CHANGES IN KNOWLEDGE STRUCTURES FROM BUILDING SEMANTIC NET VERSUS PRODUCTION RULE REPRESENTATIONS OF SUBJECT CONTENT

This study investigated the effects of using two different Mindtools f or representing the content of a course on the knowledge structures of the learners. Separate classes used production rule expert systems an d semantic networking software to represent the structure of content i n the same course. Pretest and posttest Pathfinder networks were gener ated to assess changes in the learners' knowledge structures. Posttest knowledge structures were better organized, with posttest nets being individualistic and mediated by individual differences in cognition. S tudents in the semantic network class possessed more hierarchical know ledge structures at the end of the course than the expert system group .