A Convergent Paradigm for Examining Knowledge Mapping as a Learning Strategy

In this study, a paradigm that coupled an ecologically valid assessment with an extended testing session was used to examine the effects of student-generated knowledge maps as a learning strategy. The effects of mapping were first examined in the context of an ongoing general psychology course at Texas Christian University. Eighty-one students participated in an out-of-class testing session intended to replicate and extend the results obtained in the classroom. The results indicated that mapping positively affected students' performance on both recognition and recall tests. Further, the effects of mapping appeared to be robust, for they were maintained over time and dependent measures.