The Efficacy of Concept Mapping as a Learning Tool in Life-Span Development Classes

The effectiveness of concept mapping on learning has been reported in research across a number of undergraduate disciplines. The purpose of the present investigation is to add to the existing literature on concept mapping in the teaching of psychology through systematic comparisons of learning in undergraduate life-span development classes. In one group, students completed concept-mapping assignments. In another group, they completed written assignments with features of relationship-identification shared with concept mapping. The combined results of quantitative and qualitative comparisons favored concept mapping over the more traditional learning assignments. Implications for future classroom research are discussed.