Concept Mapping for Critical Thinking: Efficacy, Timing, & Type.

Introduction Significant percentages of college students successfully complete requirements for graduation without progressing in the development of their critical thinking skills (Arum & Roksa, 2011; Blaich, 2007). Concept mapping has been validated as an effective technique for facilitating critical thinking (Harris & Zha, 2013; Novak & Canas, 2008). Concept mapping, graphically depicting the structure of complex concepts, is based on the observation that pictures and line drawings are often more easily comprehended than the abstract words that represent complex concepts (Terry, 2003). The graphic display of a concept map is determined by the logical structure of the complex concept being illustrated. Types of concept maps include chronological, flow chart, spider, hierarchical, and systems maps. Each type of concept map has advantages and disadvantages. In our three studies of concept mapping, we initially established the efficacy of concept mapping for facilitating critical thinking (Harris & Zha, 2013). As an extension of the initial study, we next explored the relative effects of the timing of the construction of concept maps. Finally, the third study explored the relative effects of using various types of concept maps. This overview of our three studies reports our findings about the efficacy, timing, and type of concept mapping for facilitating the development and validation of students' critical thinking skills. Methodology and Results A Solomon four-group design was used in each of our three studies of concept mapping as a technique for facilitating critical thinking. Each of the three studies involved approximately 240 students enrolled in four sections of an introductory psychology course. In our initial study of the efficacy of concept mapping for facilitating critical thinking, a one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) demonstrated no statistically significant differences in SAT scores among the four groups, F (3, 238) = 1.39,p = . 25, 95% CI, 0.017 ES. Comparable findings of no significant differences for the same covariate were found for participants in our two subsequent studies of (a) the timing of the construction of concept maps and (b) the type of concept map constructed. In each study, students in two of the four sections were required to use Cacoo, a free online resource, to construct concept maps of specified complex concepts that were assessed within unit tests. Study #1: Efficacy of Concept Mapping It was hypothesized that graphically depicting the structure of specified complex concepts would facilitate accuracy in critical thinking during preparation for and performance on unit tests by students in four sections of an introductory psychology course. During each of three unit tests, students' scores, indicators of their critical thinking applied to specified complex concepts, comprised the dependent variable. The independent variable was whether or not concept maps were constructed during preparation for each unit test. In two of the four sections, students were required to construct concept maps of specified concepts during preparation for each unit test and to submit their concept maps immediately prior to each test. In the remaining two sections, concept mapping was presented as a study technique, but concept maps were not required. Following administration of the first unit test, a one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) demonstrated significant differences among the four groups, F (3, 240) =4.17, p = . 007, p