Providing Adaptive Feedback in Concept Mapping to Improve Reading Comprehension

Abstract

Previous research has demonstrated the benefits of applying comparative strategies while learning from informational texts, where students identify key concepts and then attempt to establish relationships between those concepts. Concept mapping is one activity that can prompt students to use comparative strategies, but not all students benefit from this activity without support. This work presents an intelligent tutoring system for concept mapping that facilitates the development of comparative strategies through diagnostic feedback that responds to the quality of students’ concept mapping process and map correctness. The novelty of the system lies in the combination of outcome-based feedback methods typical in concept mapping with adaptive process-based evaluation. In a lab study with 46 college students, we evaluate the effect of this combined adaptive support compared to solely process-based support and no support. Results suggested that the combined feedback approach showed promise at improving students’ use of comparative strategies and learning outcomes.