From Structural Representation to Meaning Reconstruction: A Framework for Kit-Build Concept Mapping
From Structural Representation to Meaning Reconstruction: A Framework for Kit-Build Concept Mapping Concept maps have long been used as a tool for externalizing learners’ knowledge structures and supporting meaningful learning (Novak & Gowin, 1984). In concept mapping, knowledge is represented as propositions composed of concepts and linking phrases, forming a graphical network that visualizes relationships among concepts. Because of this graphical representation, concept maps have frequently been used as an assessment tool for diagnosing learners’ conceptual understanding. However, previous research has repeatedly pointed out a fundamental limitation of concept map assessment. The graph structure of a concept map does not necessarily correspond to the learner’s knowledge understanding (Ruiz-Primo & Shavelson, 1996; Nesbit & Adesope, 2006). Structural characteristics such as the number of links, hierarchical depth, and cross-links capture properties of the graphical re...