Collaboration through concept maps

Abstract

Concept maps have been used in education, policy studies and the philosophy of science to provide a visual representation of knowledge structures and argument forms. They provide a complementary alternative to natural language as a means of communicating knowledge. In many disciplines various forms of concept map are already used as formal knowledge representation systems, for example: semantic networks in artificial intelligence, bond graphs in mechanical and electrical engineering, Petri nets in communications, and category graphs in mathematics. This paper describes the design and applications of groupware concept mapping tools designed to support collaboration in dispersed learning communities. Keywords --- Concept maps, World-Wide Web, collaborative learning 1. Introduction It is no coincidence that the words image and imagination have the same roots. It has been known from early times that visual imagery plays a significant role in the creative processes of many people [1]. The ...