Concept Mapping In Medical School

Modern higher education requires students not only to master a great quantity of information, but also to integrate information from diverse disciplines. Medical school students face some of the toughest integration challenges. They must not only learn the myriad complex biochemical processes, but also integrate this learning with higher-order understanding of organ systems and application with clinical skills. Success in medical school requires the integration of knowledge across disciplines and the application of higher cognitive level thinking. Unfortunately, many students begin medical school (as well as graduate school) with basic cognitive level skills and have problems adapting to the requirements necessary for successful completion of medical school.

The initial difficulties students report having in medical school are making a successful transition, managing the volume of material, the ability to memorize enormous quantities of material. While students identify memorization as the mental challenge to their successful study, the true challenge is a conceptual problem. One promising strategy to close the conceptual gap is to equip students with the skills of concept mapping. This is a method for organizing learned concepts into graphic arrays.

Concept mapping deemphasizes memorization and focuses on methods to engage higher cognitive level thinking, such as application and problem solving. Concept maps are built from nodes (concepts) and links (lines), which form hierarchically arranged propositions. Map construction requires students to make connections between different bodies of knowledge (1). This makes the technique especially effective for organizing and learning new information and integrating it with previous knowledge (2). Concept mapping is a technique in which students organize and represent knowledge into a graphic network of ideas and interconnections, thus providing students with the thought processes needed for application and problem solving skills.

Concept mapping has been most extensively tested in secondary and undergraduate education, but a growing number of reports indicate that the technique can be successfully applied in schools of medicine and nursing. Concept mapping was effective in increasing student understanding and retention in courses and units such as medical microbiology (Fonseca, 2004), For some students higher ordered thinking may be inherent, not all students have been challenged to recognize and apply these concepts in their studies.

Concept mapping utilizes the principle established by Asubel and others that “meaningful learning” is superior to rote learning in creating knowledge that can be applied to new situations. (3). Meaningful learning involves building a mental model of a new subject, and linking it to previously created mental models of related subjects. The emphasis on curricular integration across courses in medical school is aimed at creating meaningful learning, in this case learning that can be applied efficiently to problems of diagnosis and treatment.

I learned concept mapping through “old school technology”, good old paper and pencil or markers and crayons. Brainstorming and concept mapping were used synonymously throughout my education. I found that concept mapping was used more in idea seeking assignments (term project, paper, etc.) than drawing concepts together or integrating disciplines. High tech equivalents can involve all sorts of devices and interfaces including CMap from the Institute for Human and Machine Cognition (IHMC) ( http://cmap.ihmc.us/) . This not-for-profit research institute is affiliated with several Florida universities and allows educational institutions across the globe free use of the tools. Free use enables greater cooperation and collaboration of ideas while leveling the playing field around access and cost of technology.

An important benefit of this software is that it allows for both asynchronous and synchronous learning. In addition to teaching students how to use concept mapping, an additional benefit is exposure to outside sources of information, other users and collaborative learning, The technology itself is a promotional tool for idea sharing, collaborative learning, etc.

I am collaborating on an educational development grant sponsored by the Office of the Provost to use technology and a novel pedagogical approach designed to improve teaching and learning in medical education. The IHMC provided both the impetus and technology for the proposal (which was granted). The grant will train an at-risk subpopulation of Year 1 medical school students to use concept mapping as a tool for integrating, understanding, and remembering material from medical courses. It is predicted that the use of concept mapping will lead to the increased use of application and problem solving skills, thus leading to higher pass rates in courses and board examinations. Outcomes from the pilot will also determine if concept mapping will be used as a continued educational intervention for other students in the continuum of medical school education at Wayne State University School of Medicine. A larger study for similar graduate program in Allied and Health Sciences is also in the works.



References
(1) Novak JD. The promise of new ideas and new technology for improving teaching and learning. Cell Biol Educ 2003; 2(2):122-132.
(2) Rendas AB, Fonseca M, Pinto PR. Toward meaningful learning in undergraduate medical education using concept maps in a PBL pathophysiology course. Adv Physiol Educ 2006; 30(1):23-29.
(3) Novak JD. The theory underlying concept maps and how to construct them. Technical Report IHMC Cmap Tools 2006-01. 2006. Florida Institute for Human and Machine Cognition. Ref Type: Report