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Engaging with a living textbook : an exploratory study on the way in which students and teachers interact with and perceive a web based concept map visualization tool.

Walsh, Mr. Niall (2017) Engaging with a living textbook : an exploratory study on the way in which students and teachers interact with and perceive a web based concept map visualization tool.

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Abstract:The ability to recognize the relationships between concepts is a crucial aspect of meaningful learning. However, facilitating students to identify and understand these cross connections can be a challenge for teachers as concepts are often dealt with in isolation. The Geo-Information Science (ITC) faculty at the UT are prototyping a Living Textbook which combines an online knowledge repository with an interactive map visualizing the relationships between concepts. The pedagogical beliefs of teachers play an important role in determining if such educational tools are effectively integrated into the learning process. This study explored how teachers conceptualize the pedagogical value of visualizations, how students engage with these in their learning journey, and what elements of the current prototype of the tool are usable and which are not. ITC students and teachers were interviewed about their experience with the concept map tool, and a think aloud walkthrough was conducted. The findings show that both students and teachers perceive the tool’s capacity for highlighting conceptual connections as a valuable learning aid, but are intimidated by the cluttered screen layout. Faculty emphasize the tool’s value in helping to structure course content, and stress the importance of introducing hierarchy to make its navigation more effective.
Item Type:Essay (Master)
Faculty:BMS: Behavioural, Management and Social Sciences
Subject:81 education, teaching
Programme:Educational Science and Technology MSc (60023)
Link to this item:https://purl.utwente.nl/essays/73725
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