A Curious Compendium of Concept Maps for Teaching Media

1. A Curious Compendiumof Concept Maps for Teaching Media Rick Instrell AMES Conference, 31 May 2014 www.deep-learning.co.uk info@deep-learning.co.uk

2. Mind maps • A mind map is a diagram with words, ideas, actions, etc. linked and arranged radially round a central keyword or idea e.g. spider map • Good for brainstorming and first stage of planning media content etc. • Mind maps tend to be unorganised and personal • But we can help learners by use of mind map templates • Examples: • brand/product mind maps • compass diagram

3. Brand/product mind maps

4. Example of brand mind map

5. Compass diagram Purpose/ target audience Research 1 Cultural codes 2 8 Internal/external opportu-nities /con-straints Technical codes 7 3 AIDA 4 Media/ Genre 6 Style 5 Content

6. What is a concept map? • Graphical representation of knowledge in form of a network with nodes and links • Nodes are concepts usually in the form of words • Links have labels with words or symbols that specify the relationship between the concepts • Linked nodes form meaningful statements (propositions) • Arrow on link indicates direction of relationship (may be two way) • A table also can be a good concept map • Based on a finite set of structures that the brain uses to represent the worldcognitively

7. Concept map of concept maps OUTCOMES • Meaningful teaching & learning • Metacognition • Lifelong study skill CONCEPT MAP • Graphical representation of knowledge in the form of propositions APO APO AFO Node = concept • Can be word(s)/symbols • Represent objects/ideas/events/states Link =Relationship • Can be word(s)/symbols Structure AKO AKO AKO AKO Cluster • Show as set or bulleted list Contrast • Show as table Chain Tree = Hierarchy AKO AKO AKO AKO Sequence • Show as scale, numbered list, sequence of boxes Cycle = Helix • Show as loop Kind Tree =Taxonomy • Show as tree diagram Part Tree = Partonomy • Show as tree diagram Key: AKO = is a kind of APO = is a part of AFO= is a feature of

8. Word fields • Word Fields =Semantic Fields=Lexical Fields • A word field is a set of relations between concepts or word(s) • It is a conceptual structure e.g. • City/country is a word field unified a relation of opposite meaning • Hamlet/village/town/city is a word field organised on a scale of increasing size • Alan Cruse has performed a systematic overview of word fields – his terminology has been simplified here

9. Clusters • Word field with low degree of contrast e.g. • amble, stroll, saunter, … • brave, courageous, fearless, heroic, plucky, … • rap, tap, knock, slap, crack, bang, thump, … • odd, queer, strange, weird, alien, … • Best represented as a set or as a bulleted list (next slide) • In concept maps a cluster can be a set of features associated with a concept which has no apparent structure – best shown as bulleted list tap rap knock

10. Example: voice quality Voice quality • Voice quality • tense/relaxed • loud/soft • high/low • rough/smooth • breathy/non-breathy • vibrato/plain • nasal/non-nasal AFO tense/relaxed loud/soft high/low rough/smooth breathy/non-breathy vibrato/plain nasal/non-nasal OR Key: AFO = is a feature of Adapted from Speech, Music, Sound, T van Leeuwen (1999London: Palgrave Macmillan, p151

11. Contrasts: opposites • Complementaries: e.g. • dead: alive; true: false • Converses: e.g. • buy:sell; parent: child • Polar opposites: e.g. • long: short; high: low; hot: cold • Reversives: e.g. • rise: fall; dress: undress; open: close • Best shown as a table with features of each opposite listed underneath

12. Example: conceptions of media Adapted from The Business of Media, D Croteau and W Hovnes (2001) Thousand Oaks, CA: Pine Forge Press, p37. Q. Are Sky and BBC really polar opposites? What about ITV, C4, Five?

13. Concepts and conceptions • Scholars may agree over the usefulness of concepts such as ‘media’, ‘institution’, ‘audience’ and society • However they may have different conceptions of these concepts • Concepts unify a field of study but rival conceptions divide it • Different conceptions of a concept can be most economically shown in a contrast table rather than a diagram i.e. a conception map

14. Example: sociological theories

15. Chains • Chains: series of terms that can be placed on a line e.g. • Stages in time e.g. • birth, life, death; nursery, primary, secondary; events as source, path, goal • Sequences in space e.g. • elbow, forearm, wrist, hand; core, mantle, crust • Measures e.g. • bit, byte, kilobyte, megabyte, terabyte • Ranks e.g. • teacher, principal teacher, depute head, head • Cycles (or helices): e.g. • spring, summer, autumn, winter • Best represented as a linear sequence or a cycle

16. Example: 4-act structure Time Adapted from Storytelling in the New Hollywood, K Thompson (1999) Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press.

17. Example: The Hero’s Journey The Hero(ine)’s Journey is used by scriptwriters as a template for many mainstream Hollywood movies. Adapted from The Hero with a Thousand Faces, J Campbell (1949) Novato, CA: New World Library.

18. Trees (or hierarchies) • Kind tree (taxonomy) – categorisation using superordinate and subordinate categories • Part-tree (partonomy) – breaking a whole into its main parts and sub-parts • How you categorise or partition depends on educational context (subject, age, stage)

19. Part-tree (partonomy) BODY APO APO APO Limbs Head Trunk APO APO APO APO APO Leg Arm Face Ears Hair AKO APO APO Shoulder Upper Arm Elbow Bold words are basic level categories: words we most commonly use and the first we learn Note that this would be better represented by a labelled diagram of a human body. Key: APO = a part of

20. Problem of tree ‘spread’ BODY APO APO APO Limbs Head Trunk APO APO APO APO APO Leg Arm Face Ears Hair APO APO Thigh Knee Shin Calf Ankle Foot Shoulder Upper Arm Elbow Forearm Wrist Hand Key: APO = is a part of At the foot of a tree use a ‘ladder’

21. headline copy Example: print ad elements images (photographs, pack shot of product, graphics) slogan (strapline) logo

22. Kind-tree (taxonomy) TABLEWARE AKO AKO AKO Cutlery Crockery Table linen AKO AKO AKO AKO AKO AKO AKO AKO Fork Knife Spoon Cup Plate Bowl Napkin Table cloth AKO AKO AKO Teaspoon Soupspoon Tablespoon Bold words are basic level categories: words we most commonly use and the first we learn Key: AKO = is a kind of

23. Example: differential decoding AUDIENCE DECODINGS Key: AKO = is a kind of AEO = is an example of AKO AKO AKO AKO Dominant decoding = preferred reading - agrees with intended preferred meanings Oppositional decoding - understands pre-ferred meanings but disagrees with them Negotiated decoding - agrees with some of preferred meanings & disagrees with others Aberrant decoding - misunderstands preferred meaning(s) because of different cultural back-ground/lack of knowledge AEO AEO AEO AEO Viewing ad as promoting unhealthy addictive food as well as consumerist ideology Child viewing ad and thinking product comes straight from the field Uncritical acceptance of Muller Little Stars ad’s message Understandiing the ad’s message about health properties of yoghurt but thinking that its sweet taste will not be beneficial

24. Constrained concept maps • Can have many links so it is a good idea to apply Occam’s razor (parsimony) to the types of link: • e.g. restrict links to around 5 types: • is a kind of (AKO) • is part of (APO) • is a feature of (AFO) • is an example of (AEO) • arrowed line with no link word (leads to) • Parsimony works well in subjects such as computing but is less easy in media studies and other social sciences

25. Planning constrained maps • AKO: for each concept think of superordinate and subordinate categories • APO: for each concept think of superordinate and subordinate parts • AFO: what are the key features that pupils need to know? • AEO: think of real world example in pupils’ experience • Questions: should you place a kind-tree and a part-tree on the same map? • Questions: might a part-tree be better represented as a labelled image?

26. Applications of concept maps • Clarification of one’s own conceptual understanding • Unifying departmental approaches • Advanced organisers and summaries • Better for poor readers • Diagnosis of conceptual misunderstandings • Encourages deep meaningful learning rather than surface rote learning • Encourages students to create and reflect on their own maps • Shows how concepts are stored in experts’ minds • Can use graphics as well as words and colour to help understanding on concept map • Encourages metacognition and lifelong learning

27. Concept map integrating KAs TEXTS Categories Language Narrative Representations construct mode of address & preferred meanings TECHNOLOGY used by/ decoded by applying cultural knowledge create/ encode AUDIENCE differential decoders with needs MEDIA INSTITUTIONS with purposes feedback UGC: user-generated content SOCIETY Institutions, relationships & culture (lived cultures + texts) MONEY influences influences

28. Circuit of meaning expanded TEXTS CATEGORIES: purpose, medium, form, genre, tone, style. … LANGUAGE: technical/cultural codes & their motivations & interactions e.g. anchorage. NARRATIVE: content organisation; narrative structure & narrative codes REPRESENTATIONS: stereotypes & non-stereotypes; ; hegemony; dominant/oppositional ideologies Construct: Mode of address Preferred meanings used by/decoded by applying cultural knowledge create/encode MEANING INSTITUTION • creative personnel, deadlines, resources • financial controllers (budget, income from sales, subscription, advertising; license fee) • ownership & purposes (commercial, public service, alternative) • controls (legal & regulatory compliance, market) • AUDIENCE • target audience • needs, uses & pleasure • differential decoders (personality, gender, age, class, ethnicity, religion, nationality, taste, cultural capital) • producers create UGC feedback TECHNOLOGY • technologies of production, distribution & consumption CAPITAL SOCIETY • institutions, relationships & culture (lived culture + texts) at specific times in specific places influences influences

29. Bibliography Bordwell, D. (1989) Making Meaning: Inference Rhetoric in the Interpretation of Cinema. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press. Chapter 5 contains an accessible summary of Cruse’s ideas. Cruse, D. A. (1986) Lexical Semantics. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Key text on semantic fields but has a lot of difficult terminology. Cruse, D. A. (2000) Meaning in Language: An Introduction to Semantics and Pragmatics. Oxford: Oxford University Press. University level linguistics text book. Finch, J. (2006) Inspiration in the Classroom: Curriculum-based Activity Plans. Beaverton, Or: Inspiration Software Inc. Purchase from www.inspiration.com website. McQuail, D. & Windahl, S. (1993) Communication Models for the Study of Mass Communication (2nd edition). London: Routledge. Novak, J. & Gowin, D. B. (1984) Learning How to Learn. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Key text on concept mapping. Novak, J. (1998) Learning, Creating and Using Knowledge: Concept Maps as Facilitative Tools in School and Corporations. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates. Novak, J. D. & Cañas, A. J. (2006) The Theory Underlying Concept Maps and How to Construct Them. Florida Institute for Human and Machine Cognition. Available at: http://cmap.ihmc.us/Publications/ResearchPapers/TheoryUnderlyingConceptMaps.pdf