Through teaching, it can be verified that homogenized pedagogical practices do not lead to meaningful learning since not all students are the same, nor do they learn in the same way, nor do they have the same abilities.
But what if it is perceived, that the technologies play, from the visual and operational point of view, an important role in the learning processes where different symbolic systems can be incorporated and integrated, allowing a more effective intelligence development. Effective in the sense of being able to build cognitive bridges that favor the resolution of new situations. The foregoing leads to deconstructing the memory processes to enter a world of challenges.
Challenges in learning to make them meaningful. As Ausubel mentions, logical and psychological significance of the material and favorable attitude of the student.
Recalling the theory of Ausubel who maintains that the teaching-learning processes of scientific concepts are based on concepts previously formed by the student.
This theory is opposed to rote learning. Ausubel maintains that the learning situation can be studied from two axes, the learning carried out by the student, rote or significant, and the instructional strategy, which is associated with guided discovery or autonomous discovery. If we establish a relationship between rote learning and meaningful learning we can say:
- In the incorporation of new knowledge into the cognitive structure: in meaningful learning it occurs in a substantive, non-arbitrary and non-verbal way, while in rote learning it occurs in a non-substantive, arbitrary and verbal way. meaningful learning is deliberate and the intention is to link the knowledge to a higher level while in rote learning, there is no effort to integrate the data incorporated into the pre-existing cognitive structure. Regarding motivation: In meaningful learning, there is a link affective of new knowledge with that already acquired, a situation that does not occur in rote learning.
Ausubel states that for meaningful learning to occur, the material must be organized in such a way that each of the parts that compose it are not related in an arbitrary way and another relevant condition is that it occurs under certain conditions of the student. On the one hand the predisposition of it, this means that it must have some reason for which to strive and on the other it is necessary that the student has a structure of thought that allows him to incorporate the new material into the cognitive structure.
Associated with Ausubel's theory of learning, we find Dr. Joseph Novak, a scientific researcher who, based on the concepts presented by Ausubel, investigates and develops different ways of expressing concepts, calling them "Concept Maps". Concept that appears in the year 1984.
We define concept map as an instrument of representation of knowledge. Instrument that allows to clearly and easily transmit concepts and therefore facilitate the teaching-learning process. The maps are made as graphics and Novak characterizes them taking into account: the concepts, the associated words and the connecting lines. The relationship between two or more concepts through the associated words make up a preposition whose only truth value is true.
It is important to highlight that other characteristics in a conceptual map are: the hierarchy, the concepts have a hierarchical order, starting from the most general to the most specific; relevant concepts and visual impact.
The construction of concept maps involves a process that has to be understood within a framework of the logic of knowledge construction. There are three central moments to consider in the construction of a map: progressive differentiation between concepts, integrative reconciliation of conceptual hierarchies and cognitive restructuring of knowledge.
Progressive differentiation between concepts, understanding this from the assimilation of new concepts to previous knowledge. These previous knowledge as they become related and hierarchical acquire new meanings, a process called "integrative reconciliation" that involves the revision and accommodation of the conceptual hierarchies modified through new learning.
We can conclude that concept maps must be strategies for the construction of knowledge in the teaching-learning processes. In education, they are an ideal resource to know the previous knowledge of the students, visualize the relationships established between the concepts, evaluate learning processes, plan contents, guide the teaching process, collaborate in the comprehension of texts.
Another important aspect to take into account is the support for making concept maps. We understand by support the medium in which the conceptual map will be made. All resources are valid, considering from paper to digital media.
Novak relies on digital media, since many software design companies, advised by him, developed programs for the design of maps, using as resources to represent concepts, images or texts. Before selecting the resource to use, it is necessary to take into account what knowledge of the resource the students have.
It is necessary as teachers to train us in this area to be able to implement it satisfactorily. Taking into account that our students live in the “world of the image”, we cannot ignore the significance exposed by Ausubel in this sense.
