(Writer, 2023) A concept map is a visual organizer that assesses how a student understands the relationships between different ideas.

Students are given a central topic or question and a list of key terms (or asked to brainstorm their own). They then arrange these terms on a page and draw connecting lines between them. The crucial part is that each connecting line must be labeled with a linking phrase that explains the precise relationship between the two concepts.

For example, a simple map about water might have a line from "Water" to "Ice" labeled with "can freeze to become."

Analysis: Strengths and Weaknesses

Strengths

• Makes Thinking Visible: This is the biggest advantage. A teacher can literally see a student's mental model and how they've organized complex information.
• Identifies Misconceptions: It's an excellent diagnostic tool. If a student draws an incorrect link (e.g., linking "Gravity" to "Weight" with the label "is the same as"), the teacher can immediately spot and correct that specific misunderstanding.
• Assesses Deep Understanding: It moves far beyond simple memorization. A student can't fake a concept map; they must genuinely understand how different ideas fit together to build a logical structure.
• Flexible and Creative: It can be used in almost any subject, from mapping character relationships in a novel to showing the causes and effects of a historical event or the steps in a scientific process

Weaknesses

• Difficult to Grade Objectively: Grading a concept map is highly subjective. It's not about one "right" answer, but about the map's logical structure, accuracy, and complexity. A detailed rubric is absolutely essential to grade them fairly.
• Can Be Frustrating for Some Students: Students who think in a very linear, non-visual way may struggle with the open-ended format.
• Time-Consuming: Creating a good concept map takes significant time and deep thought. Evaluating them properly also takes much more time than grading a simple quiz.
• Can Become Cluttered: Without clear instructions, students' maps can become overly complex, messy "spider webs" that are difficult for a teacher to follow and assess.

References:

• Writer, B. K. B. C. (2023, September 20). What is a concept map? Here’s everything you need to know | MiroBlog. MiroBlog. https://miro.com/blog/what-is-concept-map/