Meaningful Learning Research Group Publications
Welcome to the Meaningful Learning Forum. This is the publication of the Meaningful Learning Research Group. This page contains the bibliographic information for the first issue, as well as the common ground file for the issue itself.
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Macintosh File Name: MLF1
Release Date: 11-25-1996 A
Publisher: Meaningful Learning Research Group
Publisher Location: Santa Cruz, CA
Volume Name: Meaningful Learning Forum
Volume Number: 1
Publication Year: 1996
Editor: Robert Abrams
Note Bene: This publication represents a great deal of work on the part of the individual authors, as well as the publisher. Please respect the authors by properly citing the work if you refer to it, and by purchasing a subscription so that we can continue to support the authors who support you.
Abstract: Some 25 sophomore engineering students were observed during two semesters regarding the kind of mental representations they used when solving problems and questions proposed as instructional tasks, particularly concerning the concept of field in the domain of electromagnetism. Using Johnson-Lairdıs theory - according to which there are three major kinds of such representations: images, propositions, and mental models - as conceptual framework and various kinds of records of events, including concept maps, it was possible to distinguish among students who worked only with propositional representations not integrated in a model, those who developed some sort of mental model for the concept of electromagnetic field, and the ones who constructed mental models which closely corresponded to the expertsı models. The quantitative data analysis has shown a significant correlation between the variables model and concept mapping. In this paper we focus on this correlation and suggest that concept mapping can be used as a tool for investigating mental representations as defined by Johnson-Laird. Some examples are provided to make our point.
Keywords: Concept Mapping, Mental representations, Mental modeling
General School Subject: Physics
Specific School Subject: Electricity and Magnetism
Students: College, Sophomore, Engineering
Macintosh File Name: MLF1
Release Date: 6-10-97 B
Publisher: Meaningful Learning Research Group
Publisher Location: Santa Cruz, CA
Volume Name: Meaningful Learning Forum
Volume Number: 1
Publication Year: 1996
Editor: Robert Abrams
Abstract: As teachers we should look for instructional routines to help students learn how to learn. We can direct our teaching to develop ways of helping students take responsibility over their own learning. In order to achieve this, there must be a shift in emphasis, that is, from a concentration on instruction aimed at improving students' performance to an emphasis on one that is aimed at students' self-control and self-awareness of their learning processes (Brown at al., 1981, p.14).
Keywords: Meaningful learning, concept mapping, EFL
General School Subject: British literature, EFL
Specific School Subject: Shakespeare's plays
Students: College students
Macintosh File Name: MLF1
Release Date: 6-10-1997 B
Publisher: Meaningful Learning Research Group
Publisher Location: Santa Cruz, CA
Volume Name: Meaningful Learning Forum
Volume Number: 1
Publication Year: 1996
Editor: Robert Abrams
Note Bene: This publication represents a great deal of work on the part of the individual authors, as well as the publisher. Please respect the authors by properly citing the work if you refer to it, and by purchasing a subscription so that we can continue to support the authors who support you.
Abstract: In this work, a teaching experience in a physics course at secondary level (studentıs age 15-16) is described. The aim was to implement a design of instruction based on the meaningful learning theory. In a previous study we have tried to introduce concept mapping to improve the studentsı performance in problem solving. Although in that occasion we concluded that concept mapping as isolated strategy does not lead to significant change in the ability to solve problems, its implementation triggered off changes in other curriculumıs variables. On the basis of this result, the design of this course was conceived including concept mapping in all possible activities (teacherıs as well as studentıs activities). We used conceptual maps to organize the different topics, text readings, concept introduction and integration, and evaluation. We paid special attention to the five elements of education proposed by Novak, that is: learner, teacher, knowledge, context and evaluation.
Keywords: Meaningful learning, concept mapping, instructional design
General School Subject: Physics
Specific School Subject: Mechanics
Students: High school, Females
Macintosh File Name: MLF1
Release Date: 6-10-1997 B
Publisher: Meaningful Learning Research Group
Publisher Location: Santa Cruz, CA
Volume Name: Meaningful Learning Forum
Volume Number: 1
Publication Year: 1996
Editor: Robert Abrams
Note Bene: This publication represents a great deal of work on the part of the individual authors, as well as the publisher. Please respect the authors by properly citing the work if you refer to it, and by purchasing a subscription so that we continue to support the authors who support you.
Abstract: This study attempted to examine the relationship between concept mapping and course grade in a second year cell biology course at Langara College. After the introduction of the technique of concept mapping in the first session, students were to complete a total of seven maps corresponding to the seven major content areas of the course. Each concept map was constructed in class after the completion of a topic and before advancement into the proceeding topic. Students were allowed 10 minutes to complete a concept map. With an initial sample size of 25 students, 4 withdrew, reducing the number of subjects to N=21. At the completion of the course, all concept maps from all students were collected and rated with respect to number of relevant concepts cited as well as numbers of meaningful semantic connections made. A correlational analysis between course grades and concept mapping scores (number of concepts generated and numbers of meaningful connections made) found a moderate linear (r=.54) relationship. Observations of the concept maps themselves did show that students with higher marks tended to produce more relevant concepts as well as make more meaningful semantic links between those concepts than students with lower marks. Two students modified their concept maps to resemble diagrams in order to facilitate their learning. The paper ends with suggestions to explore the nature of concept maps incorporating pictures and diagrams. Suggestions for future studies exploring the relationship between concept mapping and course grade include (1) increase in sample size to at least N=30 (2) use of questionnaires and interviews with students in order to record their affective impressions with respect to concept mapping (3) examination of the relationship of concept mapping with other study skills strategies such as time management and the combined effect of these on course achievement.
Keywords:
General School Subject:
Specific School Subject:
Students:
Macintosh File Name: MLF1
Release Date: 11-25-1996 A
Publisher: Meaningful Learning Research Group
Publisher Location: Santa Cruz, CA
Volume Name: Meaningful Learning Forum
Volume Number: 1
Publication Year: 1996
Editor: Robert Abrams
Note Bene: This publication represents a great deal of work on the part of the individual authors, as well as the publisher. Please respect the authors by properly citing the work if you refer to it, and by purchasing a subscription so that we can continue to support the authors who support you.
Meaningful Learning Research Group Publications
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