Concept mapping in a pharmacy communications course to encourage meaningful student learning

Objective. To create a concept mapping assignment that emphasizes meaningful learning and discourages rote memorization of course material, thereby improving student retention of pharmacy communications information. Design. Students in small groups created concept maps that demonstrated their understanding of major concepts taught in the course and their interrelationships. Assessment. Student assessment focused on the meaning that students derived from the material taught to them. Grading for 2 student concept maps was compared. Student perceptions of the assignment were sought and reported here. Conclusion. Incorporating a concept map assignment into an existing course requires a significant investment from instructors. The reward for faculty members is that students learn to understand abstract material and grapple with conceptual meanings so that they are challenged to move beyond rote memorization to meaningful learning.