Concept Mapping as a Metacognition Tool in a Problem-Solving-Based BME Course During In-Person and Online Instruction

Area of Science:

• Engineering Education
• Cognitive Science
• Biomedical Engineering Pedagogy

Background:

• Metacognitive skills are crucial for engineering students but often neglected in curricula.
• Concept mapping is a strategy linked to meaningful learning and can potentially foster metacognition.

Purpose of the Study:

• To apply concept mapping to enhance metacognition in biomedical engineering students.
• To identify student difficulties ('muddiest points') using concept mapping.
• To evaluate concept mapping's usefulness via student/instructor perceptions and academic performance.

Main Methods:

• Concept mapping interventions were conducted during in-person and online biomedical engineering courses.
• Activities included concept mapping, peer discussion, and reflective prompts, contextualized to Bloom's taxonomy.
• Student performance was compared using t-tests and ANOVA; qualitative analysis of concept maps and responses was performed.

Main Results:

• Concept mapping did not significantly improve student class performance in either in-person or online settings (p > 0.05).
• Qualitative analysis revealed concept mapping effectively identified student challenges and prerequisite concept gaps.
• Student and instructor perceptions indicated concept mapping facilitated metacognition, with most students finding it useful.

Conclusions:

• Concept mapping is a valuable tool for uncovering student difficulties and promoting metacognition in engineering education, despite not directly boosting grades.
• The strategy is perceived positively by students and instructors, suggesting its utility beyond the specific course context.
• Further integration of metacognitive strategies like concept mapping is recommended for engineering curricula.