Concept Map Recomposition Approach for Advanced Formative Assessment in Large-Scale Online Course

Abstract

Assessment of learner understanding and feedback based on that assessment are important to promote learning in asynchronous online learning. Often, automatic feedback by the learning environment is used as a way of realizing this feedback. However, usual tests are difficult to identify learning objects exhaustively. Concept maps can provide a comprehensive and detailed check of a learner's understanding but are difficult to assess. Therefore, this study used a recomposition concept map called Kit-Builder concept map (KB map). KB map system can provide semantic feedback to the learner on differences in understanding automatically. We used this feedback as a formative assessment for the entire lecture. Using the KB map as an assignment for a formative assessment, we conducted a large-scale asynchronous course with a class of 1,380 students from 16 faculties. The results show that learners' understanding is enhanced by concept maps, and that formative assessment by means of concept maps may encourage revision of lesson materials.