Re-Representation of Concept Maps

(Meena Kharatmal and Nagarjuna)

Developing a Method for Characterizing Change in Structure of Knowledge by Re-Representation of Concept Maps

The project has two primary objectives.

(I) Development of RCM Method – developing a method based on existing concept mapping by re-representation viz., Re-represented concept mapping (RCM), focusing on the meaning and kinds of linking words in a proposition or concept map.

(II) Qualitative Content Analysis – using the developed method i.e. RCM, to find out if it can bear any significance in representation of scientific knowledge; to show emerging patterns/themes specific to domain of knowledge and its representation.

The broad research questions of the project are:

  1. What insights can characterization of linking words provide for the nature of domain?
  2. What patterns emerge due to characterization of linking words?

An extensive content analysis of cell biology textbooks at 5 different grade levels ranging from high school, to college, to pre-university was conducted. Each sentences were mapped using concept map and re-represented concept maps. This processs has resulted into the following:

The results emerged into significant patterns organized in 3 major themes:

Influenced by Science education research, cognitive science, concept mapping, language of science, expert thinking, knowledge re-structuring, semantic network, open biomedical ontology

Publications: