The purpose of this paper is to compare the effects of paper-based and computer-based concept mappings on computer hardware achievement, computer anxiety and computer attitude of the eight grade secondary school students. The students were randomly allocated to three groups and were given instruction on computer hardware. The teaching methods used for each group were the conventional method, paper-based concept mapping and computer-based concept mapping. At the end of a 4-week instruction, posttests were administered to assess computer hardware achievement, computer anxiety and computer attitude of the students. The findings indicate that paper-based and computer-based concept mapping strategies produce better results than the conventional method. However, the effects of paper-based and computer-based concept mapping strategies were not significantly different. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Paper-Based and Computer-Based Concept Mappings: The Effects on Computer Achievement, Computer Anxiety and Computer Attitude.

A study was conducted to quantify the effectiveness of concept maps in learning physics in engineering degrees. The following research question was posed: What was the difference in learning results from the use of concept maps to study a particular topic in an engineering course? The study design was quasi-experimental and used a post-test as a measuring instrument. The sample included 114 university students from the School of Industrial Engineering who were divided into two equivalent homogeneous groups of 57 students each. The amount of learning attained by the students in each group was compared, with the independent variable being the teaching method; the experimental group (E.G.) used concept maps, while the control group (C.G.) did not. We performed a crossover study with the two groups of students, with one group acting as the E.G. for the topic of optical fibers and as the C.G. for the topic of the fundamental particles of matter and vice versa for the other group. For each of the two topics studied, the evaluation instrument was a test of 100 dichotomous items. The resulting data were subjected to a comparative statistical analysis, which revealed a significant difference in the amount of learning attained by the E.G. students as compared with the C.G. students. The results allow us to state that for the use of concept maps, the average increment in the E.G. students’ learning was greater than 19 percentage points.

The Effectiveness of Concept Maps in Teaching Physics Concepts Applied to Engineering Education: Experimental Comparison of the Amount of Learning Achieved With and Without Concept Maps

This article presents a systematic review of the literature for studies that utilized computer-based graphic organizers for students with learning disabilities. A comprehensive search yielded 12 studies that were coded and analyzed. The authors investigated the effectiveness of the treatments on academic outcomes, and selected integral instructional and methodological features for evaluation in order to delineate practical implications and prioritize future research. Findings revealed high effect sizes on social studies measures and encouraging results for written expression, while comprehension results were less promising. This review found no evidence suggesting that these treatments were efficacious without the use of explicit instruction and guided practice.

Computer‐Based Graphic Organizers for Students with LD: A Systematic Review of Literature

This kit is designed to help science and mathematics teachers become more aware of the rights, responsibilities, potential contribution, and needs of students with disabilities, teachers' responsibilities for ensuring equal educational opportunities for all students in their programs, and strategies for accommodating students who have disabilities in science and math classes. Material includes a notebook, a 2-hour videotape recording, and informational handouts and a pamphlet on the DO-IT (Disabilities Opportunities Internetworking Technology) program. The "Background and General Strategies" section of the notebook covers general issues related to access to education for individuals with disabilities, and legal and attitudinal issues as well as general teaching strategies. The "Computing Access" section covers the three areas that must be addressed in order to provide full access to computing resources (computer lab access, provision of adaptive technology, and universal design of electronic resources). The "Access to Math and Science" section provides strategies and examples for making educational activities accessible to all students, including students with disabilities. A list of general resources and a glosdary on disability issues relevant to science and mathematics instruction are also included, along with reproducible handouts and overhead transparency templates. The videotape demonstrates how technology can be used to make instruction accessible. (CR) Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document. Disabilities Opportunities Internetworking Technology Accommodating Students with Disabilities in Math and Science Classes A RESOURCE FOR TEACHERS Sheryl Burgstahler, Ph.D. Steve Nourse, Ed. D. U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Office of Educational Research and Improvement BEST COPY AVAILABLE ED CATIONALCREENSTOERUR(ECRESC)INFORMATION This document has been reproduced as received from the person or organization originating it. Minor changes have been made to improve reproduction quality. Points of view or opinions stated in this document do not necessarily represent official OERI position or policy. Accommodating Students with Disabilities in Math and Science Classes A RESOURCE FOR TEACHERS For additional copies, contact: DO-IT Disabilities, Opportunities, Internetworking & Technology University of Washington Box 354842 Seattle, Washington 98195-4842 doit@u.washingtou.edu http://www.washington.edu/doiti 206 685 -DOTE (voice/TTY) 888-972-3648 (voice/TTY) Washington, outside Seattle 509-328-9331 (voice/TTY) Spokane office 206-685-4045 (FAX) Director: Sheryl Burgstahler, Ph.D. © 1998, 2000 University of Washington Permission is granted to copy these materials for non-commercial purposes provided the source is acknowledged. Primary funding for the DO-IT project is provided by the National Science Foundation and the State of Washington. DO-IT MATH-SCI is funded through a Dwight D. Eisenhower Professional Development Program grant through the Washington State Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction. 3 BEST COPY AVAILABLE

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Accommodating Students with Disabilities in Math and Science Classes: A Resource for Teachers [and Videotape].

The rationale for this study was to extend the knowledge about creative thinking among children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) by investigating the effects of creativity training upon concept mapping complexity. To verify whether the CoRT Thinking Lessons can enhance creative ability and improve concept map complexity, a Pretest-Posttest Control Group Design was used in this study. Sixty four students who are fourth and fifth graders (age 9-10 years) and classified as having ADHD participated in the investigation. In order to ensure that concept mapping is a familiar technique to all participants, they all were given a training session in concept mapping. Next to that, they were asked to complete a concept map and Torrance tests of creative thinking (TTCT) as a pre-test measure. After that, they were assigned to either experimental or control group, each group consisted of thirty two students. The experimental group was given creativity training (20 hours of CoRT thinking lessons during ten weeks) and the control group received no creativity training. Finally, all sixty four participants completed a second concept map and the TTCT as a post-test measure. 

Data collected from participants were analyzed via the Pearson product-moment correlation coefficient, the t test for two independent samples, and the paired-sample t test. Results of the analysis indicated that participants who received creativity training developed significantly more complex concept maps than those participants who received no such creativity training. Thus, creativity training enhances both concept mapping complexity and creative ability of students with ADHD as measured by the TTCT. Implications for practice include recommendation for teachers to design and establish educational activities and environments in which creative abilities of children with ADHD can be develop.

Creativity training effects upon concept map complexity of children with ADHD : an experimental study

A concept map is a graphical representation of concepts and their interrelationships. In the words of Novak and Gowin (1984), a concept map is a "schematic device for representing a set of concept meanings embedded in a framework of propositions." Concept maps are comprised of nodes (concepts) and links (lines), arranged hierarchically or in some other order to reflect the information domain being represented. A concept map can be an effective tool for organizing new information and integrating it with existing knowledge. The act of constructing concept maps helps learners to recognize new relationships among concepts and refine their understanding of existing relationships (Anderson-Inman & Zeitz, 1993). Because concept maps are externalized representations of the learner's knowledge they can also be effective tools for revealing misconceptions. The process of building a concept map is comprised of four major activities: (a) identifying the main topic or key concept of the map by enclosing it in a graphic element (usually called a node or symbol); (b) entering subordinate concepts in similar nodes that radiate from the key concept; (c) identifying the relationship between each subordinate concept and the key concept by creating and labeling a link (line) between the two; and (d) repeating this process as information is added to the map and more conceptual relationships between and among concepts are portrayed. Relationships included on a concept map are usually of two kinds: propositions (or sentence-like statements about the relationship of one concept to another) and examples (a specific type of relationship in which one of the linked concepts is an example of the other). Because learning is often best achieved when details are organized under broader, more general categories, concept maps are usually hierarchical in form, with the most general concept (the main topic or key concept) at the top. Figure 1 shows a simple concept map on whales that has two propositions and seven examples. The proposition "whales are not fish" consists of two concepts, "whales" and "fish," linked by a valid statement of the relationship between them. Specific examples of fish are linked to the concept "fish" with the preposition "like." For example: "fish like sharks," "fish like sting rays," and "fish like other fish." It is possible, however unlikely, that the linking word "like" was intended to be a verb, in which case the three "fish" examples would become propositions requiring further clarification concerning the fondness that fish might have for sharks, sting rays and other fish. Concept maps consistently provide excellent opportunities for teachers to discover how and what students are thinking, and to help students clarify their thinking and communication skills. [FIGURE 1 OMITTED] CONCEPT MAPPING IN SCIENCE EDUCATION In science education, concept mapping has been widely recommended and used in a variety of ways. It has been used to help teachers and students build an organized knowledge base in a given discipline (Pankratius, 1990) or on a given topic (Kopec, Wood & Brody, 1990). It has been used to observe change in students' understanding of concepts over time (Caswell & Wendell, 1992; Novak & Musunda, 1991), to assess what the learner knows (Wandersee, 1987), and to reveal unique thought processes (Cohen, 1987). It has been used in the development of science curriculum (Starr & Krajcik, 1990) and the evaluation of instructional activities for promoting conceptual understanding (Kinnear, Gleeson & Comerford, 1985). It has been used to promote positive self- concepts, positive attitudes toward science (Novak & Gowin, 1984) and increased responsibility for learning (Gurley, 1982). Concept mapping has also been used to enhance the reading comprehension of elementary students (Prater & Terry, 1988) and as a study tool for synthesizing information from multiple sources (Anderson-Inman & Zeitz, 1993). …

Lynne Anderson-Inman

Papers

Computer-Based Concept Mapping: Promoting Meaningful Learning in Science for Students with Disabilities