Evidence of Student Learning: Comparison of Initial and Final Knowledge Maps

The diversity of course assessments include a creative snapshot of “before” and “after.” Within the first weeks of the course, students create an “initial knowledge map” to illustrate the knowledges they regularly access, the origins of these knowledges, and the ways they validate these knowledges. They are encouraged to re-examine their knowledge as they reflect on the progress of their learning. At the end of the course students create a “final knowledge map” that illustrates any changes in their ways of knowing. As instructors, we use this glimpse into transformative learning to reflect on course delivery and make revisions. Students can use this assignment to observe the trajectory of their learning journey and to gain understanding of how they know what they know.

Here is an example of a student’s initial and final Knowledge ​​Map from 2020 course offering:

This example and the one that follows from the Winter 2024 delivery of IESS 1001H consistently indicate students’ creativity, deep reflection, and an expansion of personal knowledges.

*Drag the image slider at the bottom to the right to see the final Knowledge Map.*