A cognitive map depicts the logical relationships or links among a set of concepts. This project involves not only visually positioning key terms to demonstrate the relationships, but also involves writing practice: paraphrasing definitions and applying critical thinking to compose statements that accurately describe the connections between terms.
Purposes of Cognitive Maps:
- to help students understand abstract terminology that they hear about in lecture and read about in their texts
- fosters sociological thinking--thinking in new ways about information (toning and restructuring) essential to develop a sociological imagination (to grasp the relationships between individuals and societal forces)
(For example, Marx’s historical materialism theory emerged from his application of Hegel’s dialectical process to Marx’s writing on the plight of peasants in rural Germany.)
- Because students are using manipulatives and visual media, cognitive maps support students who have different learning challenges and styles.
- to help students understand how the “parts” within a “whole” function in interrelated ways: hierarchy, causal chain, process, cycles, comparisons, contrasts or oppositions, intersections, categories, flow chart, or any other configuration that illustrates the terminology in a meaningful relationship to each other.
Researched Benefits of Cognitive Maps
- In one study, students reported that while they initially experienced confusion and difficulty with the task, they were able to work through this ambiguity to achieve higher levels of understanding of the material: “I started to understand the connections” and “I got a working knowledge of the pieces.”
Instruction of Cognitive Maps
- Planning and Pacing: The instructor identifies a major concept that represents a key learning outcome for the course and that encompasses several sub-terms (10-25). Also, it is strategic for students’ learning if you pace the cognitive mapping assignment, so students can utilize their expanding knowledge of terminology/concepts in a larger project, essay, or test.
- Scaffolding of Cognitive Maps
- Clearly explain the purpose of cognitive maps as well as the grading criteria. Explain that they are going to put together the “pieces of a puzzle” to form the image of a whole concept.
- Provide students a list of the 10-25 words in alphabetical order to conceal their relationships. Students cut out the words and group them in an arrangement that illustrates the relationships. All words in teh set must be included. Guide them to draw lines and arrows (one or two-way) between terms. Tell students to postpone gluing the pieces until after they have defined the terms and their relationships in a rationale.
- Explain to students that they will be writing a rationale for how they positioned and linked terms within their maps. This rationale is a paragraph (list of statements) that explains the relationships indicated by the arrows or links. Each term should be bolded. Writing the rationale forces students to discover incorrect or weak links, which is why they should postpone gluing.
- Explain to students that the terms may have single or multiple connects to other terms as relationships can be chronological, cause/effect, subsets, etc. Also, explain that some links are predictable (such as categories); however, students are free to interpret innovative relationships/links as they consider creative ways to interpret meanings and their functions within the whole.
- Provide time for one or more of the following as part of the instruction and practice:
- show and discuss different approaches to cognitive maps (see samples of relational diagrams below.)
- allow students to build their first cognitive map in small groups in class in order to clarify the process and to support their progress
- guide students to draft and revise at least one time to build skills
- guide students to self-evaluate their own cognitive maps
- provide focused feedback on a rubric that allows each student to continue to develop their content knowledge and writing skills
- Evaluation of Assignment: Cognitive maps are evaluated for inclusion and accuracy of terms, correct identification of relationships between the terms, readability, and innovate design.
- Variations of the Assignment:
- students can create their own list of concepts
- students can create a group cognitive map by synthesizing the most innovative links and designs from the individuals’ maps--requiring students to evaluate, revise, and stretch their thinking collaboratively
Examples of Cognitive Maps
- Use Word Smart Art to illustrate different configurations