ERIC Number: EJ1095974
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2016
Pages: 8
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-2304-9650
EISSN: N/A
A Study to Determine the Contribution Made by Concept Maps to a Computer Architecture and Organization Course
Aydogan, Tuncay; Ergun, Serap
European Journal of Contemporary Education, v15 n1 p76-83 2016
Concept mapping is a method of graphical learning that can be beneficial as a study method for concept linking and organization. Concept maps, which provide an elegant, easily understood representation of an expert's domain knowledge, are tools for organizing and representing knowledge. These tools have been used in educational environments to better connect the relationships among theory and practice as well as among other concepts covered in a course. They also help the learners build relationships between previous knowledge and newly introduced concepts, encouraging meaningful learning rather than rote learning. The overall interactions among hardware, computer basics, computer functions and etc., used to be simple and transparent enough for understanding computer systems. Nevertheless the modern computer technologies have become increasingly more complex which makes it very difficult to understand the whole system of the computers. This study is an analysis of the contribution made by concept maps to a Computer Architecture and Organization course (CAO). For a period of one semester, students were asked to prepare concept maps that they were later allowed to use when revising for their final exam. The students' success in the exam was then evaluated and their attitudes towards the course, the concept maps and the questions on them were surveyed and analyzed. The results lead to the conclusion that not only did concept maps make a positive contribution to the students' overall success during the course, they also helped with their exam preparation.
Descriptors: Concept Mapping, Computer Science Education, Tests, Student Attitudes, Student Surveys, Teaching Methods, Test Preparation, Statistical Analysis, Study Habits, Likert Scales, College Students, Foreign Countries
Academic Publishing House Researcher. 26-2 Konstitutcii, Office No. 6, 354000 Sochi, Russian Federation. Tel: +7-918-2019719; e-mail: evr2010@rambler.ru; Web site: http://ejournal1.com/en/index.html
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Turkey
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A