Certificate in Online Education

A popular method is to assess the density and thoroughness of a concept map. The number of relevant concepts on a core concept demonstrates how that core concept is defined in students’ understanding.

Meanwhile, the complexity of the network on a concept map shows the level of students’ understanding.

Students who understand a core concept very well will develop a concept map with highly interconnected structure.

Generic Rubric Development for Concept Maps

Different rubrics has been developed to assess concept maps, like:

Rubrics to assess concept maps used by Dr. Raubenheimer at the North Carolina State University

Big Backyard Program with the Massachusetts State Life Science Framework

Hierarchy: layers of depth

• 0- Map shows no hierarchy: is web-like
• 1- Map shows some indication of broad concepts at the top and detail concepts toward the bottom
• 2- Map demonstrates hierarchy throughout
• 3 Map demonstrates the requested number of levels of hierarchy and they are clearly shown in the map
• 4 Map demonstrates more than the requested levels of hierarchy and they are clearly shown in the map

Concepts

Criterion is that the words are the requested concepts: such as “Concept map all the words in Bold in Chapter 5.” Or make a concept map of the vocabulary words from today’s outdoor activity.”

• 0- Words in ovals are not concepts
• 1- Words in ovals are appropriate concepts to the assignment
• 2- Words in ovals represent 75% or more of the requested concepts
• 3- Words in ovals represent all of the requested concepts
• 4- Words in ovals include 100% of the requested concepts and also appropriate concepts from the mapper’s own experience.

Linking Words

Linking words refer to the words on the lines that connect and describe the relationship between two concepts.

• 0- No linking words included on lines connecting concepts
• 1- Less than half of linking words; meaning is unclear or a misconception
• 2- Half to ¾ of linking words are clear and appropriate
• 3- All linking words are clear and appropriate
• 4- More than the required linking words are present and appropriate

Crosslinks

Crosslinks are connections between concepts in different parts of the map.

• 0-No links between concepts from different parts of the map
• 1-Line is drawn from one part of a map to another part, but linking word is inappropriate or a misconception
• 2-At least one clear crosslink with appropriate linking word is present
• 3-A least two clear crosslinks with appropriate linking words are present
• 4- At least two clear crosslinks with appropriate linking word are present and at least one of them is a truly powerful and creative, “out-of-the-box” connection derived from the mapper’s mind/experience

Attached Resources

Any digital resource can be added to a concept map. Such resources include MP3 tapes, photos, video clips, website addresses, detail concept maps, stories, data tables, laboratory experiments, problem-solving experiences; decision-making experiences.

• 0-no resources attached to map
• 1-one resource attached to one concept of the map
• 2-two or more resources of one type attached to the concept map
• 3-at least two resources of different types attached to two different concepts in the map
• 4-multiple resource types attached to multiple concepts in the map