Bridging reading and mapping: The role of reading annotations in facilitating feedback while concept mapping

Abstract

Concept maps are visual tools for organizing knowledge, commonly used in education and design. The process often involves reading and developing conceptual models, where feedback is crucial. Learners (e.g., students, designers) often refer to reading materials, and receive feedback from instructors (e.g., teachers, stakeholders) based on the maps they create. However, annotations made by learners, like highlights, are usually not visible to instructors, limiting tailored feedback. We propose incorporating annotation practices into concept mapping. Learners could highlight text and link these highlights to existing or newly created concepts in their concept map. This way, instructors can access both the concept map and the relevant readings for better feedback. This vision is realized through Concept&Go, a plug-in for the editor CmapCloud. This extension aims at the interplay between mapping, reading, and feedback during concept mapping. The effectiveness of this approach is demonstrated through a focus group (n=5) and a UTAUT evaluation (n=12). Concept&Go is publicly available.