Assessment Using Concept Mapping

What are Concept Maps?

A concept map is a diagram with hierarchical nodes, labeled with concepts. The nodes are linked together with directional lines and are arranged from general to specific. For more information on why and how to use concept maps, see Starting Point: Concept Maps.

For step-by-step instructions, further explanation and examples see Classroom Assessment Techniques: Concept Mapping

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• Concept Map Assessment Information Search our collection of concept map information. This link will take you to a listing of information about concept maps. You can browse the collection or search it using keywords.
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Geoscience Examples

• An Application of Concept Mapping for Instruction and Assessment (Acrobat (PDF) 111kB May10 05), Dave Dempsey, and Katherine O'Sullivan, San Francisco State University, poster from the Understanding What Our Geoscience Students Are Learning: Observing and Assessing Workshop.
• Assessing Student Knowledge about Global Climate Change Using Concept Maps (Acrobat (PDF) 728kB May10 05), Stacy Rebich and Catherine Gautier, University of California-Santa Barbara poster from the Understanding What Our Geoscience Students Are Learning: Observing and Assessing Workshop.
• The Role of E-Portfolios and Concept Maps in Outcome- and Assessment-Based Geoscience Curricula (Acrobat (PDF) 791kB May11 05), Daniel Murray, University of Rhode Island, poster from the Understanding What Our Geoscience Students Are Learning: Observing and Assessing Workshop.
• Geoscience Concept Map (Acrobat (PDF) 46kB May18 05), Aaron Yoshinobu, Dan Zalles, Christine Massey, Erin Klauk, Mimi Fuhrman, LeeAnn Srogi, Dan Murray, Scott Linneman, Jenelle Hopkins, Kaatje Kraft, Bob Filson, Bruce Herbert, This breakout group from the Observing and Assessing Student Learning Workshop drafted a geoscience strand map, to articulate an understanding within the geoscience community as to what common knowledge and skills are important for students to master by the end of a program (for majors) or an introductory geoscience course (for non-majors). An additional purpose for the map was to provide guidance for departments who are developing or designing curricula and courses.
  
  THE GEOSCIENCE CONCEPT CRYSTAL: A MAP TO FACILITATE DEVELOPMENT OF WELL-ALIGNED UNDERGRADUATE GEOSCIENCE CURRICULA AND ASSESSMENTSFUHRMAN, Miriam; SROGI, LeeAnn; KRAFT, Katrien J.; LINNEMAN, Scott; YOSHINOBU, Aaron S.; and ZALLES, Daniel. The group then reorganized and refined into a second strand map, called the Geoscience Concept Crystal (GCC).
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  The group envisions at least two important applications of the Geoscience Concept Crystal: 1. as a guide for curriculum and course development; and 2. the development and evaluation of assessments aligned with the map and therefore the most important knowledge and skills in geoscience.
  The group presented a paper and a poster at the 2005 GSA Meeting. Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs, Vol. 37, No. 7, p. 223 Earth as a System: a sample visual course map (Microsoft Word 230kB Nov17 05) Sample GCC Assessment Items (Microsoft Word 686kB Nov17 05) Concept Crystal Application in a large lecture setting (Microsoft Word 38kB Nov17 05) Geoscience Concept Crystal GSA Poster 1 (PowerPoint 87kB Nov17 05) Goscience Concept Crystal GSA Poster 2 (PowerPoint 40kB Nov17 05) 
   

Additional Resources

• Rebich, S. and C. Gautier, 2005, Concept Mapping to Reveal Prior Knowledge and Conceptual Change in a Mock Summit Course on Global Climate Change, Journal of Geoscience Education v. 53, n. 4, September, 2005, p. 355-365.
• Novak, J. D., & D. B. Gowin. (1984). Learning How to Learn. New York and Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press.
  Oft-referenced book on using concept maps in instruction. Important complement to references on using concept maps for assessment, because concept mapping has a (modest) learning curve and is best used for assessment if it is also used for instruction.
• Ruiz-Primo, M. and Shavelson, R. (1996). Problems and issues in the use of concept maps in science assessment. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 33 (6) 569-600.
  Perhaps the first significant analysis of the use of concept maps for assessment.