Taiwan. The Content Material centered on learning the
reasons for natural seasonal progression. One technique the researchers used to
assess performance measures was concept mapping. They established the rubric for
their concept mapping activity using the rules suggested by Novak and Gowen
(Learning how to learn. Cambridge University Press, 1984), which include graded
comparisons of the student’s maps with a pre-derived expert’s map. In addition,
each student drew a ‘pre-concept’ map to judge “alternative conceptions”, and
these were used as a further basis of comparison in the two post informational
sections. The author gives a very detailed explanation of the map grading scale.
Identities of the students were anonymous for purposes of measurement and
analyses. Analyses included tablature and graphic representations of the data
including: Frequency Analysis of Student’ Conception Types, and Profile Plots
comparing the two groups. There are also several individual case studies
presented by way of illustration. The results strongly suggest that, in the TEL
context, the SC approach was much more effective that the TG in both correcting
pre-session “alternative conceptions” and in effective retention of
scientifically valid material and principles. The paper includes several
appendices relevant to the discussion including screen shots of the online
sessions, and an example of the scoring of the students’ concept maps.
Reaction: This is a very well written
and presented research project which does a good job of introducing the
conceptual framework from which the study proceeds, setting up the basic
structure of the experiment, and presenting the results, analyses and
conclusions. Tables are very good. Some figures are interesting and appropriate,
but a bit opaque. They need a considerable amount of focus to really get a full
appreciation of the information presented. I think they may have been able to
come up with more assessable figures. The statistics are robust and appropriate
(MANOVA) and the discussion of the results is consistent and straight forward.
Stats are probably a little deep for most, but the discussion and conclusions
should be easily transferable to application for those interested in using
concept mapping as an assessment-of-learning tool.