Refining Concept Maps as Method to Assess Learning Outcomes Among Engineering Students

摘要

Concept mapping activities have been used extensively in over 500 educational research projects with the goal of developing curricula, assessment, and testing knowledge acquisition. This suite of methods, many shared among ASEE members, are proven to perform in a variety of settings and learning communities. Concept maps (CMs) are most often used to link course learning goals to individual student's knowledge integration of course material, especially where there are defined concepts and linkages between concepts that should be replicable by the students. By design, CMs also offer flexibility for students to explore the relationships between course and lived experiences, offering assessment opportunities to determine what students bring into a course and what they take with them as they progress through the curriculum. Further, concept mapping is widely accepted as encouraging improved learning experiences in comparison to, or in conjunction with, traditional teaching methods.