Creating, Visualizing, and Exploring Knowledge Maps

Knowledge maps are cognitive aids designed to help users explore a body of knowledge in a nonlinear way. Specifically, a knowledge map is a graphical representation of knowledge chunks, e.g. single-digit addition, linked together by directed edges that express prerequisite relationships. In this paper we describe a novel knowledge map creation, visualization, and exploration system. We employ edge reduction and interactive techniques to aid users in exploring large knowledge maps. Furthermore, we describe a visual knowledge map editor that allows users to create new knowledge maps, associate related content with the map (e.g. textbook references of video lectures), and make local changes to large preexisting knowledge maps.