Interactive Concept Mapping

Wouldn’t it be nice if every student receives exactly what they need to advance their learning? That is a tall order for a system that is based on mass teaching. It is simply not feasible to provide a customized learning experience under our current model of instruction. The financing and the structure are not present. Yet there is much discussion of differentiated instruction and of individualized Instruction. How can they succeed?

I started working on solutions for individualized instruction in the early 80s when I ran the Computer Based Instructional Research Lab (CBIRL) at McGill University. A successful model of individualized instruction requires a more decentralized approach to learning – one that is student-centered rather than teacher or system-centered. The existing models lack one essential ingredient – how to determine individual students’ knowledge gaps. This can only be done with a fine-grained model of the knowledge domain (the goal) that the student is expected to learn compared with their current level of knowledge (the state).

Such a fine-grained model can be developed with my Interactive Concept Mapping (iCM) model. The iCM model forms the goal of instruction while my GEEK (Generalizations, Examples, Experiences, Knowledge of Results) model of teaching forms the procedure. Together, they are a powerful combination because they provide teachers with a way to individualize learning, resulting in high student motivation and achievement.