EDUCATIONAL PSYCHOLOGY

Chapter 2, page 42

Concept

maps

One way to improve memory and understanding that has been studied extensively by researchers

is concept maps (refs xx). A concept map consists of nodes and links that capture key aspects of

what one has read or what one knows. Concept maps are like the semantic networks that you

have already learned about.

Constructing concept maps facilitates students’ learning. For example, if students construct

concept maps that capture the main ideas in textbook chapters, they learn more than if they just

read the chapter. Here is an example of a concept map that an upper elementary school student

might make after reading a section of a science textbook about mammals. In this example, the

student has used four different kinds of links to connect concepts: attributes, elaborations,

examples, and causes.

Comparing

and

contrasting

Comparing and contrasting is a way of connecting new material with old material. The learner

focuses on similarities and differences between new and old information. For instance, when

trying to learn about the French Revolution, compare events point by point with the more familiar

events of the American Revolution.

Analogies Analogies are connections between concepts or structures that are superficially dissimilar but

similar at a deeper level. For instance, a student learning about heat flow might notice some

points of analogy between heat flow and water flow. A student learning about cells might notice

that mitochondria in a cell are analogous to power plants in a town. Because analogies are rarely

perfect, it is often important for learners to notice dissimilarities as well as similarities (for

instance, water is a substance with mass and volume, but heat is not energy, not a material

substance). Of course, teachers often point out analogies to students, but students can also

productively generate analogies on their own.