• Corpus ID: 248301

Using Fuzzy Cognitive Maps to Support Complex Environmental Issues Learning

@inproceedings{Gordaliza2013UsingFC,
  title={Using Fuzzy Cognitive Maps to Support Complex Environmental Issues Learning},
  author={Jos{\'e} A. Resines Gordaliza and Rosa Eva Valle Fl{\'o}rez},
  year={2013}
}

• José A. Resines Gordaliza, Rosa Eva Valle Flórez
• Published 2013
• Education

The aim of this work is to explore the potential application of Fuzzy Cognitive Maps (FCMs) in the field of Science Education. FCMs are an artificial intelligence technique for modelling human knowledge in terms of causality. This study examines how a group of student teachers improve their perception of a complex socioscientific issue through activities based on FCMs. Forty students attending a teachertraining course were asked to build storylines imagining how their life would be in scenarios of high CO2 atmospherics levels. The main concepts and causal relationships involved in their narratives were identified and transformed into FCMs. From the analysis of these FCMs we could classify the main conceptual frameworks underlying the students’ narratives. In a subsequent workshop the internal consistency of the models was discussed and the scenarios were revised in order to be more plausible; finally, the students were asked to re-write their narratives. Analysis of these new texts showed a notable improvement of students’ system thinking skills.