Subject: [IFETS-DISCUSSION:1191] Conceptual Knowledge Bases: a method for self-study and continuous learning
From: forte (forte@dada.it)
Date: Wed 21 Feb 2001 - 01:44:19 MET
From: "forte" <forte@dada.it> Subject: [IFETS-DISCUSSION:1191] Conceptual Knowledge Bases: a method for self-study and continuous learning Date: Wed, 21 Feb 2001 13:44:19 +1300
To describe the method with some precision, we must at first
detrivialize concept maps:
a.. keeping their knowledge representation power, the property of
incidence in the observer's optical perception (almost photographical).
b.. creating precise and univocal description of concepts.
c.. enhancing the conceptual structure with relevant documents: texts,
images, animations and multimedia, and Internet linking, as necessary.
d.. observing rules that hinder ambiguity in their construction.
e.. extending their interaction power, to augment students activity,
rendering them not just observers, but active subjects that build their
own knowledge, searching and analyzing, in the form and in the structure
and also in contents.
f.. considering maps not as mere arbitrary designs, in which even
irregular logic is allowed, but as categorized concept groups, in a way
of raising perception acuteness, keenness of mind, and to accelerate
interaction and visual recognition.
When accessing a C.K.B. the student approaches in first instance a
conceptual interface, that:
a.. evidences the more important concepts and maybe those of secondary
importance, with a clear and direct representation of what is
"important" and what is secondary or complementary.
b.. evidences relations among concepts, that are never unidirectional.
c.. stimulates him to analyze the analytical network that constitutes
the conceptual nucleus of a topic, in order to infer even non explicit,
sometimes transitive, but always important relations... he reasons,
besides "snapping" the scheme, without which building our knowledge is
impossible.
d.. enables him to connect to precedent experience.
e.. enables him, moreover, to "see" new relations and to create new
relations considered relevant to personal learning, to transform the
original platform in his own personal learning / development platform,
easing memorization (a must, anyway) of relations among more important
concepts.
f.. encourages to reach a deeper insight in concepts beyond relations,
strengthening understanding with texts, images, video, audio, that
directly influence the creation of meaningful knowledge, an audiovisual
explanation of facts, procedures, evolutions, reference to huge or
important information and knowledge references, directly linked to
concepts.
g.. the text becomes a complementary discursive illustration,
collateral, (important, but not fundamental).
h.. enables semantic searching (through relations among concepts),
expressing conceptual structure through questions and answers.
i.. enables text searching, in concept descriptive texts, deepening
and recognizing secondary concepts, acquiring, together with conceptual
knowledge, holistic knowledge.
j.. encourages to adapt the "map aspect" to his own conception, to his
personal cognitive needs.
Advantages of using Conceptual Knowledge Bases.
1. The main access interface is presented in the human memory
format: the access vector to human cognitive structure is precisely a
cognitive structure. Knowledge is integrated in a way very close to that
of the human mind
2. C.K.B. are very easy to use, with a simple and direct visual
interface.
3. The student contributes actively in the creation of his own
knowledge base, favoring a deeper understanding of the topic and
reinforcing background knowledge.
4. The interface directly presents a set of options useful in
reasoning and for the extraction of meaning.
5. Its use displaces the equilibrium and learning responsibility
toward the student himself, improving the quality of learning and
releasing teacher's efforts, time, energy and abilities to more useful
and necessary tasks of the educational activity.
6. C.K.B. are easy to develop, their cost is very low; can be
built in groups and successively derivate other versions.
7. C.K.B. can be easily e-mailed, distributed in CD-ROM, published
in the Internet, etc., what enables a very dynamic communication among
study groups, faculties and schools / colleges and students.
8. Constitutes a reliable resource for preparation to
examinations, to attain student "test readiness".
9. Stimulates information searching, an indispensable ability in
the knowledge and information Era.
10. Their use stimulates critical thinking abilities.
11. Enables interaction with different kinds of knowledge:
a.. declarative (factual knowledge about items)
b.. procedural (about how to perform a task)
c.. static (knowledge which does not change)
d.. dynamic (which changes or grows rapidly)
e.. superficial (abstracted knowledge as one would typically
"take for granted")
f.. deep (built vertically upon basic first principles of
understanding)
12. Every C.K.B. is a proven truth, an objective reference point
about the knowledge it contains.
13. It is a basis for autonomous study, an indispensable ability
for distance learning and lifelong learning.
14. C.K.B. contain data of experience, propositions and validated
models, besides metainformation and metaknowledge.
15. Collaborative learning with C.K.B. expands and puts
individual understanding to the test.
16. Recognizes knowledge identity also as perceptions, conceptions
and individual models.
And everything with absolute simplicity and without the need of specific
computer experience.
Preparing a conceptual knowledge base is an excellent technical
and pedagogical exercise for teachers. If we agree to accept the
preeminence of C.K.B. over the book and closed multimedia in a learning
environment, the creation of a C.K.B. deserves a record in the teacher's
curriculum.
Any similarity with open hypermedia, is not a pure coincidence.
This is not a goal, but a departure point.
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A tangible example of the method may be tasted with the conceptual base
"Ozone", a simple approach to the ozone topic, at
{www.conceptmaps.it/KM-MapExamples-eng.htm}.
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