3). Hierarchy is now clearly established, the core concepts are identified, essential elements to answer the focus question are present on the map with adequate terminology and appropriate connectors are used. We observe that the concept of “cellular respiration” is present on

the map. It is not required to answer the focus question, but nevertheless indicates more integrated and complex learning. Based on the taxonomy proposed by Krathwohl and co-workers, this study proposes a precise, rigorous, and operational characterization of skills exercised during the MS-275 price elaboration of context-dependent and hierarchically structured concept maps. As described above, this is an instructional and metacognitive Panobinostat tool proposing a possible path for knowledge construction. In addition it allows sCM designers to pay attention to the cognitive processes and types of knowledge

involved during the process of sCM elaboration. As described, organizing sCM requires acquisition of specific terms, adequate exemplifying, explaining and comparing different scientific notions, terms or concepts. In addition, learners have to reorganize and connect elements together (transfer of knowledge) to answer a particular new focus question. During this process, skills of different taxonomic levels are exercised. Most of them correspond to high order thinking skills and involve complexes cognitive processes. The cognitive efforts required to develop these are hard to achieve. Constructing sCM is rarely a purely individual task, but rather engages both students and teachers in an active cognitive processing (Novak, 2010 and Nesbit and Adescope, 2006). Indeed, it forces them to pay attention to and discuss between peer students, peer student–teachers or peer expert teachers, which information to keep as relevant, how to graphically integrate it into existing knowledge and which connector will be used, in order to precisely answer the focus question. As observed in psychology (Duro et Carbohydrate al., 2013) or in medical courses (West et al., 2000), whilst people advocate the value of their

choices to connect any particular concept with one other in a specific way, or to choose specific concept or connecting word, meaningful learning is fostered in general, and critical thinking in particular. For all these reasons, the process of map construction is at least as important as the final product (Kinchin, 2008), and “the benefits of spending time on integrating prior understanding are likely to exceed the benefits of acquiring new knowledge that mainly remain isolated and unconnected” (Kinchin, 2010). This point is fundamental and served as the basis in elaboration of sCM matrix. The tasks learner accomplish when constructing sCM helps them to move from a linear knowledge to a structured network. This evolution in the structure of knowledge allows threshold concepts to emerge (Kinchin, 2010).