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Competency mapping When the technique is applied this way, it is not strictly correct to call it "concept mapping". The term implies that what is being measured is purely conceptual, but no assessment method captures pure conceptual understanding: there is always a practical element. Furthermore, computer programming is not in itself a pure theory subject. The ability to write useful, efficient and correct programs is more of a craft than a science. Because practical abilities such as proficiency with the compiler are likely to affect students' marks, it is to be expected that they should show up on the map --- indeed, for some tasks they might dominate the clustering pattern. "Competency mapping" is a better phrase. A competency is a practical ability that is informed to some degree by theoretical understanding: this is a much better model for assessment than any purely conceptual model. Although the aim of the assessment may be to work out the students' grasp of a concept, what is measured is of necessity the result of some practical process.

Concept mapping for introductory programming Thesis main page Introduction and background     Background: education     Assessment     Background: concept maps   Aims     Competency mapping     Benefits   Method and results     Data sets     Method     Results     Random data   Analysis and conclusions     Factor analysis     Cluster analysis     Methodological problems     A better test     Conclusion   Appendix I: Datasets Appendix II: Activities Appendix III: MDS coordinates Appendix IV: Data generation scripts   Bibliography

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