Philosophy:Construction of Concept Map

Concept is usually perceived as a regularity in events or objects, or in their records. While constructing a concept map, it is essential to keep in mind that the concept be built with reference to a focus question. Hence, initially, the focus question one seeks to answer is carefully chosen, as learners usually tend to deviate from this question relating only to domains, and thus fail to answer the question.

With the selected domain and the focus question, the next step is to identify the key concepts which apply to this domain. About 15 to 25 concepts are sufficient; they are usually ordered in a rank ordered list. Such a list should be established from the most general and inclusive concept for the particular chosen problem. That list will assist at least in the beginning of the construction of the concept map.

The list is referred to as a parking lot, since the list is constantly shuffled to build up the required network of the concept. Two or more concepts are connected to each other using linking words or phrases, which can only then complete a meaningful sentence. Another important characteristic of a concept map is its cross-links, as the relationship between two different domains used in the concept map. These help in a clear representation of the knowledge contained in the concept, and also give a clear background with specific examples.