The Utility of Concept Maps to Facilitate Higher-Level Learning in a Large Classroom Setting

To describe the utility of concept mapping in a cardiovascular therapeutics course within a large classroom setting.

Students enrolled in a cardiovascular care therapeutics course completed concept maps for each major chronic cardiovascular condition. A grading rubric was used to facilitate peer-assessment of the concept map.

Students were administered a survey at the end of the course assessing their perceptions on the usefulness of the concept maps during the course and also during APPEs to assess utility beyond the course. Question item analyses were conducted on cumulative final examinations comparing student performance on concept-mapped topics compared to nonconcept-mapped topics.

Concept maps help to facilitate meaningful learning within the course and the majority of students utilized them beyond the course.