Concept Map
Your first task will be to produce a cognitive representation depicting the cognitive structure of your chosen knowledge domain by producing a concept map. When considering content to represent, please try to aim for what Wiggins and McTiche would call “enduring understanding” as opposed to fact or skill-based knowledge. The concept map should not only represent the essential concepts (i.e., nodes) of the domain, but also include appropriate “links and nodes” denoting the most important associations and relationships (e.g., hierarchical, subordinate, etc.). The questions below should help you to construct the map.
What is the content to be learned?
What are the most important aspects of the content that students need to know?
How would you describe the knowledge that the map exhibits?
• Is the knowledge mostly factual?
• What are some of the major links or relations between ideas (i.e., nodes) and why are they important?
• Does it provide some ideas on how the knowledge might be useful to the learner i.e., what is the connection to prior knowledge, skills, attitudes, beliefs of students, what is it to be used for – for what in what contexts?

• Concept Map Paper

Ed Psy/Tch Ed 6030: Instruction, Learning, and Assessment
According to Shulman (1986) and Wiggins and McTiche (1998) effective instructional design requires that teachers acquire and make use of a “deep” understanding of their conceptual content or knowledge base. In this assignment, you will be required to choose a content area and analyze that content by designing a concept map. The content area you choose should be the same as the one you will use in your final project.

The theory and practical steps needed for designing a concept map will be covered in the readings and class period.

Describe the Map:

Your task will be to describe the map you’ve created by considering the knowledge it represents and the pedagogical implications it affords.

Consider the knowledge that your map represents and how that knowledge will be useful to the learner

• You might accomplish this part of the task by responding to the same questions you considered when creating it (listed above). E.g., you might identify the nodes and links that represent prior knowledge v. those the constitute new learning, etc.

Consider some of the pedagogical implications of the “map” you have created

• How might it help you better teach or communicate important aspects of the knowledge you are trying to teach?
• What are some the major misconceptions (or misrepresentations) that students might need to overcome?