Joseph D. Novak
Encyclopedia
Joseph Donald Novak is an American educator, and Professor Emeritus
at the Cornell University
, and Senior Research Scientist at IHMC. He is known for his development of concept map
ping in the 1970s.
, an M.S. in Science Education in 1954 from the University of Minnesota
, and completed his graduate studies in Science Education & Biology at the University of Minnesota
in 1958.
Novak started teaching biology at Kansas State Teachers College at Emporia
from 1957 to 1959, and biology and teacher education courses at Purdue University
from 1959 to 1967. From 1967 to 1995, he was Professor of Education and Biological sciences at Cornell University
. Since 1998 he is also Visiting Senior Scientist, at the University of West Florida
, Institute for Human & Machine Cognition. Work with NASA, Navy, CIA(NIMA), etc. Further, he has consulted with more than 400 schools, universities and corporations, including recent current work with Procter and Gamble, and NASA, Dept. of Navy, and EPRI.
He has received a number of awards and honors including a 1998 Honorary Doctorate from The University of Comahue, Neuquén, Argentina, Honorary Doctorate, Public University of Navarra, Pamplona, Spain, 2002, Honorary Doctorate from the University of Urbino
in 2006, and the first award for contributions to science education from the Council of Scientific Society Presidents.
, educational studies
and knowledge creation and representation
. He has developed a theory of education to guide research and instruction, first published in 1977 and updated in 1998.
His latest research work includes studies on student’s ideas on learning and epistemology, and methods of applying educational ideas and tools (such as concept mapping) in corporate settings and distance learning programs. Present work includes the development of 'expert" concept maps to "scaffold' learning, using CMapping with Internet and other resources, providing A New Model for Education.
Since the 1970s Novak and his research team at Cornell University
has developed the technique of concept map
ping was developed by as a means of representing the emerging science knowledge of students. It has subsequently been used as a tool to increase meaningful learning in the sciences and other subjects as well as to represent the expert knowledge of individuals and teams in education, government and business.
Concept maps have their origin in the learning movement called constructivism
. In particular, constructivists hold that learners actively construct knowledge. Novak's work is based on the cognitive theories of David Ausubel
assimilation theory, who stressed the importance of prior knowledge in being able to learn new concepts.
Novak taught students as young as six years old to make concept maps to represent their response to focus questions such as "What is water?" "What causes the seasons?"
In his book Learning How to Learn, Novak states that "meaningful learning involves the assimilation of new concepts and propositions into existing cognitive structures."
Emeritus
Emeritus is a post-positive adjective that is used to designate a retired professor, bishop, or other professional or as a title. The female equivalent emerita is also sometimes used.-History:...
at the Cornell University
Cornell University
Cornell University is an Ivy League university located in Ithaca, New York, United States. It is a private land-grant university, receiving annual funding from the State of New York for certain educational missions...
, and Senior Research Scientist at IHMC. He is known for his development of concept map
Concept map
For concept maps in generic programming, see Concept .A concept map is a diagram showing the relationships among concepts. It is a graphical tool for organizing and representing knowledge....
ping in the 1970s.
Biography
Joseph Novak received an B.S. in Science and Mathematics in 1952 from the University of MinnesotaUniversity of Minnesota
The University of Minnesota, Twin Cities is a public research university located in Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota, United States. It is the oldest and largest part of the University of Minnesota system and has the fourth-largest main campus student body in the United States, with 52,557...
, an M.S. in Science Education in 1954 from the University of Minnesota
University of Minnesota
The University of Minnesota, Twin Cities is a public research university located in Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota, United States. It is the oldest and largest part of the University of Minnesota system and has the fourth-largest main campus student body in the United States, with 52,557...
, and completed his graduate studies in Science Education & Biology at the University of Minnesota
University of Minnesota
The University of Minnesota, Twin Cities is a public research university located in Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota, United States. It is the oldest and largest part of the University of Minnesota system and has the fourth-largest main campus student body in the United States, with 52,557...
in 1958.
Novak started teaching biology at Kansas State Teachers College at Emporia
Emporia State University
Emporia State University is a university in the city of Emporia in Lyon County, Kansas, just east of the Flint Hills.- History :...
from 1957 to 1959, and biology and teacher education courses at Purdue University
Purdue University
Purdue University, located in West Lafayette, Indiana, U.S., is the flagship university of the six-campus Purdue University system. Purdue was founded on May 6, 1869, as a land-grant university when the Indiana General Assembly, taking advantage of the Morrill Act, accepted a donation of land and...
from 1959 to 1967. From 1967 to 1995, he was Professor of Education and Biological sciences at Cornell University
Cornell University
Cornell University is an Ivy League university located in Ithaca, New York, United States. It is a private land-grant university, receiving annual funding from the State of New York for certain educational missions...
. Since 1998 he is also Visiting Senior Scientist, at the University of West Florida
University of West Florida
The University of West Florida, also known as West Florida and UWF, is a mid-sized public university located in Pensacola, Florida, United States. UWF is a member institution of the State University System of Florida. The University of West Florida is a Research University, which specializes in...
, Institute for Human & Machine Cognition. Work with NASA, Navy, CIA(NIMA), etc. Further, he has consulted with more than 400 schools, universities and corporations, including recent current work with Procter and Gamble, and NASA, Dept. of Navy, and EPRI.
He has received a number of awards and honors including a 1998 Honorary Doctorate from The University of Comahue, Neuquén, Argentina, Honorary Doctorate, Public University of Navarra, Pamplona, Spain, 2002, Honorary Doctorate from the University of Urbino
University of Urbino
The University of Urbino "Carlo Bo" is an Italian university located in Urbino, a walled hill-town in the region of Marche, located in the north-eastern part of central Italy. The university was founded in 1506, and currently has about 20,000 students, many of whom are from overseas...
in 2006, and the first award for contributions to science education from the Council of Scientific Society Presidents.
Work
Novak's research focused on human learningLearning
Learning is acquiring new or modifying existing knowledge, behaviors, skills, values, or preferences and may involve synthesizing different types of information. The ability to learn is possessed by humans, animals and some machines. Progress over time tends to follow learning curves.Human learning...
, educational studies
Education
Education in its broadest, general sense is the means through which the aims and habits of a group of people lives on from one generation to the next. Generally, it occurs through any experience that has a formative effect on the way one thinks, feels, or acts...
and knowledge creation and representation
Knowledge representation
Knowledge representation is an area of artificial intelligence research aimed at representing knowledge in symbols to facilitate inferencing from those knowledge elements, creating new elements of knowledge...
. He has developed a theory of education to guide research and instruction, first published in 1977 and updated in 1998.
His latest research work includes studies on student’s ideas on learning and epistemology, and methods of applying educational ideas and tools (such as concept mapping) in corporate settings and distance learning programs. Present work includes the development of 'expert" concept maps to "scaffold' learning, using CMapping with Internet and other resources, providing A New Model for Education.
Concept map
Cornell University
Cornell University is an Ivy League university located in Ithaca, New York, United States. It is a private land-grant university, receiving annual funding from the State of New York for certain educational missions...
has developed the technique of concept map
Concept map
For concept maps in generic programming, see Concept .A concept map is a diagram showing the relationships among concepts. It is a graphical tool for organizing and representing knowledge....
ping was developed by as a means of representing the emerging science knowledge of students. It has subsequently been used as a tool to increase meaningful learning in the sciences and other subjects as well as to represent the expert knowledge of individuals and teams in education, government and business.
Concept maps have their origin in the learning movement called constructivism
Constructivism (learning theory)
Constructivism is a theory of knowledge that argues that humans generate knowledge and meaning from an interaction between their experiences and their ideas. During infancy, it was an interaction between human experiences and their reflexes or behavior-patterns. Piaget called these systems of...
. In particular, constructivists hold that learners actively construct knowledge. Novak's work is based on the cognitive theories of David Ausubel
David Ausubel
David Paul Ausubel was an American psychologist born in New York. His most significant contribution to the fields of educational psychology, cognitive science, and science education learning, was on the development and research on ....
assimilation theory, who stressed the importance of prior knowledge in being able to learn new concepts.
- "The most important single factor influencing learning is what the learner already knows. Ascertain this and teach accordingly."
Novak taught students as young as six years old to make concept maps to represent their response to focus questions such as "What is water?" "What causes the seasons?"
In his book Learning How to Learn, Novak states that "meaningful learning involves the assimilation of new concepts and propositions into existing cognitive structures."
Publications
He is author or coauthor of 27 books and more than 130 book chapters and papers in professional books and journals. Books, a selection:- 1970. The improvement of biology teaching. Indianapolis, Bobbs-Merrill.
- 1973. A summary of research in science education for 1972. Columbus : Ohio State University, ERIC Information Analysis Center for Science, Mathematics, and Environmental Education.
- 1977. A theory of education. Ithaca, N.Y. : Cornell University Press, 1977.
- 1984. Learning How to Learn. With D.B. Gowin. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
- 1988. Teaching Science for Understanding. With J. Mintzes and J. Wandersee. San Diego, CA: Academic Press.
- 1996. Aprendizaje Significativo Technicas Aplicaciones. With Fermin M. Gonzales. Serie: Educacion y Futuro #18. Madrid: Ediciones Pedagogicas.
- 1998. Learning, Creating , and Using Knowledge: Concept maps as facilitative tools for schools and corporations. Mahwah, N.J.: Lawrence Erlbaum & Assoc.
- 2000. Assessing Science Understanding. With J. Mintzes and J. Wandersee. San Diego, CA: Academic Press
- 2001. Errors Conceptuales: Diagnosis, Tratamiento Y Reflexiones. With Fermin Gonzales and Ciriaco Moron. Pamplona, Spain: Ediciones Eunate.
- 2004. Concept Maps: Theory, Methodology, Technology, Proceedings of the First International Conference on Concept Mapping, Pamplona, Spain (September 14–17, 2004). With A.J. Cañas, and Fermin M. González (Eds.). Editorial Universidad Pública de Navarra.
External links
- Joseph D. Novak at Cornell University and University of West Florida, Institute for Human and Machine Cognition.
- Joseph D. Novak. IHMC Senior Research Scientist, 2004.