The Effects of Incorporating Concept Mapping into Computer Assisted Instruction

Abstract

This study investigated the effects of incorporating concept mapping into computer assisted instruction (CAI). Ninety-one tenth-grade students in Singapore participated in the study, in which they were randomly assigned to three groups. In the Partial Map group, partial concept maps were used in the program and the students were asked to construct concept maps after reviewing each topic; in the Complete Map group, complete concept maps were provided; and in the Menu-Selection group, traditional menu-selection interface was used. The Complete Map group and Menu-Selection group performed note-taking activities instead of concept mapping activity. It was found that students in the Partial Map group performed significantly better than the other two groups on a chemistry achievement test and significantly better than the Menu-Selection group on a concept mapping test. The results suggest that assigning students with a concept mapping activity accompanying a CAI tutorial program is a plausible method to enhance their learning.