Concept Mapping with Multimedia

Concept mapsTM have existed in the educational community for some time. A concept map is a visual representation of a person’s (student’s) knowledge of a domain. Many have reported on computer-based implementations of interactive concept map building tools. However, existing concept webs are rooted in a propositional, primarily textual, knowledge representation scheme. Further, existing computer-based versions do not fully capitalize on the potential functionality offered by the computational medium. We describe an extension to “traditional” computer-based concept mapping tools that provides representational capabilities more in line with human knowledge representation by incorporating dynamic media – sound, video, and animated images.