Knowledge Maps and Their Use in Computer-Based Collaborative Learning Environments

Conceptual learning of 13 graduate students at a university in the southeastern United States was studied during a six-week course that employed the Internet for collaborative learning of on-line articles. Five groups were formed with each creating a knowledge map—a diagram that graphically arranges and interconnects concepts to show their relationship—during the first and fifth week of the course. Multidimensional scaling (MDS) analysis was used to study the change in each group's mapping over time to determine the influence of a computer-based collaborative learning environment on conceptual understanding. MDS analysis was also used to compare a knowledge map and a similarity rating (of the same 10 concepts) completed by each student at the end of the course. Results of the first analysis indicated that, despite the collaborative nature of the learning environment, groups did not become more similar over time in their understanding of key concepts. However, the second analysis revealed common student perceptions about the dimensions that characterized the conceptual relationships involved. Importantly, this analysis provided evidence that knowledge maps are comparable to rating instruments, thereby supporting recent research claims that they are valid representations of conceptual knowledge. Prescriptions are made for the expanded role of MDS in collaborative knowledge mapping activities.