Description:   

A concept map is a visual representation of the links or associations between different concepts or pieces of information. Begin with a concept covered in your course, and ask the class or individuals to map out the areas of knowledge/concepts related to the central idea. Asking students to repeat this exercise mid-course and/or at the end of the course provides instructor and students with a visual record of how students’ thinking has developed over time.

Useful link:   

Detailed description and examples of Concept Maps FLAG (Field-tested Learning Assessment Guide) website, at the National Institute for Science Education at University of Wisconsin, Madison.

In ESSE:   

Concept Map examples; Student example 1,  Student example 2, and Student example 3 from Earth System Science 895, University of New Hampshire. Three times during the semester (beginning, middle and end) students were asked to draw concept maps of the Earth System. Instructors tracked changes in students’ conceptual representation of the Earth system over the duration of the course.