About the SemNet Software
The SemNet software is a general purpose tool that allows individuals
to organize ideas about any topic in the form of a network of concepts
linked by named relations. The software is simple to use and is ideal for
personal or social knowledge construction, as well as for creating resource
and reference materials.
The SemNet software can be used in a variety of ways, including as a
learning tool, as an assessment tool, and as a diagnostic tool.
As a learning tool, students can use SemNet to do such things
as
- explore a net created by someone else
- mask the central concept (on the Concept menu) and use Random Jump
(on the Move menu) to test themselves on their ability to identify the
masked central concepts in their own or other nets
- create their own networks as they are learning about a topic (the activity
providing the highest payoff in learning)
- reflect upon, review and revise their ideas (also valuable)
- merge two or more different networks
- find the main ideas in a net by looking at concepts by embeddedness
(Display menu)
- examine the interconnectedness of ideas in a net by looking at the
ratio between # of instances and # of concepts (About Net on the Display
menu)
- review nets created by other students to see alternative perspectives
on the same ideas (this can be a surprisingly valuable exercise)
In general, we find that net construction by students can be done productively
by groups of 2 - 4 students. Their strengths and weaknesses often complement
one another and much peer tutoring occurs. Students who are using SemNet
as a learning tool are encouraged to make full use of their notes, books,
and references.
As an assessment tool, teachers can use SemNet to do such things
as:
- to create a printed test, first create a net on the desired topic,
flag certain concepts to appear on the printed test, mask the central concepts,
and print flagged concepts only (we prefer 6 concepts per page usually,
and click on 'compact screen' in the Print dialog to obtain the best display
in printed form)
- one can also mask related concepts and uncover them one at a time by
clicking on them, producing a partially masked list of related concepts
where students can be asked to fill in the blanks
- provide students with an empty net and ask them to create a net describing
a topic
- provide students with relations only and ask them to create a net describing
a topic
- provide students with relations and concepts only, and ask them to
link them together to create a net describing a topic
Assessments may be closed-book or open book. In our view, nets must
be reviewed and graded like essays. There is generally more than one correct
way to construct a net and some constructions may be more elegant or useful
than others. There are also incorrect instances and knowledge organizations.
As a diagnostic tool, teachers can ask students to construct
a net describing their understanding about topic X before they begin to
study topic X. This is best done individually but could involve small groups
if machines are limited. Students should do this exercise without using
any references because we are interested in the ideas they have in their
heads. Diagnostic nets often reveal interesting misconceptions.
We have provided an online SemNet tutorial that will guide you through the basics of making a semantic net. It is by no means comprehensive, but it will provide a basic understanding of the program. To access this tutorial please click on the icon below.
We welcome your suggestions for improvements to these SemNets.
