- New knowledge creation is a constructive process involving both our knowledge and our emotions or the drive to create new meanings and new ways to represent these meanings. 
- Learners struggling to create good concept maps are themselves engaged in a creative process, and this can be challenging

Epistemology and the Psychology of Learning 

Epistemology: branch of philosophy that deals with the nature of knowledge and new knowledge creation
- There is a growing relationship between the psychology of learning and epistemology 

Syracuse University

Foundations of Concept Maps 

Novak, Joseph & Cañas, Alberto. (2007). Theoretical origins of concept maps, how to construct them, and uses in education. Reflecting Education. 3. 

Theoretical origins of concept maps, how to construct them, and uses in education.

Our first concepts develop from birth to three years old, when they recognize regularities in the world around them and can identify language labels or symbols for these regularities 
- Discovery learning process: where the attributes of concepts are identified autonomously by the learner
- Reception learning process: where the attributes of concepts are described using language and transmitted to the learner (after age 3)

This acquisition is mediated in a very important way when concrete experiences or props are available; hence the importance of “hands-on” activity for science learning with young children, but is also true with learners of any age and in any subject matter domain.

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