Science Mapping as a Learning-by-Doing Educational Technology Tool for Doctoral Education

Abstract

The dynamic and fast-growing research literature is currently decreasing research student ability to pinpoint the relevant information and easily develop critical reflectivity. This article describes the experience of a beginner doctoral researcher using science mapping to perform efficiently a comprehensive literature review. The reported review includes the methodological steps, lessons learned, and difficulties faced under challenging review conditions: lack of any third-party support, lack of bibliometric training, and lack of reviewer research experience. The reported experience showed positive results in term of efficiency, rigor, time/effort, and learning value and highlighted how the process induced in the doctoral researcher self-learning, innovative thinking, reflectivity, and a push for novelty comparing to classical literature reviews. This experience successfully assesses science mapping as an educational technology tool for reviewing literature for lay researchers. The paper is a call to disseminate science mapping in doctoral courses as a learning-by-doing educational approach for literature reviews.

Learning by doing strategy for teaching computer hardware

“…Todas las organizaciones, incluidas las instituciones educativas, deben mantenerse actualizadas y cambiar para ser relevantes en el mercado. Como dice Edmunds, "necesitan reaccionar rápidamente a la revolución global, mientras que a nivel local y nacional tienen que mantenerse al día con las nuevas tecnologías y la competencia si quieren mantenerse a la vanguardia" [10]. Con la aparición de las tabletas a nivel mundial como dispositivos informáticos personales, las instituciones educativas, por lo tanto, deben examinar cómo pueden incorporar mejor estos nuevos dispositivos en los entornos de aprendizaje.…”