The Bridge between Learners and Teachers

We strive for deep learning, but we observe poor connection and fading memories

Timeline illustration

Hypothesis

If we can design a means to naturally and efficiently map out the evolving understanding of concepts that closely matches how the brain works, then we can provide a structure:

  • for students to scaffold their learning on prior knowledge;
  • for teachers to help assess levels of learning by accessing a much deeper view of the current state of knowledge acquisition.

Design Requirements

Coherent with human cognition

  • Represent levels of abstractions;
  • Represent different types of relations between information.

Flexible, semi-structured

  • Build from a partial understanding;
  • Reorganize as things make more sense;
  • Support divergent and convergent thinking (creativity processes).

Efficient for a large amount of knowledge

  • Structures multiple thousands of concepts and relations;
  • Use the strength of the visual system, but avoid overload.

Smooth usage, multimodal

  • Stay in the flow;
  • Good first choice for most tasks to centralize work.

Collaborative

  • Support co-creation;
  • Build a common vision, up-to-date.
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Concept space illustration

Concept Space

A graphical workspace aiming to represent and manipulate mental representation in a way that closely resembles mental structures as informed by cognitive science.

** It is pretty different from a concept map!

Researches

Several areas of research are at the source of the design of concept space:

  • Epistemology;
  • Cognitive Science;
  • Socio-constructivism;
  • H.M.I. (Human Machine Interface);
  • Group Problem Solving;
  • Artificial Intelligence;
  • Expertise;
  • Vygotsky’s Activity Theory.*

    • Activity diagram

    *Diagram of Vygotsky’s Activity Theory.

    Articles and Publications

    Conferences and Presentations

    2024:

    • Canadian Engineering Education Association (CEEA). June 2024. Edmonton, Canada.
    • Association Internationale de Pédagogie Universitaire (AIPU). May 2024. Sherbrooke, Canada.

    2023:

    • Technopedagogical marathon of the Association pour les applications pédagogiques de l’ordinateur au postsecondaire (APOP). January 2023. Virtual.
    • Association québécoise de pédagogie collégiale (AQPC). February 2023. Virtual webinar.
    • General Education, Pedagogy and Assessment Conference, American Association of Colleges and Universities (AAC&U). February 2023. New-Orleans, United States.
    • Canadian Engineering Education Association (CEEA). June 2023. Kelowna, Canada.
    • Association québécoise de pédagogie collégiale (AQPC). June 2023. Rivière-du-Loup, Canada.
    • Society for Teaching and Learning in Higher Education (STLHE). June 2023. Charlottetown, Canada.

    2022:

    • Association Internationale de Pédagogie Universitaire (AIPU). May 2022. Rennes, France.
    • Canadian Engineering Education Association (CEEA). June 2022. Toronto, Canada.
    • Association québécoise de pédagogie collégiale (AQPC). June 2022. Laval, Canada

    What's Next?

    Our latest findings outline a high potential in improving education; we are welcoming everyone that wants to use concept-space, for improving education or for research.

    Future research ideas

    • Mesure long-term benefits of learning through concept-space construction and organization, including lifelong learning.
    • Study how concept-space provides an inclusive tool for both divergent and convergent learning styles, creativity.
    • Provide alternative learning assessment that can't be generated by AI (Chat GPT).
    • Develop detections of patterns in knowledge construction to help identify ADHD and giftedness (probably AI).

    Start the journey with Relate

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