Using Concept Maps in Law Schools to Foster Meaningful Learning: Evidence from a Pilot Study

Rossana Deplano

doi:10.29311/jlthe.v1i2.2748

Abstract

Despite its many applications in various higher education settings, concept mapping is not used for teaching predominantly theoretical subjects like Law. Given the peculiarities of learning legal subjects, this article discusses the benefits of using concept maps as a core component of an undergraduate curriculum in Law. Specifically, it presents evidence from a pilot study aimed at assessing the impact of concept mapping as a tool for enhancing deep learning on students enrolled on the compulsory Constitutional and Administrative Law module. An argument is made that utilising concept maps as an integral part of small group teaching activities may be effective in helping students shift the balance from predominantly rote learning to predominantly meaningful learning.

Highlights

The idea of concept mapping as a facilitative tool for achieving meaningful, as opposed to rote, learning was introduced in the educational setting by Joseph Novak in 1972 (Novak, 1990)
This report discusses the benefits of using concept maps as a core component of small group teaching activities of an undergraduate
The pilot study was aimed at assessing the impact of concept mapping as a tool for enhancing deep learning on students enrolled on the undergraduate Constitutional and Administrative Law module

Summary

Introduction

The idea of concept mapping as a facilitative tool for achieving meaningful, as opposed to rote, learning was introduced in the educational setting by Joseph Novak in 1972 (Novak, 1990). I have noticed that there are certain tutorial questions students systematically misunderstand or fail to answer altogether Such questions are essay questions relating to some of the most abstract concepts of Constitutional Law, such as the idea of constitution or the principle of separation of powers, which underpin the structure and content of the entire module. According to Novak, the cognitive change (and, the quality of learning) occurs within a spectrum ranging from rote learning to meaningful learning The former occurs when the learner adds new material superficially, without integrating it with previous knowledge. It usually has short term benefits only (Novak, 2002) The latter occurs when the learner integrates new knowledge with prior knowledge in a nontrivial – that is to say, meaningful – way. It is useful to detect the presence of misconceptions in the student’s process of learning which may hamper the construction of new knowledge (Novak, 2002)

Methods

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Discussion

Conclusion