Concept Categorization Effect on a Reader’s Mental Knowledge Construction, based on a Text Comprehension Model

By Panagiotis Blitsas and Maria Grigoriadou.

Published by The Learning Collection

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Article: Electronic	$US5.00

In this study we investigated the way, in which the concept categorization affects on the
construction of knowledge in the subject of Computer Science, according to the text comprehension
model of Baudet & Denhière (1992). This model supports that a person reading a text builds gradually
its microstructure and macrostructure. Atoms, states and events help the knowledge construction in
microstructure, which consists of meronymic and taxonomic relations between properties (atoms) of
the technical system (relational structure) described in a Computer Science text. The microstructure
includes the analysis of the operations (macroevents) of the system units (transformational structure)
consisted of a series of events in time and describing how the system passes causally or temporally
from one state to another. The “state” is a static situation of a system unit, while the “event” is the
action that is responsible for the transition between the states. The macrostructure includes not only
the microstructure, but also goals/subgoals of the system units and their macroevents (teleological
structure). The transitions between the states meet predetermined objectives and each unit system is
designed to serve its own subgoal. The results of the research revealed the significance of the concept
categorization upon a reader’s mental knowledge construction and the alternative conceptions the
reader presents. Additionally, this work showed the importance of the distinction between physical
and abstract entities within the Computer Science subject to the reader’s teleological structure construction.

Keywords:	Concept Categorization, Relational Structure, Teleological Structure, Text Comprehension Model, Transformational Structure

The International Journal of Learning, Volume 17, Issue 12, pp.1-16. Article: Print (Spiral Bound). Article: Electronic (PDF File; 898.741KB).

Panagiotis Blitsas

Ph.D. Student, I.P.G.S. “Basic and Applied Cognitive Science”, Department of Informatics and Telecommunications, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Attiki, Greece

Panagiotis Blitsas is a MSc, Teacher of Informatics and Researcher at the Department of Informatics & Telecommunications of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens. He studied Informatics at the same department and had his postgraduate studies at the Interdisciplinary Program of Graduate Studies in “Basic and Applied Cognitive Science”. His current research focuses on Cognitive Text Comprehension Models in the context of Didactics of Computer Science, as well as on Semantic Analysis of Knowledge Content on Computer Science subjects.

Prof. Maria Grigoriadou

Professor, Department of Informatics and Telecommunications, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Attiki, Greece

M. Grigoriadou is a professor in Education and Language Technology at the Department of Informatics & Telecommunications of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens. Her research interests include Adaptive Learning Environments, Web-based Education, Intelligent Tutoring Systems, Educational Software, Natural Language Processing Tools and Computer Science Education. She is leading the Education and Language Technology Group (http://hermes.di.uoa.gr) of the Section of Computer Systems and Applications of the Department of Informatics & Telecommunications of the University of Athens. Research activities of the laboratory focus on the development of virtual learning environments.

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