International Journal of Arts and Sciences 3(17): 97-103 (2010)

CD-ROM. ISSN: 1944-6934 © InternationalJournal.org

Visual Understanding through Knowledge Modeling Vincent Chee Wai Tang, Ngee Ann Secondary School, Singapore Joseph Chai Hong Teo, Ngee Ann Secondary School, Singapore Samuel Khim Ghee Ong, Ngee Ann Secondary School, Singapore Abstract: Ngee Ann Secondary School adopts the Teaching for Understanding (TfU) framework developed by Harvard Graduate School of Education. This article presents an action research that investigates visual understanding through construction of concept map-based knowledge models. This research involved 83 Secondary One students (aged 13) in the subject Design and Technology. New information and communication technologies (ICT) were embraced to engage the 21st century learners and to connect them to resources beyond the classroom. CmapTools V5.03 software developed by the Institute for Human and Machine Cognition (IHMC) was used as the concept mapping tool. From CmapTools, students actively sought and analyzed information on the World Wide Web. CmapTools software provided a network environment where students collaboratively constructed and published (on CmapServer) a visual knowledge model enriched with hypermedia resources. This student-centered visual learning environment was found to be effective in developing and demonstrating students’ understanding. Keywords: creative teaching, education, engaged learning, concept map

Introduction As reflective practitioners, we constantly strive to improve our teaching practice. We strive to creatively engage our 21st century learners and to teach for understanding. Ngee Ann Secondary School adopts the Teaching for Understanding (TfU) framework developed by Prof David Perkins and associates at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. The TfU framework guides learners to think, analyze, solve problems, and make meaning of what they have learned. This framework includes four elements: generative topics, understanding goals, performances of understanding, and ongoing assessment. We seek to embrace new information and communication technologies (ICT) to energize the learning process and to network the learners. We want to put our learners at the centre of the learning environment, where they are active information seekers and collaborative knowledge constructors. As part of our effort to achieve the above goals, we conducted an action research. We proposed and investigated a new visual understanding through knowledge modeling learning environment. Our action research seeks to answer two key questions: Will the proposed visual understanding through knowledge modeling learning environment be more effective in developing and demonstrating students’ understanding? Will the proposed technology enhanced learning environment be more effective in engaging our 21st century learners who are digital natives? Research on this new learning environment involved eighty-three Secondary One students (aged 13) in the subject Design and Technology for generative topic “Simple Machines: Making Difficult Work Easy”. The topic understanding goal in question form was “What are simple machines and how they help us in our everyday lives?” In sentence form, the

understanding goal was “students will understand and appreciate how simple machines can make work easier for man”.

Performances of Understanding Understanding goes beyond knowing. The conception of understanding as a performance rather than a mental state (Wiske, 1998) is the most fundamental idea of the TfU framework. Understanding a topic is defined as being able to perform flexibly with the topic, such as explaining, finding evidence or examples, generalizing, applying, analogizing, and representing the topic in new ways (Wiske, Franz & Breit, 2005). Performances of understanding are learning activities to help learners build and demonstrate their understanding. Performances of understanding make learners’ demonstrate publicly their understanding in a visible way (Blythe, 1998).

Concept Map-based Knowledge Modeling Prof Joseph Novak’s research at Cornell University into human learning and knowledge construction gave rise to a tool for visually organizing, representing and understanding knowledge called concept map (Novak & Musonda, 1991). Concepts are the primary element of knowledge, and are defined as “perceived regularities in events or objects, or records of events or objects, designated by a label” (Novak, 1998). A linking word or phrase is used to relate two concepts to form a meaningful proposition. A knowledge model is formed through a crossed-linked collection of concept maps and associated resources about a particular domain of knowledge (Canas, Hill & Lott, 2003). Knowledge modeling facilitates meaningful learning as contrasted with traditional rote learning (Novak & Gowin, 1984). In rote learning, students memorize information often without concern for relationships among concepts. In contrast, meaningful learning encourages students to develop and link new knowledge to their prior knowledge. Meaningful learning facilitates understanding as it makes students see the connections between what they learn in school and what they do outside of school.

Today, there are computer software programs that allow users to construct concept maps digitally. These programs allow users to integrate, organize and contextualize hypermedia resources in their learning. Such visual and audio representations allow for development of a holistic understanding that words alone cannot convey. Importantly, these programs facilitate cooperative learning by enabling online collaboration, sharing and critiquing. One example of such software program is Visual Understanding Environment (VUE), an open source project based at Tufts University. Another is CmapTools developed by the Institute for Human and Machine Cognition (IHMC), a research institute of the Florida University System, where Prof Joseph Novak also serves as a Senior Research Scientist. Both VUE and CmapTools software programs can be downloaded free from the Internet at http://vue.tufts.edu and http://cmap.ihmc.us respectively. This action research investigates visual understanding through concept map-based knowledge modeling as a performance of understanding.

Implementation The CmapTools V5.03 software developed by IHMC was used as the knowledge modeling tool for this action research. Emphasis was placed on implementing a software program that is free of charge, easy to learn, easy to integrate hypermedia resources, easy to integrate separate concept maps into a cohesive knowledge model, and easy to publish and collaborate on the Internet. Forty-two students from class 1R5 and forty-one students from class 1R6 participated in this action research. Half the students from each class (21 students from 1R5 and 20 students from 1R6) form the intervention group and experienced the new visual understanding through knowledge modeling learning environment. The other half of students (21 students from 1R5 and 21 students from 1R6) from each class form the control group and experienced traditional classroom teaching. The control and intervention groups were balanced in terms of sample size and ability. All students have working knowledge on use of Internet and prior experience with the six simple machines: lever, inclined plane, screw, wheel and axle, wedge and pulley. Students in the intervention group were taught how to use the CmapTools software. For each class, students were divided into 8 groups, with two or three students per group. Each group was assigned a subtopic as follows: Group_1: first class lever; Group_2: second class lever; Group_3: third class lever; Group_4: inclined plane; Group_5: screw; Group_6: wheel and axle; Group_7: wedge; Group_8: pulley. Students actively sought and analyzed information on simple machines on the World Wide Web. Students used a combination of search engines like Yahoo and Google as well as directly searching from CmapTools itself. CmapTools software has a search function allowing user to search for information on CmapServer and the World Wide Web. Hypermedia resources including photos, videos, sound clips, online quizzes, online animations, hyperlinks, files, etc. were easily attached to concepts on the Cmaps. Such use of ICT connected students to resources beyond the classroom. Each group proceeded to construct a concept map for each assigned subtopic (e.g. 1st class lever). Construction of concept maps allowed students the opportunity to go beyond the information gathered. They were given opportunity to create something new by reshaping, expanding, extrapolating from, applying and building on what they already know. For example, students designed and made products incorporating wheels and axles. Their designs were added to their concept maps. Relating and integrating new knowledge to prior knowledge facilitated meaningful learning and hence deeper understanding. This process entails both development and demonstration of their understanding.

Figure 1. Concept map on screws.

Figure 2. Students designed and made products incorporating a simple machine.

After each group was done with their concept maps, all the various concept maps were integrated to form a cohesive knowledge model. The CmapTools software has a powerful feature that allows concepts from one Cmap to be linked to concepts on other Cmaps. The resulting knowledge model from each class was uploaded and published on the Internet through CmapServer. Publishing works on the Internet is an exciting way for students to present their works and opens the doors of the classroom to an audience outside (Mills, 2006). Students were proud they became knowledge constructors instead of being typical information consumers. There was sense of ownership in the learning process and resulting knowledge model.

Figure 3. Integrated Knowledge Model on Simple Machines.

Ongoing Assessment As students constructed their concept maps, their thinking and understanding became visible. This way, teachers were able to easily identify concepts that were missing or misunderstood. Their choice of linking phrases would indicate if they understood the relationship between the concepts or the meaning of the concepts. The teachers were able to monitor their work-in-progress and give timely feedback. Such ongoing assessment for learning is important for developing understanding. For example, a group from 1R6 initially created a proposition: a screw “is” an inclined plane. This was a demonstration of the group’s misunderstanding. The teacher easily identified the misunderstanding and asked the class to critique on this proposition. Through the class discussion, students reached a consensus to correctly rephrase the proposition to: a screw “has around on its shaft” an inclined plane. After the knowledge model was published, all students navigated and critiqued the works of others; assessing and diagnosing any misunderstanding. As they navigated and critiqued the

works of others, they learned and understood new knowledge. Peer critiques could be inserted into a Cmap via the annotation feature. CmapTools program also supports collaboration through shared folders and discussion threads. Such a social constructivist approach would make learning fun, improve intrinsic motivation and promote deep understanding (Santrock, 2006). The groups would proceed to revise their Cmaps by making decisions on whether to accept or reject the peer suggested changes. This evaluation process helped clarify and improve students’ understanding. It is important to realize that development of understanding is a continuous process and virtually no one reaches a point where he or she understands everything about a topic (Blythe, 1998). A quiz on Simple Machines was given to all 83 students at the end of the course as a formative assessment of their understanding.

Data Analysis The scores from the quiz were analyzed. The quiz was upon 25 marks. The graph in Figure 4 shows the distribution of marks between the intervention group and the control group. The graph shows that students from the intervention group scored higher marks, ranging from 18 to 25 marks. Students in the control group scored lower marks in the range of 12 to 23 marks. The intervention group had a mean score of 22.8 marks while the control group had a mean score of 17.7 marks.

Intervention Group vs Control Group

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Figure 4. Analysis of quiz scores.

Students in the intervention group scored better in the quiz than students in the control group.

Conclusion Results from this action research suggest that this new student-centered visual understanding through knowledge modeling environment is more effective in developing and demonstrating students’ understanding compared to traditional practice. Our 21st century learners who are digital natives preferred this new ICT enhanced learning environment. This networked and

graphical learning environment is better able to simulate motivation, interests and excitement in learning. This learning environment is sustainable as CmapTools is a free software program. Computers and Internet access are already available in school as well as most homes. In this new learning environment, students learned to actively seek and analyze information on their own. They became independent learners. Independent learners are more likely to develop habit of lifelong learning; a culture which all educators hope to instill in their students. The identified setback of this learning environment is the longer time it takes students to seek and analyze information on their own, and to build the knowledge model. Due to time constraint, it is not practical to apply this method to all topics in a semester long course. However, in any case, it is never our belief to use the same learning method for all topics in the course as students may get bored. Instead, we shall deploy this new visual learning environment in conjunction with a variety of other teaching methods to generate excitement in learning. Through students’ reflections, we noticed that this collaborative learning environment also helped developed students’ character. Once students realized that learning is a social process, they became less individualistic and got more willing to share, cooperate and help one another. In the same spirit, we want to share our learning experience gained from this action research. We hope this paper provides all educators an insightful look at how visual understanding through knowledge modeling can creatively engage 21st century learners and to teach for understanding.

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