Leaving some connections in place eases the task while comprehension holds steady.
Concept maps ask learners to link ideas into propositions. The Kit Build approach goes further: a teacher builds an expert map, software breaks it into loose concepts and links, and students rebuild it without seeing the original. It works, but it strains working memory.
A team from Hiroshima University and Universitas Brawijaya tried a lighter version. They leave each link attached to its source concept and detach only the target, so learners search for one endpoint per proposition instead of two. They call it Target Search Decomposition.
Seventy eight participants split into two groups. One recomposed a map from a fully decomposed kit, the traditional method. The other used a partially decomposed kit. Both read the same narrative, took a comprehension pretest, completed the activity, then reported cognitive load and flow before a post test. Data from 74 was usable.
Cognitive load fell significantly across four dimensions at once: perceived difficulty, perceived effort, time on task, and the number of actions needed to finish. The effect held under a non parametric multivariate test and was consistent across every metric.
Motivation held too. The partial group reported a similar, slightly higher flow state, which matters because a task made too easy drains engagement as fast as one made too hard. The authors note a caveat: keeping part of each proposition visible makes the task easier by design, so long term effects on metacognition still need study.
For teachers the takeaway is practical. If a recomposition exercise eats a whole class period and leaves students frustrated, keeping the source side of each link in place frees attention without costing comprehension. Spend the saved time on discussion or review.
Nawras Khudhur et al. (2024). Investigating the Efficacy of Partial Decomposition in Kit-Build Concept Maps for Reducing Cognitive Load and Enhancing Reading Comprehension. IEICE Transactions on Information and Systems.
