Using Knowledge Construction Theory to Evaluate Learning Processes: A Randomized Controlled Trial on Showing Gradually Built-up Concept Maps Alongside a Scientific Text

Scientific texts convey new and complex information relevant not only to researchers but also to lay audiences. We present a randomized controlled trial that investigated whether showing a concept map, gradually building up as a user reads a scientific text, supports the cognitive processes of knowledge construction. The intervention group (<i>n</i> = 44) exhibited significantly more knowledge construction [<i>t</i>(89) = 1.94, <i>p</i> = .029, <i>d</i> = 0.41] than the control group (<i>n</i> = 47). The intervention supported basic knowledge construction, i.e., <i>simple processing of information</i>, but not medium and complex levels. This study makes two contributions: (1) showing interactive concept maps and building them up gradually alongside reading helps make scientific texts cognitively more accessible to a lay audience, e.g., to inform public debate, and (2) knowledge construction theory can be used as a theoretical foundation for measuring specific aspects of learning processes—complementing other metrics for comparative design examinations, e.g., usability, user experience, or performance-based measures.