Using Concept Maps to Engage Adult Learners in Critical Analysis

Abstract

An understanding of learning theories can help adult educators become more effective practitioners and meet the needs of the learners they serve. Adult educators who understand how individuals learn can be better prepared to use effective strategies during the learning process. This article addresses the use of concept maps as a strategy to engage adult learners in critical analysis, a skill educators often aim to help learners strengthen. The discussion situates within four learning theories: cognitivist, constructivist, transformative, and social learning. Examples from different contexts using concept maps and connections between theories, learning process, locus of learning, teacher’s role, manifestation in adult education, and activities are presented. The article concludes with putting concept maps and critical analysis into practice in formal and nonformal settings.

Developing higher-order thinking skills with concept mapping: A case of pedagogic frailty

“…2011; Kim, VanTassel-Baska, Bracken, Feng, & Stambaugh, 2014;Kinchin, Hay, & Adams, 2000;Kumaran, 2015;Lok, 2014;Maas & Leauby, 2005;Pinto, Doucet, & Fernandez-Ramos, 2010;Roberts, Sucher, Perrin, & Rodriguez, 1995;Senita, 2008;Soleimani & Nabizadeh, 2012;Tuan & Thuan, 2011;Walker & King, 2003;Yelich-Biniecki & Conceicao, 2016;Zimmerman, Maker, Gomez-Arizaga, & Pease, 2011) with some authors even including a higher-order thinking skill in the title of their papers, e.g. King and Shell (2002), Lee et al (2013), C. Zha (2013), Afamasaga-Fuata'i (2008), Rosen and Tager (2014), Smith (2014), Osman, Wahidin, and Meerah (2013), Wei and Yue (2016), Daley, Shaw, Balistrieri, Glasenapp, and Piacentine (1999), Wheeler and Collins (2003) and Wu and Wang (2012).…”

Facilitative communication mediated by technology

“…These introductions serve as connectors for learners when building conversations about social issues. If the course is on social and critical content, a diversity wheel, a visual depicting learner identities (for example, family, income, race, and ethnicity) can help build empathetic links to learning (Yelich Biniecki & Collins, 2017). First, model your own diversity wheel and share your own self-identities and stories with a short audio-visual presentation that is accessible with subtitles.…”

“…• creating a visual organizer such as a concept map using online tools such as those at the Institute of Human and Machine Cognition can help learners see interconnecting pieces of their map and collaborative knowledge construction (Yelich Biniecki & Conceição, 2016).…”

“…Learners could be asked to respond to 2 out of 4 questions posted by the facilitator. Alternative ways of posting, may be: taking a photo of an inanimate object that symbolizes ways of working during the pandemic. creating a drawing as a response to the readings. recording a poem or song as a response. writing a metaphor of what a social experience is like. telling a story in a text‐based, audio‐visual, or audio format. creating a visual organizer such as a concept map using online tools such as those at the Institute of Human and Machine Cognition can help learners see interconnecting pieces of their map and collaborative knowledge construction (Yelich Biniecki & Conceição, 2016). …”

Culture as a Key Concept of Language Teaching Methodology

“…American scientist Ebru Turker writes about the role of conceptual and linguistic knowledge and the frequency of L1 in the acquisition of L2 (Türker 2016). The concept is treated as a method in educational and social science inquiry (Taguchi, St. Pierre 2017), the role of "concept maps" in teaching adult learners is substantiated (Biniecki, Conceição 2015). Researchers develop criteria for determining the adequacy of a given concept for a given task in social practice and scholarship (Howie, Bagnall 2018).…”