Concept Mapping: Encouraging Holistic Learning in the College Classroom

Concept maps can be used both to introduce new material to students and provide learners with a hierarchically organized conceptual framework from which to link new with pre-existing knowledge. A primary instructional benefit of concept mapping is that it facilitates holistic understanding not always communicated as effectively by words alone. In this presentation, I will discuss concept-mapping classroom research and practice, with emphasis on my own work. Nearly a decade ago, I\u27d participated in an interdisciplinary pilot investigation of concept mapping that involved introductory courses in my teaching field (psychology) and biology. Since that time, I have expanded my use of this strategy in teaching numerous college classes in psychology and education. Based on these experiences, I will offer various pedagogical applications of concept mapping, along with evaluative criteria and a workable grading scheme. I will conclude with a hands-on, groups-based, interactive training module to sensitive participants across all college disciplines to the nuances of concept mapping as a heuristic tool