ConclusionConclusionConcept Maps have their use and their place. They are in no way designed nor meant to be a replacement for current methods of assessment yet they provide a new perspective on established methods that can be mutually beneficial to the student and teacher.
The functionality of Concept Maps is not restricted to education. It has been used on corporate and commercial levels. Its versatility makes it extremely powerful and adaptable to virtually all areas of human endeavour. This, I believe, is due to a Concept Map's ability to simulate simple thought processes. We all think all the time and we think about everything. It follows that something that can represent or simulate thought can be applied to anything that requires thought.
By creating Concept Maps, one is creating a map of conceptual knowledge linked together with meaningful connections. In so doing, the mind is stimulated and can develop conceptual links that previously had been undeveloped. This allows for further development of knowledge and conceptual understanding. CMs do not create more knowledge but can establish current knowledge into a solid foundation of learning. It is a companion tool that is most useful when combined with other tools.
What has more 'traditional' methods got over new, alternative methods? Familiarity. They have been a part of the education system for many years and we all know what they involve and their intended results. They are taught to us in stages from the earliest years of school and become a integral part of school based education.
Here is a hypothetical situation. Let us consider an educational environment where one or more of the 'traditional' methods was previously unheard of, for example Multiple Choice. In reality it was not long ago when multiple choice was first introduced as a standardised method of assessment. What difficulties would there be in introducing multiple choice assessment into an education system which had previously relied upon the subjective written and verbal assessment methods? Would this challenge the established educational philosophies and require teachers to re-evaluate their teaching practices?
What about another environment where Essays had previously never been used? An environment that was so ingrained with extremely objective methods of marking. Students have become used to either getting it right or getting it wrong. Maybe rote learning is the result of this sort of environment, maybe not. What sort of reaction would we get when we try to introduce the concept of essay assessment, or portfolio assessment? Would it make a difference if we started with younger students as opposed to older students?
I myself have experimented extensively with Concept Mapping and have found incredible diversity and variation. I have prepared this article and an oral presentation. I have mapped muscles of the human body the skeletal system and developed study notes from these diagrams for students studying human biology. Through discussions with other teachers, I have found uses for CMs in Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, English, Languages, Art, Drama, Web Design, Medicine, Beauty Therapy, Social Studies, Environmental Studies and Economics.
My personal experiences through school left me with the impression that education was a continual process of learning new information. Those occasions I favourably recall were situations that assisted me to understand what I had learned. Far and few between these events were, it is moments where I truly understood a concept that allowed me to progress through my education. This understanding always came from being able to associate new knowledge with old and foundataion knowledge. New knowledge is recently taught and unfamiliar knowledge. Old knowledge is familiar knowledge but without clear meaning. Foundation knowledge consists of all the preconceptions and already understood knowledge one has accumulated.
If Concept Maps can truly aid in joining conceptual knowledge and thereby develop conceptual understanding then by using this tool in teaching, and encouraging students to use it in their studies from a very early age would ensure the conceptual development of foundation knowledge throughout their school life.
Concept Mapping will not replace other methods nor be entirely a method unto itself, yet it can assist the effectiveness and strength of these other methods incredibly. It is a tool for designing and planning conceptual thought processes. It develops thought patterns and can evaluate misconceptions. Concept Mapping does not test student learning, it aids it.
