La comprensión de conceptos a partir de la elaboración de representaciones en un ambiente computacional

This paper presents a study to validate a learning system based on structured representation models. The research aims to assess apprentices’ understanding when they interact in hypermedia environment actions so that they get their own ontology from a text or after reading a hypermedia environment prepared by an expert, develop a representation and transfer it to a computer model. In this research participate students from first semester from the bachelor’s in Design and Electronics, who interact in two learning environments supported by information technologies: one aimed at studying a linear text on mechanical systems and subsequently representing and constructing a hypertext on text comprehension; and another, addressed to the study of a hypertext on the same topic and the subsequent representation to show their understanding. The method includes a quantitative study by analysis of variance using the F test to establish differences in the scores achieved by the groups in the comprehension test, combined with quantification of concepts, relationships between concepts and descriptors that define each concept to determine differences in the groups’ representations. The results show no significant differences in comprehension by either group. However, in terms of concept representation there were significant differences. The group that studied the hypertext prepared by an expert performed better, which indicates that their representations were syntactically richer as compared to those presented by the students who studied a linear text and developed their own hypertext.