Effectiveness of Concept Mapping
Brown, D.S.2003. High School Biology: A Group Approach to Concept Mapping, The American Biology Teacher, 65, 192-197.
Summary: A concept map is a visual representation of students' prior knowledge and conceptual understanding. For successful learning to occur, a student needs to take possession of what is already known, find a relationship between each concept, and restructure the original concept, including new terms and understanding. Concept mapping allows students to visually recognize their understanding of a topic. According to studies, constructing a concept map while in a small group can enhance the learning process. Peer collaboration allows students to teach each other, while reinforcing their knowledge. Concept maps generated in such a setting results in social interaction guided by education. Combined knowledge allows teaching and learning to be exhibited.
Reaction: Concept maps are an effective method to be used for teaching and learning. They allow students to visually display their understanding of topics. Mapping allows students and teachers to know the breadth of understanding of specific topics. In small groups, the learning process takes shape through social interaction in an reinforcing environment. Students bounce ideas and knowledge off each other, in the process, teaching and learning. Concept mapping should be utilized to its full potential in classroom settings. Whether completed as individuals or in small groups, they are effective tools for learning and reinforcement of knowledge of topics.