USING COMPUTER BASED CONCEPT MAPPING TO ENLIGHTEN THE KNOWLEDGE CONSTRUCTION PROCESS. A CASE STUDY

Concept maps are being frequently used in education, in many different ways, usually traditionally structured by pen and paper. Easily accessible and apprehensible concept mapping software, offers the capability to be structured in a computer supported environment. Thus, simplifying matters related to classroom restrictions, as time, storage, concept mapping become possible to be adopted as an everyday practice, which could enlighten the knowledge construction process, in order curriculum planning to be adjusted to real needs and conditions. In contrast to traditional tests that, taking place after teaching, don’t allow a complete view of how students construct knowledge during it and don’t reveal possible misconceptions, concept maps are able to present a student’s knowledge structure in various phases of a course, providing a full view of knowledge construction process.
The following article presents a case study, which took place in real class conditions, with the participation of nine years old students of a Greek elementary school. Students construct, reconstruct and revise concept maps during a course, the study of which reveals their knowledge structure process.