Some of the most influential authors in this field are Jean Piaget, David Ausubel, Jerome Bruner and Lev Vygotsky.
Concept maps were developed by Cornell Professor Joseph Novak, and based on David Ausubel's assimilation theory of learning.
Novak's work is based on the cognitive theories of David Ausubel, who stressed the importance of prior knowledge in being able to learn ( or " assimilate " ) new concepts : " The most important single factor influencing learning is what the learner already knows.