INDEPENDENT LEARNING STRATEGIES

It is very important to be able to generate evidences of knowledge

according to the activities realized in an independent learning process.

We often have to make a commentary, an essay and even a concept map.

However, has somebody show us the best way to present such a kind of
evidence? 

Answering that question, I publish here a fragment of some readings about

how to present a commentary, an essay or a concept map, which are
strategies to generate evidence on an autonomous learning a process. I
present here these three strategies:

• CONCEPT MAP
  
• COMMENTARY
  
• TESTING
  

CONCEPT MAP
The Concept map is a cognitive technique created by Joseph D. Novak to
help learning to be more meaningful.

The objective of the concept maps is representing in a form of propositions,

meaningful relationships between concepts.  A proposition consists of two
or more terms concepts linked by a word to form a semantic unit. (Novak
and Gowin).

KEY ELEMENTS OF THE CONCEPTUAL MAP

According to its definition those are the key elements of a concept map:

A. Meaningful relationships representation.

It is important to understand that when we talk about “conceptual map” the

idea of map is
understood as a graphic or visual representation. It is like the road map of a
country in which cities are linked by lines that represent the communication
routs. On conceptual maps "cities" would be the concepts that are inside of
an ellipse or rectangle.
It is recommended to stand out the concepts with capitalized letters and
close it in ellipses to get more visual impact. The ellipse is more convenient
than the rectangle because of its form is softer to perception.

B. Concept, object and event.

The concept is regularity in events or objects, which are designated by a

term. (Novak)

What does it meant object and event?

When we talk about objects we refer to anything that exists and can be
watched
observed: dogs, wool, stars, a chair ... etc. Now, event is understood as
something that happens or can be prompted: a bolt, a football match,
education, concept maps, atomic fission, warriors ... etc, those are events.

From this perspective, concepts are mental images produced by the words
or signs which we use to express regularities. Mental images have common
characteristics in everybody, however they have particular nuances too,
concepts are not the same for everybody
although we use the same words. The meaning of car for a farmer is not the
same that the meaning of the same word for a Formula 1 racer.

C. Proposition.

A proposition consists of two or more conceptual terms (concepts) linked by

words to form a semantic unit. (Novak)

As we learn before in a concept map we try to represent, meaningful

relationships among concepts in the form of propositions. A very simple
concept map would consist of two concepts linked by a word; this three
elements form a proposition. For example: The phrase “The house is big”,
can be represented by a simple concept map forming a proposition relating
the concepts “house” and “great.
D. Linking words.

The linking words used to connect concepts and to indicate the kind of
relationship among them. (Novak) It is important in the construction of a
conceptual map, to differentiate to conceptual terms and words that
produce mental images and express regularities, from the linking words,
which join the concepts, but do not cause mental images.

According to the last example, the proposition "the house is big," the
conceptual terms "big" and "house" are likened by the word “is”.

When the problem situation to represent is more complicated, the concept

map is more complex too , it means, a big number of concepts and
relationships appear.

How should understand the proper nouns in the construction of conceptual

maps? Unlike the conceptual terms, related with mental images and
regularities, proper names do not express regularities and are more specific
concepts.

E. Hierarchy organization

A huge part of meaningful learning is achieved through the assimilation of

new information to the cognitive structure of a non-arbitrary way.
 Example 1. Conceptual map

In the process of progressive differentiation of concepts on the map, it is

recommended to start from the general and inclusive concepts to
subordinates and specific concepts.

Diagram of progressive
differentiation.
 Example of conceptual progressive differentiate

RELATIONSHIPS AMONG THE CONCEPTS

In a concept map each concept appears just once.

Relations among concepts can change depending on the different learning

contexts. For that reason occasionally, the rubber membrane analogy is
used to explain that in a concept map, any concept can be "rise" of position
and keeping a significant propositional relationship among the concepts in
the map.

Now you can check a conceptual map in which you can identify the concepts
and relationships, according to: Definition, components and characteristics
of a conceptual map.
COMMENT

The comment is a kind of text which consists in assessment or

personal evaluation of a referent of reality or a text that we had
interpreted. The comment, just like the summary, is the construction
of a text on another text, through the following process:

Text 2
Comment
Text 1 Interpretation of the text 1 Summary of the text 1
Creating the text

An author writes a text and a reader interprets its meaning,

associates it with a system of moral values and produces a text in
which explain to what parts from the text you agree and what parts
from the text you disagree, besides, express what you think about
the interpreted text. To make a comment you must read the text
comprehensively, because you can’t comment on a text whose
meaning doesn’t entirely understand.

According to the above, we can define the comment as a kind of text

that you show like evaluation of information (content) of a read text
and of your way of expression (coherence, organization, clarity,
correct lexical grammatical, etc.).

RECOMMENDATIONS FOR ITS ELABORATION

Comprehensive reading of the text:

Interpretation its semantic structure (fear, sub-themes, thematic
propositions)

Assessment of the read text:

The significance expressed by the author is perceived for the reader,
establishing cause-effect relationship between the elements which
information presents, then separate facts and opinions and make a
difference between what is true and false and what is real or
imaginary.

Elaboration of the comment text:

After performing the previous process of analysis or examination of
the text read, the reader constructs the new text, correlating the
meaning interpreted with your system of moral values.
THE COMMENT'S COMPONENTS

The text written ‘comment’ consists of the following components:

1. Proposal of the theme or introduction, which aims to

capture the reader's attention.

2. Development, which contains the analysis of the theme of the

read text in
Sub-themes

3. Critical judgment on each sub-theme, which is done by means

of reasoning, facts, logical judgments.

4. Conclusion, which can be a solution, a logical consequence

or a prediction.

This order is very flexible, you can begin for the solution or for the
critical judgment, besides, the analysis in sub-themes and the
critical judgment, generally, go together, because there is a sub-
theme with its assessment.

TYPES OF COMMENTS

Informative

They expose the fact precise and clear. Predominate the narrative
structure with participation of the enunciative, because it informs
facts. Example: Comments on a working meeting; with this kind of
comment can show an evidence team work to development of an
indicated activity.

Interpretative

This type of comment, besides to the story of the facts, you include
reasons or arguments related to the facts, they are useful for
accomplishing your assessment. Its structure is narrative and
argumentative. Example: Comment on the students' work, of the
classmates, of a visit, of a presented report, etc.
Argumentative

In this kind of comment the author propose get convince to the

reader in order that you admit your point of view like true. For
this reason, prevail argumentative structure. This type of
comment often is associated with the points of view that an
author exposes when he writes an essay.
CHARACTERISTICS

Impersonal. It must not be written in singular first person. Generally

they do not sign, this attribute can be observed in the editorials of
newspapers.
Style clear and simple without expositive indifference, but without
sentimentalism. Language precise, not pendant or so much elaborate.
Short sentences and not complex.
Short paragraphs.

THE ESSAY

The term comes from the Latin Exaglum that means thinking,
developing, undertaking or trying an idea or point of view.

Like literary genre, the essay is a text written in prose, usually

short, which examine and comment without systematic rigor but
with depth and maturity, the personal interpretation on a literary,
artistic, historic, psychological, philosophical, scientific or pedagogic
theme. The mission of the essay is to present issues and to indicate
roads, more than establishing firm solutions, in this sense, reflect
the style of who writes it, generally supported in texts or in other
authors' ideas, to produce an own thought.

CHARACTERISTICS

Structure: Generally is free. Each author determines the way to

expose, to arrange and to order ideas or thesis although should
have:

Introduction: Present or describe the theme or problem that goes

to develop or sustaining.

Development: Show the themes through segments and

paragraphs.

Conclusion: Summary, solution, recommendation or final comment.

Extension: In general, your extension relatively short (between 3

and 10 pages) although sometimes acquires the dimension of a
book.
Style: It must be logical and pleasant. Careful and elegant.
Presenting valid arguments, judgments, deep, critics and personal
points of view.

Tone: It must be deep, poetical, rhetorical, satirical, and humoristic.

It must be endowed in imagination, creativity, sensibility, specific
knowledge of the theme and correct master of the idiom.

TYPES OF ESSAYS

Pure essay: Its purpose is the exposition of ideas, communicating

ideas, reflections or thoughts of political, religious, pedagogic, with
intensity but without rigor methodological.

Poetic essay: It is written with sensibility and fantasy to create

fictitious worlds that the author uses to express the ideas. Prevail
the poetical than conceptual.

Critical essay: Deep reflection about a determined theme which

the author exposes his ideas. Generally has the purpose of
examining and analyze themes politic, pedagogic, religious, etc.

PROCESS FOR ITS ELABORATION

1. Planning: Delimiting the object of writing, that is, to select an

interesting theme, reflecting on it and looking for the bibliographic
resources to support the personal ideas.

2. Preparation: Related to:

Thinking: Brainstorm about topic, classification, ranking and

selection the ideas.

Organizing ideas: Identifying the key idea (or main) and the
secondary ideas.

Designing the structure of the essay: It can be a conceptual

map, a plan, a sketch, a map or a net of ideas.
3. Composition: The composition of an essay implies:

The exposition of the basic argument: The fact that you will
support the essay and you will captivate the reader, it can’t surpass
of the 20 words. The initial thesis should be clear, simple, short,
and direct.

b. The choice of the format of essay: In this way

Conventional: Fluent text in paragraphs.
Fragmented: Different points of view about the same theme.
c. The construction of the paragraphs: The main idea can be
developed:

Examples
Contrast of elements that conforms the thesis

Development of paragraphs for framework. The reader is guided

toward the main idea that author wrote in a paragraph.

d. Choice of the style of paragraph: Perhaps:

Narrative or chronological. When narrate facts through time.
Expositive – argumentative. The objective is to persuade the
reader that the thesis is true.
Descriptive. Implicate the reader through of the creation of
environments and atmospheres that describe landscapes, people,
and places.

e. Analysis and selection of bibliographic sources: They

serve as support to express main ideas.

f. Selection of connectors: To link paragraphs or ideas. These

can be of:

Cause-effect: Then, therefore, as a consequence, consequently,

well then, to cause of, for this reason, to cause of.
Contrast: But, still, although, to difference of, of another part,
nevertheless, yet, in spite of, if good, in the meantime than,
nevertheless, however, on the other hand.
Synthesis: In short, in that order of ideas, summing up, in
synthesis.
Re-confirmation: That is, this is, that is, said in other words,
better still.
Time: First of all, first of all, when, next, after, finally, in order to
come to an end.
Similitude: Likewise, just the same, in the same way.
Addition: And, or, also, besides, even, it is true.
Conclusion: In short, finally, in conclusion, finally, in order to
finish.
Emphasis: In fact, I eat, really.
Example: For example, this is, in other words, such as.
Sequence: First, second...

g. Relation of appointments: According to the obtained

information to enlarging or explaining an idea.

h. Title: Have a very clear mission: attracting and seducing the

reader. Should be insinuating invitation to the reading. Some
ideas to find the appropriate title are: Rereading the essay
completely and writing on a paper, by way of brainstorm, five
titles. It is not commendable to use the theme for title. Looking
for a suggestive, insinuating, subtle title that only gives an idea of
the essay, but, at the same time to create uncertainty. Underline
ideas or words what that are repeated and use them as part of
the title. Finally is recommendable thinking in a title that
summarizes the general idea of the essay.

i. Finalization: Is recommended to finish the essay, synthesizing

in simple form the idea of the initial argument that, after all, it was
the one that defended. The conclusion can be also an invitation
to the reader to develop actions related with the theme. Before
closing for the essay, it is convenient to revise the text and to do
adjustments, precisions and necessary implementations.