Concept Mapping

Concept Map

• A diagram showing the relationship between concepts.

• Concepts are connected by labeled arrows that describe the relationship between the concepts being linked.

• Gathers information about understanding of and attitudes about a subject or topic.

OCEAN

Creating a Concept Map

Step 1. Select a central concept

OCEAN

algae

coral reefs

mermaids

seagrass beds

sand

weather manatees

blue

fish

habitat

Creating a Concept Map

Step 2. Brainstorm secondary concepts

OCEAN

algae

coral reefs

mermaids

seagrass beds

sand

weather manatees

blue

fish

habitat

influences

eat

killshas

supports

live in

inspired bytransports

live in

provide food for

grow on

found in

look

s

can make you feel

live in

need

provides

Creating a Concept Map

Step 3. Describe the relationships between concepts by drawing arrows, and using linking words (propositions)

Advantages• Offers a more comprehensive and complex

view of someone’s thinking that a test does

• Could be a better tool to gauge levels of understanding for visual learners or test-phobic people

• Can gather qualitative and quantitative data

• Useful for both adults and children

Challenges

• Takes instruction to complete properly

• Takes training to administer

• Can be challenging and time consuming to score

• Can be difficult to analyze and interpret

Concept maps…

…many uses...many topics

…many approaches

…pictures/symbols

…capturing attitudes, beliefs, opinions

…lesson plans

Other examples…design tool

…communicating complex ideas

…planning

Scoring

• Structural assessment (quantitative)

• Relational assessment (qualitative)

Structural Assessment

• Appropriate if the user freely identified concepts that s/he felt were related to the subject

• Assigns weighted scores to the physical map characteristics: Number of concepts

Number of links

Number of hierarchical levels

Number of cross-links

Number of examples/informational links

Relational Assessment

• Appropriate if: the user freely identified concepts that s/he felt were related to

the subject

if the user was given a list of concepts to map

if the map was generated using a template or guide

• Quantifies the quality of concepts, links and propositions

• Compares user-generated map to an expert generated map

Resources

In the real world

Other examples

Resources

• http://www.socialresearchmethods.net/mapping/mapping.htm

• http://cmap.ihmc.us/conceptmap.html