From knowledge models to reasoning models. Exemplification with a reasoning model for solving problems of analytical reasoning

Once instant access to information has been fully achieved through the Internet, the challenge ahead is to transform this information into knowledge. This requires selecting and hierarchizing the information conveniently, sequencing it, structuring it and interrelating it, so it meaning becomes apparent and new knowledge is generated. Concept maps are tools extensively used for this purpose, because they are a great help to perform these processes, existing software applications such as CmapTools that allow performing this task in an extraordinarily simple and versatile way. When an expert accomplished the work of transforming information into knowledge using a metacognitive activity, and expresses these results using multiple concept maps connected together, this way of relating the information in question in the form of knowledge can be offered to others as a model to follow and produces what is known as a Knowledge Model. In this work we present a proposal for the extrapolation from the concept of Knowledge Model to the concept of Reasoning Model, i.e., linking together the pieces of reasoning applied by an expert to solve certain types of problems and offer to others the result of this exercise of "meta-reasoning" (reasoning about how to reason) as a proposal or model to follow. To specify this proposal, a reasoning model has been made in the form of a concept map. In a structured way, several analytical reasoning problems are collected and related to each other depending on the type of reasoning used to find the solution. By analytical reasoning problem we mean the problem that, once finished carefully reading and perfectly assimilating its statement, it produces a feeling of bewilderment, not knowing where to start looking for the solution (that is, the feeling of being in a problem). Also known as ingenious problems, we must contrive to find a way where to start. The solution of these problems does not require much academic knowledge, but a high IQ. The reasoning model presented is accessible at the following web address: http://grupoorion.unex.es:8001/servlet/SBReadResourceServlet?rid=1KGHCHK02-18X1B7K-2JTJ&partName=htmltext. There we can find many links to problem statements of this kind, and the solutions personally found by the authors of this work. Also included is the result of the meta-reasoning carried out, in order to explain the way of reasoning that has led in each of the cases presented to find those solutions. The experience has been completed with the use of this reasoning model by a group of students and teachers, and the evaluation of the results. This evaluation has shown that its use can contribute to help the users to learn how to reason.