Concept Mapping Assessments as a Tool for Judgment of Learning

Research has shown that university students are often miscalibrated in their judgments of learning (JOL) and are likely to use unreliable cues like recognition heuristics or retrieval fluency to assess their knowledge. These cues can be misleading so that students believe they understand the material when they do not, and consequently may not invest sufficient time in study and practice. This suggests that better early assessment measures that promote accurate JOLs may encourage better study practices. Concept mapping activities may provide this benefit because they require a constructive activity that helps a student better identify whether or not they have mastered a body of knowledge. To evaluate this, we examined the effectiveness of a concept map-based assessment prior to an exam in a computer networks engineering class. Students completed the assessment and were surveyed during the exam as to the helpfulness and enjoyability of completing such an assessment. Although a direct benefit of concept mapping was not found, results suggested that students who scored lower on the exam found the assessments to be useful and an enjoyable way to prepare for the exam. This suggests a potential benefit for concept mapping for students who may be struggling with mastering information.