New contexts for concept map assessment of classroom learning: Chinese business students’ conceptualisation of marketing

Abstract

Our study used concept maps to measure the sensitivity of pre- and post-instruction in the undergraduate Marketing Principles course within the Bachelor of Business Administration program delivered to 140 Chinese students in China in 2010. The instruction was in the form of a nine-day, thirty-six hour intensive workshop, comprising 28 lecture hours, five hours involving student oral presentation assessments and four hours computer lab time for online multiple choice question assessments. The actual mapping task was kept simple to reduce time for instruction and practice for students to develop skills in concept. Students were asked to construct concept maps – one at the beginning of the workshop period, another at the end - from scratch with minimal task constraints by using pen or pencil on the paper provided. Three scoring methods were used to assess pre- and post instruction learning – topic key word count, relational and holistic. Comparison of 102 completed paired concept maps before and after instruction revealed significant mean increases in the number of topic areas and propositions associated with marketing. This indicates conceptual growth after instruction. Students’ representations changed (improved) as the result of instruction. Case studies document the incidence of deep, surface and non-learning. Our study extends findings from educational and science disciplines to the business discipline. It also provides support for the use of concept maps in CHC contexts as a ‘value-added’ style of teaching