This study was designed to assess whether concept maps used with diabetic patients could describe their cognitive structure, before and after having followed an educational programme. Ten diabetic patients, in Paris and Geneva, were interviewed and, during the interview, a concept map was drawn up by the researcher, using the patient's words. This was done on three different occasions: the first day of the educational programme (Pre-evaluation), the last day (Post 1) of a week of education, then 3 to 4 months after education (Post 2). Twenty-eight maps were analysed, using a grid that quantified and qualified the knowledge expressed (knowledge categories, concept links, exactitude) and the organization of that knowledge (hierarchization of concept, cross-links). The examples shown in the maps of the 10 patients gave an illustration of how knowledge was developed or maintained with education, and also showed some learning difficulties encountered by the patients, the changes or preservation of their beliefs and the patients' preoccupations. This study shows that concept maps can be a suitable technique to explore the type and organization of the patients' prior knowledge and to visualize what they have learned after an educational programme.
Me s s a g e s -c l é s • Les théories cognitives de l' a p p rentissage apportent un éclairage sur la façon dont l' a p p renant construit ses connaissances. En effet, l'organisation des connaissances
Mots clésC a rte conceptuelle ; organisation des connaissances ; apprentissage signifiant ; évaluation de l' a p p rentissage ; planification de l'enseignement ; éducation thérapeutique du patient.
Key Me s s a g e s • The theories of cognitive psyc h o l o gy enlighten the process by which a learner built his knowledge. The organization of k n owledge constitutes an essential step of the development of expertise. • Concept mapping is one of the possible ways to display the cognitive scaffolding and consequently the knowledge organization. • Concept mapping offers many adva n t a g e s :it promotes meaningful learning among students, it helps the teacher in structuring his course and curriculum, it
Keys Wo rd sConcept mapping; knowledge organization; meaningful learning; learning assessment; instructional planning; patient therapeutic education.
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