Bridging
the gap between students’ learning styles and teachers’ teaching styles will be
a powerful means to guide students toward successful learning. Then, teaching
students learning strategies should not be neglected. Educational researchers
and theoreticians (modules concept,
Center for Instructional Innovation,
retrieved, Jan 2010) believed that applying teaching learning solution causes
significant improvement in learning and they further also said that “ focusing
on and teaches the learners how to learn strategies”. Applying this philosophy
facilitates critical thinking in learning that is one major aim of education. Reaching this
aim of course would need re-designing of the education, by applying new
teaching methods Reading strategies have always been important in
teaching- and learning-strategy studies. The use of the
strategy would lead to greater sensitivity to the language learning process on
the part of students and would make students to be more independent, to be
critical thinkers, and to be lifelong learners. To accomplish the importance of
applying teaching strategy, Nunan (1999) stated that learning strategies are
the mental and communicative procedures learners use in order to learn and to
use language. Grabe (1991) describes reading which is seen as an active process
of comprehending [where] students need to be taught strategies to read more
efficiently (e. g., guess from context, define expectations, make inferences
about the text, skim ahead to fill in the context, etc. (p. 377)
There
are a lot of strategies could be implemented on teaching reading subject, and among
the numerous reading strategies, concept map and or mind map strategy is one of
the approaches that can be applied.
1.
CONCEPT
MAPS
Concept
maps are tools for organizing and representing knowledge. They include
concepts; usually it is represented in circles or boxes of some types, and
relationships between concepts or propositions, indicated by a connecting line
between two concepts. Words on these lines can be used to specify the nature of
the relationships between different concepts. (DFID – an on line article, retrieved
Jan, 2010)
According to the
on line article from DFID, retrieved Jan, 2010) concept mapping can be used for a number of different purposes :
• to generate ideas (e.g. brain storming)
• to design a complex structure
• to communicate complex ideas
• to illustrate the relationships
between different components or processes
• to aid learning by explicitly
integrating new and old knowledge
• to assess understanding
• or diagnose misunderstanding
Concept maps are powerful
instruments that support significant learning and help long time retention of
the information in students’ memories. Concept map is a two-dimensional and
schematic instrument that represents a set of hidden meanings
2.1 THE BACKGROUND OF CONCEPT MAPPING
The concept mapping technique was
originally developed by Prof. Joseph D. Novak at Cornell University
in the 1960s. This work was based on the theories of David Ausubel, who
stressed the importance of prior knowledge in being able to learn about new
concepts. Novak concluded that "Meaningful learning involves the
assimilation of new concepts and propositions into existing cognitive
structures".
An important
characteristic of concept maps is the inclusion of "cross-links."
These are relationships between concepts or ideas in different parts of the
concept map. These cross-links help us to visualize how knowledge or
information represented in different parts of the map is related to each other.
In the creation of new knowledge, the creations of cross-links often represent
creative leaps on the part of the knowledge producer.
Concept maps have
been used in a wide variety of different disciplines including education,
policy studies, the philosophy of science language, sociology, psychology etc.
(Campstools’ web site, retrieved, Jan, 2010). Concept maps provide a visual
representation of knowledge structures and arguments. They provide a
complementary alternative to natural language as a means of communicating
knowledge (Novak et.al,1993) .
2.2 CREATING
CONCEPT MAPS
A concept map can be considered as
being similar to an organization chart or a flow diagram. The most useful form
of a concept map for both teaching and learning is one that has a hierarchical
organization with the more general and more inclusive concepts at the top of
the map and the more and specific ones towards the bottom. One can also start
in the centre and work outwards.
Concepts do not exist in isolation.
Each concept depends on one or more relationships to others. A concept map
depicts both the hierarchy and relationships among concepts. It demands clarity
of meaning and integration of important details. The process of constructing a
concept map requires one to think in multiple directions and to switch back and
forth between different levels. In attempting to identify the key and
associated concepts of a particular topic or sub-topic, one will usually
acquire a deeper understanding of the topic and clarification of any prior
misconceptions. To the user of a concept map, this ability to switch between
different levels and between different concepts or ideas represents an
important advantage over more traditional "flat" mechanisms of
presenting information. One is made aware of both the complexity and the
detail, and it is less easy to "forget" about important aspects of a
particular problem, perhaps because it is not within the user's main field of
expertise.
One big advantage of using concept
maps is that it provides a visual image of the concepts under study in a form
which can be focused on very easily. They can be relatively easily be revised
when required. During the formulation process the concept map brings together
the understanding of the meanings and relationships between a wide range of
ideas. It therefore makes learning or communicating ideas and new information
in more active process, not a passive one.
2.2.1 Steps in
Constructing Concept Maps
- Select or focus on a theme and then identify related key words or phrases. What is the central word, concept, question or problem around which to build your diagram or concept map? What are the concepts, ideas, descriptive words or important questions that you can associate with the main concept, topic, question or problem?
- Rank the concepts (key words) from the most abstract and inclusive to the most concrete and specific.
- Cluster concepts that function at similar level of abstraction and those that interrelate closely.
- Arrange concepts in a diagrammatic representation.
- Add linking lines and where appropriate label lines with a qualifying word or phrase.
- Groups of people can work together on a concept map - this is a good way to "brainstorm" a problem or idea
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