Part I – Fundamental concepts

1. Data, information, knowledge and communication
  1.1 Data
  1.2 Information
  1.3 Knowledge
     1.3.1 Why do we say that knowledge is created?

     1.3.2 Types of knowledge
     1.3.3 Knowing and "being aware of"
  1.4 Information and communication

  1.5 Using the voice as a communication means in concept maps
2. Knowledge representation

  2.1 Conceptualization
  2.2 Reasoning mechanisms
  2.3 Memory and learning
     2.3.1 Long term memory
     2.3.2 Short term memory or “working memory”
     2.3.3 The relationship between long term memory and  working memory
     2.3.4 Learning and memory organization
     2.3.5 Attention and perceptive selection
     2.3.6 Hierarchy and reticularity

3. The principles of cognitive psychology

 Part II – Concept maps

4 Concept maps
  4.1 The reason of being of concept maps
  4.2 In the end... what is it a concept map?
  4.3 Advantages of using concept maps
     4.3.1 In preparing phases of educational activities
     4.3.2 In classroom activities
     4.3.3 Using concept maps in learning or in personal cognitive research
     4.3.4 The map as an assessment tool
5. History of concept maps
6. General features and components of concept maps 
  6.1 Concepts characteristics
  6.2 Relations characteristics.
     6.2.1 Relation types

     6.2.1 The relation type is the cognitive part of an answer
  6.3. A deeper insight of a concept
  6.4. Concept examples or instances
  6.5. Concept types - categorization
     6.5.1. A rational use of color and shape - when color and shape have sense and contribute to the perception of meaning
     6.5.2. The correct use of color, geometry and symbol sizes
     6.5.3. Important aspects in the selection of geometrical symbols and colors
     6.5.4. Color selection
  6.6. Using images and animations to represent concepts and their instances
  6.7. Semantic paths
     6.7.1. The role of interaction with semantic paths
     6.7.2. The concept of semantic path
     6.7.3. Why do we say "identifying" and not "creating” the paths?
     6.7.4. Resources for cognitive paths identification
        6.7.4.1. The inductive mode
        5.7.4.2. The semiautomatic mode
  6.8. Dimensions or sub-maps (layers) - the contexts
  6.9 The concept map, is it to be read?
7 Conceptual knowledge bases
  7.1 What is a conceptual knowledge base?
  7.2 Advantages of using conceptual knowledge bases
8 Using multimedia and external documents
  8.1 Using multimedia resources independently
9 The quality of a concept map. The well made map
10 Creating a concept map

  10.1 Creating a concept map from scratch
  10.2 Creating a map from a template
  10.3 The “acid test”: analyzing the map we have made
  10.4 How to teach concept mapping to students
     10.4.1 Identifying the concepts to be included in the map
     10.4.2 Connecting the concepts that we think are related

     10.4.3 Assigning the proper relation type to every relation
     10.4.4 Looking for a pleasant organization of the map
     10.4.5 Assigning to every concept the concept type or category that suits it better
     10.4.6 Other complementary and optional aspects
     10.4.7 Aspects to avoid in the construction of a concept map
     10.4.8 Strategies to initiate students in map construction

  10.5 More frequent errors in concept maps construction

11 Creativity and concept maps
10 Searching inside the map
  10.1 Semantic searching
  10.2 Full text searching
  10.3 Concept type searching

 Part III – Teaching with concept maps

12. Teaching: with which methods can we enhance learning?
  12.1 The concept map as a guide to present a subject
     12.1.1 The basic or, “incomplete” map.
     12.1.2 The “complete” or master map
     12.1.3 The “complete” or master map of a very circumscribed topic
     12.1.4 The teacher's map as a reference basis for the student's assessment
     12.1.5 Maps that present analogies oriented to the inference or deduction of new concepts
     12.1.6 The full map, produced by  the students and the teacher all together
     12.1.7 Common features of previous methods
     12.1.8 How not to use the maps in educational environments, in the classroom or at distance
  12.2 The maps in curriculum and course organization
     12.2.1 From the details to the generalities (bottom-up)
     12.2.2 From the generalities to the details (top-down)
     12.2.3 Only the general organization
     12.2.4 Advantages of course organization with concept maps
  12.3 Maps assessment and assessing with maps
     12.3.1 Criteria for the quantitative assessment of concept maps
  12.4. Assessing the student's concept map
     12.4.1 Generic assessment
     12.4.2 Comparing with a model or master map
     12.4.3 Scoring concept maps
     12.4.4 Some interesting "field" observations
     12.4.5 Indirect effects of using concept maps in the student's general assessment 
     12.4.6. The concept map automatic assessment
13. Brainstorming
  13.1. Brainstorming: individual or group?
  13.2 Some simple rules to make the group brainstorming work better

  13.3 Brainstorming at school
  13.4 Organizing brainstorming

 Part IV– Learning with concept maps

14 Learning with concept maps
  14.1 Other reasons that support learning with concept maps
  14.2 Student motivation

  14.3 Direct interaction with the map, using the technology resources

    14.3.1 Control questions

      14.3.1.1 Rationality and optimization of control questions

      14.3.1.2 Validity and importance of the method

    14.3.2 Using semantic paths

    14.3.3 The presentation of the most relevant concepts

  14.4 Searching

    14.4.1 Semantic searching

    14.4.2 Full text searching (local and global)

    14.4.3 Searching by concept types or categories

  14.5 Other ways of learning with reduced support of technology

    14.5.1 Preparing exercises oriented to the development of analogical thinking

    14.5.2 Preparing a text or an essay from a map

    14.5.3 Preparing a map from an essay

    14.5.4 Narrative description of the map cognitive structure

    14.5.5 Discussing the map with the students

    14.5.6 Preparing the exercises

15 Visual learning: the secret for remembering
  15.1 Visual perception
  15.2 Visual abilities
  15.3 Visual alphabets
  15.4 Visual learning with concept maps
16 Active learning
  16.1 Possible knowledge assessment oriented exercises with the maps 
  16.2 Usefulness of concept maps as a study resource for students
  16.3 Results of learning with concept maps

 Part V – Other graphical resources used in learning

17. Other graphical paradigms used in learning
  17.1. Mind maps
  17.2. Specialized or standardized diagrams
     17.2.1. Flow diagrams

     17.2.2. Cause-effect diagrams
     17.2.3. Process diagrams

     17.2.4. Comparison diagrams

Part VI – Specific uses of concept maps in learning

18 Concept maps as an educational tool to improve learning of students with learning impairments (disabilities or differentialities)
  18.1 The attention deficit disorder (ADD)
  18.2 Dyslexia
  18.3 Pre-linguistic deafness

  18.4 An experience in Rome - 2004
  18.5 Maps and reading understanding 
  18.6 Prewriting
  18.7 Problem solving

 Part VII – Related issues of maps and learning

19. Concept maps and hypertext: the necessary (ideal) hypertext, the probable hypertext and concept maps
  19.1. Comparing the concept map and hypertext structural models
  19.2. Comparing both navigation models
  19.3. Comparing both models' semantic power
  19.4. Real time adaptivity to the user

  19.5. Concept maps, hypertext and learning
20. The computer in learning environments
  20.1. Learning oriented software
     20.1.1. The hand-made maps
     20.1.2. General considerations on teaching strategies
     20.1.3. When the computer is absent among learning tools
  20.2. Internet and learning
     20.2.1. Characteristics of Internet as a learning tool and specifically with concept maps
     20.2.2. Concept maps and Internet

     20.2.3  The Internet concept map: the web semantic map

     20.2.4  XML: the web semantics

[ New in the second edition (April, 2007) ]

21. Uniqueness of knowledge management

  21.1 Tacit knowledge and its main component: know-how

  21.2 Knowledge management in business. Organizational learning.

     21.2.1 One fundamental aspect of enterprise knowledge is tacit knowledge

     21.2.2 Knowledge sharing

     21.2.3 The knowledge management project

     21.2.4 Process management

     21.2.5 Areas of application in the enterprise

     21.2.6 The results of using KM methods and strategies

  21.3 Knowledge management in the law office

     21.3.1 Features of legal knowledge

     21.3.2 Teaching and learning law contents through knowledge management methods

   21.4 Knowledge management in the library, in the information center, in the digital library and in information brokerage centers

     21.4.1 Facilitating user's interaction with the "knowledge base"

     21.4.2 Knowledge Master produces conceptual knowledge bases

     21.4.3 Contents management and document management

Appendix A. Exemplification of concept extraction from a text document
Appendix B. Brief description of other knowledge representation paradigms
Appendix C. An example of how a paradigm is born 

Bibliography

Glossary