Concept Map: A Strategy Facilitates Meaningful Learning

Abstract

Cognitive structures help students make connections with prior knowledge and experience by bridging from the known to the unknown. A good understanding of one’s cognitive strengths and needs can be the key to more efficient learning. This is true for all students, particularly in middle and higher levels when there is more work to do and efficiency is a key to success. Meaningful learning describes as deep understanding of the material, retaining relevant information in both visual working memory and auditory working memory, organizing it into a coherent mental structure and integrating it with relevant prior knowledge. Meaningful learning involves recognition of the links between concepts, it has the privilege of being transferred to long-term memory. The most crucial element in meaningful learning is how the new information is integrated into the old knowledge structure. Concept mapping is used to organize related information in a visual manner and this strategy helps students to learn meaningfully and effectively by making explicit the links between the concepts.