Author(s):
A core challenge in education is making the conceptual connections between different topics legible to students. We have developed and tested an interactive system, based on a computational model of an educational construct called a knowledge graph, that enables students to make connections among different concepts. The system, called ZotGraph, is an online platform that allows students to construct a knowledge graph by adding concepts and then connecting these concepts via labeled relationships (e.g., “climate change -> causes -> sea level rise”). The system features an array of tools to support navigating these graphs and merging graphs together to create team-wide or course-wide concept networks based on the aggregate of individual student contributions. We piloted the system with over 2000 students across seven offerings of two different undergraduate general education (GE) courses, one of which spanned topics in computing and sustainability, and another that provided an introduction to earth system science. The project has led to several publications, including analyses of 1) the network structures created by individual students as well as the role of each student’s individual contribution to the merged, course-wide network; 2) how the positioning of an individual student’s knowledge graph relative to the course-wide network can indicate the accuracy of that student’s individual contribution; and 3) how to use student-generated content to improve Wikidata, an open, public resource of structured knowledge. Together, these works demonstrate ways in which the ZotGraph system can improve education around systems thinking.
