This study examines the specificity of information provided by structural assessment of knowledge (SAK). SAK is a technique which uses the Pathfinder scaling algorithm to transform ratings of concept relatedness into network representations (PFnets) of individuals' knowledge. Inferences about individuals' overall domain knowledge based on the…

Students (N=14) in a geomorphology course took an objective geomorphology test, the tree construction task, and the Standardized Concept Structuring Analysis Technique (SConSAT) version of concept mapping. Results suggest that the SConSAT knowledge structure dimensions have moderate to good construct validity. Contains 82 references. (DDR)

Transfer of training in the construction and use of knowledge maps to text comprehension was investigated. Knowledge maps (k-maps) are spatial/verbal arrays that represent information in the form of node-link diagrams. K-maps make the macrostructure of a body of information more easily available to the learner. Because k-maps emphasize…

Proposes a Web-based collaborative inquiry learning system and describes a study of undergraduates at the National Taiwan Normal University based on a model system that investigated students' learning processes. Discusses the use of concept maps to anchor and represent knowledge during the inquiry process. (Author/LRW)

This article provides an empirical evaluation of an indexing technology, topic maps (ISO 13250), in the context of an academic task in a higher education context. Topic maps are a form of indexing that define and display the interrelationships between various topics in a given domain, as well as anchor these topics to specific resources that help…

An alternative method of measuring the knowledge of students is to use mental models, and specifically concept maps. Concept maps provide a visual representation of conceptual and relationship knowledge within a particular domain. This study builds on previous studies and attempts to reduce their methodological weaknesses. Students in several…

This study of inservice and preservice teachers investigated group interaction processes in networked supported collaborative concept mapping and the influence these group interaction processes had upon group concept mapping performance. Results showed that group concept mapping performance was significantly correlated to the quantity of group…

A method to facilitate collaborative learning in complex learning environments was developed and evaluated. Sixteen college students of educational science were given the CoStructure-Tool, a task-specific computer-based tool developed on the basis of concept mapping techniques to support the processes of knowledge construction in collaborative…

Reports on preservice teachers' use of a concept-mapping tool to create/modify concept maps about science-related elementary curriculum-content knowledge. Data from interviews, journals, and analysis of the concept maps showed how the preservice teachers used the tool to construct their curriculum-content knowledge in the form of more powerful…

A study used concept maps to trace conceptual change in 30 preservice teachers enrolled in an introductory multicultural/special education course at Michigan State University. Results indicate significant quantitative and qualitative differences between pre- and post-measures. Students constructed post-concept maps that included more concepts,…

Describes a study that examined changes in the structural complexity of knowledge held by two groups of introductory college-level biology students (N=68, N=93). The subjects constructed concept maps at four-week intervals throughout the instructional term. Contains 49 references. (DDR)

Describes an innovation designed to capitalize on certain benefits of concept maps. Uses computer software with preservice teachers to enable them to construct concept maps that represent their own subject matter knowledge. Contains 21 references. (DDR)

This study examined the use of concept maps for Web-based applications in higher education. The purpose of the project was to design concept maps that could serve as prototypes for navigating and searching Internet resources. It also explored the value of concept mapping as a method of bibliographic retrieval for the ERIC database. Following an…

Speculates about reasons for the lack of use of concept mapping as an instructional strategy. Concludes that the two main barriers to its extensive adoption are the epistemological beliefs of classroom teachers and the underlying philosophy of the curriculum. (Contains 45 references.) (DDR)

Writers often must summarize others' texts as part of their own work. To succeed at this, they must first read and understand new information and then transform that information to fulfill a specific purpose. Concept mapping, used as a visual organizing technique, can be an effective link between the two processes. In a preliminary study, students…