Locating in conceptual space

Tatiana Bouzdine-Chameeva
2009 Proceedings of the International Workshop on Enterprises & Organizational Modeling and Simulation - EOMAS '09  
Presentation Summary Mapping is a well-known facilitation tool widely used for structuring problems and generating critical thinking. It focuses individuals on the concepts and links they use to make sense of their world and their knowledge. Maps are very much like street maps or high-way maps -they help individuals locate themselves in space, in this case, conceptual space, and help figure out what directions to take, what pathways exist from here to there (Bryson et al., 2004) . The use of
more » ... ping tools in teaching courses becomes more frequent as many fascinating, easy in use visualisation software tools are available nowadays. Maps can be used at all stages of course preparation, teaching and evaluation. They really prove to be effective in giving instructors a continuous improvement process in teaching the course due to visual multicolored representation that establishes a landscape, or domain. To start with, a causal map can be used to develop a "graphical" syllabus that shows not only the topics to be covered in the course, but also how those topics are related to and dependent on the other topics in the course. Providing these maps to students in the form of a "graphical" syllabus can supplement and clarify the typical text syllabus (Biktimirov, Ernest 2003; Hayes et al, 2007) . Linking all different parts of the given topic also helps "the teacher to explain why a particular concept is worth knowing and how it relates to theoretical and practical issues both within the discipline and without" (Allen, B.S. 1993). It can aid instructors in determining which topics should be taught in a course, how these topics might be grouped and sequenced, and the important inter-relationships among the topics that should be stressed. Mapping can help develop courses that are well-integrated, logically sequenced, and have continuity. Secondly, in a class setting a visual dynamic representation of the materials in a map format will allow an interactive presentation and capture student's attention. Using only textual materials and formulas or diagrams in PowerPoint slides is quite
doi:10.1145/1750405.1750407 fatcat:pqgmccncrjhz7ekagwlm5flhsy