Arifath Mohideen
Department of Physiology, Melmaruvathur Adhiparasakthi Institute of Medical Sciences & Research (The TamilNadu Dr.MGR Medical University), Melmaruvathur, Tamil Nadu, India

Abstract

• Concept mapping is a recent innovation in teaching-learning strategies that has yielded promising results in medical education. It is based on the theoretical premise that meaningful learning occurs when the connections between various concepts are understood. In the first year of the medical undergraduate course, students struggle to assimilate new concepts and fall back on rote memorization. It is predictably difficult then for students to relate superficial learning of the basic sciences to clinical application in their later years of study. Concept maps assist in the facilitation of deep learning and serve as effective learning resources. The active, personal process of identifying different concepts and illustrating the links between them helps students organize their knowledge structures and achieve higher-order learning. The use of serial concept maps and pre-prepared concept maps enhances the impact of teaching-learning experiences even in a traditional curriculum. Besides getting a graphic picture of the explicit learning that has occurred from concept maps, instructors would also be able to identify specific misconceptions and provide valuable, personalized feedback to improve understanding. The role of concept maps in assessment needs to be explored further though. Efforts to evolve valid, reliable ways of scoring them have shown that concept maps probably measure characteristics of learning that are not tested by the traditional assessment formats. This review intends to shed light on the fundamental aspects of concept mapping and its potential uses in basic sciences education.
• Keywords: education, feedback, knowledge, learning, medical