Methods Aušra Fokienė, Anita Lanka, Eglė Stasiūnaitienė, Sandra Gudzuka, Alvars Baldinš, Jovita Gudaitytė, Vilma Šlentnerienė
Concept map Concept maps are used in research and classroom practice to reveal and assess the structure and complexity of knowledge held by learners in the sciences and other disciplines (Novak & Wandersee, 1990). A concept map is a two-dimensional, hierarchical node-link diagram that depicts the structure of knowledge within a scientific discipline as viewed by a student, an instructor or an expert in a field or sub-field. The map is composed of concept labels, each enclosed in a box or oval; a series of labelled linking lines, and an inclusive, general-to-specific organization. Concept maps in an educational context are visual representations of links between a major concept and other knowledge teachers have learned. Concept maps provide a useful and visually appealing way of depicting the structure of conceptual knowledge that people have stored in long-term memory. As a result, concept maps offer a readily accessible way of assessing how well learners see the ‘big picture’. A concept map is a graphical visualization of some domain of knowledge. More precisely, concept mapping is a technique to visualize relationships between different
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concepts. Concepts are drawn as nodes, (i.e. boxes) and the relationships are drawn with ‘arcs’ (i.e. arrowed lines show the direction of the relationship) between associated concepts. Concept mapping is a powerful tool for showing the linking between elements of knowledge. Concepts maps could perform a key role in developing strong performance assessments that ought to be designed to generate an assessment of how candidates develop their understanding and application of concepts. Concept maps are an excellent assessment method for providing assessors with diagnostic information on prior learning. Concept maps also provide immediate visual data to assessors on teachers` misconceptions and their level of understanding. Concept maps develop teachers’ abilities in certain critical areas. Among these are the abilities: to draw reasonable inferences from observations, to synthesize and integrate information and ideas, to learn concepts and theories in the subject area.