A Manifesto on Mobile Computing in Geographic Education*

Abstract

Mobile, location-aware computing technology is widely available. In this article we sketch out a manifesto on mobile computing in geographic education (MoGeo) for consideration and debate within the geographic community. At the core of our argument is the idea that emerging mobile computing technologies will allow teachers to bring the classroom and pedagogic materials into the field, and that the resulting in situ educational experience will enhance learning by contextualizing the complex and abstract concepts that we teach. We provide a set of key principles that can guide the development of field experiences for students using these new technologies.     

Geographical information systems and planning in the USA: selected municipal adoption trends and educational concerns

Abstract

Practitioners and academics from many fields of study are currently facing numerous issues involving the diffusion of technologies from geographical information systems within their respective professions. This paper has two aims. The first is to report the partial results of a postal survey of selected municipal planning departments in the U.S.A. In measuring trends related to the adoption of computer and geographical information system technologies, the survey focuses on the availability of trained geographical information system and computer literate staff and on alternative means of training existing staff, as well as on the adequacy of collegiate education. The presentation of survey results is used to establish a framework for the principal discussion of this paper. The second part examines the relationship between planning and education in geographical information systems. Parallels within other disciplines and professions are derived. Curricula and training considerations within academic programmes and professional practice are suggested.     

Tactile-map output from geographical information systems: the challenge and its importance

Abstract

The incorporation of the technology of geographic information systems (GIS) into a wide range of planning decisions makes it important that the visually handicapped have access to GIS-based map products to participate more fully in community decision making. Fortunately, GIS contain many procedures useful to the design of tactile maps, including changes of scale and simplification. Developing research opportunities are outlined within the context of the general problem. Tactile maps using microcapsule paper can be produced quickly, but they must be tested using visually handicapped subjects to ensure that suitable symbolization and specifications are developed.     

A Manifesto on Mobile Computing in Geographic Education*

Mobile, location‐aware computing technology is widely available. In this article we sketch out a manifesto on mobile computing in geographic education (MoGeo) for consideration and debate within the geographic community. At the core of our argument is the idea that emerging mobile computing technologies will allow teachers to bring the classroom and pedagogic materials into the field, and that the resulting in situ educational experience will enhance learning by contextualizing the complex and abstract concepts that we teach. We provide a set of key principles that can guide the development of field experiences for students using these new technologies.     

The State of Geography Education Research

Abstract

College enrollment and Association of American Geographers membership data reveal a significant deficit in minority participation in geography and environmental science. The author asserts that this dearth may have its origin at the K-12 level, where science subjects are presented in a manner that alienates socioeconomically disadvantaged pupils. With recent research indicating that low-income and nonwhite communities are disproportionately affected by environmental degradation, it is pertinent that methods be developed to increase the number of minority students choosing to pursue environmental careers. Involving students directly in projects investigating the pollution in their communities aids in enhancing student interest. By participating in a lead (Pb) contamination study, students are introduced to several geographic subdisciplines including cartography, demography, and environmental geography. Students also acquire skills in spatial analysis, map interpretation, and graphic design. Complementing basic lead-soil field investigations with geographic information systems, spreadsheet, and/or computer mapping software, offers students a valuable high-tech learning experience.     

GIS In-Service Teacher Training Based on TPACK

Abstract

This article introduces the geographic information systems (GIS) in-service teacher training, focusing on the intersection of technological, pedagogical, and content knowledge (TPACK) for successful implementation of GIS in the classroom. Eleven social studies teachers in Georgia learned GIS technologies, inquiry-based learning, and social studies so that they could create technology-enhanced and inquiry-based lessons using GIS technologies. This article reports participating teachers’ opinions and attitudes of the TPACK-based GIS training. It also reports useful pedagogical methods of introducing GIS technologies to students and additional support for teachers to help them use GIS in their classrooms more often.     

Cartographic Methods for Determining the Qibla

Abstract

Islam is an important topic in human and regional geography instruction, and major textbooks include maps showing Islam's core and rapid expansion diffusion, along with the number of pilgrims to Mecca from different countries. Determining the qibla, the sacred direction for daily prayer, and the distance to Mecca are additional topics that link human geography, Islamic mathematical geography, and modern geographic information science. Recently discovered Persian instruments used a retro-azimuthal map projection devised by medieval Muslim mathematicians to compute the qibla and distance to Mecca from anywhere within the seventeenth century realm of Islam. Modern global maps that allow the qibla and distance to Mecca to be determined from all populated areas on earth are added to the Persian instruments.     

Geographic Information Technologies and the History of a Shoreline: The Case of Chapter 91 in New Bedford,Massachusetts

Abstract

This article discusses the use of geographic information technologies to assist researchers in the exploration of historical databases. The case study is a pilot project in which we used geographic information systems (GIS) and global positioning systems (GPS) to study the history of the Public Waterfront Act (the “Chapter 91” program), a policy designed to balance private property rights, public interest, and environmental protection in the Massachusetts tidelands. The issues discussed range from the role of GIS in society and its limitations as a representational tool to the ability of current GIS to deal with historical data and to manage temporal attributes.

     

Bulletin Boards in Geography

Abstract

Teaching geography within a field-based, environmental-problem-solving framework integrates geographic knowledge and practice and introduces high school students to skills required to undertake geographic research. A five-day field investigation on coastal geography was designed for juniors at a science high school in New Jersey. The goal of the field investigation was to allow students to engage in problem-solving, gather field data, apply geographic concepts and tools, and foster the ability to think critically. The purpose of the investigation was to identify the spatial distribution of litter on a beach and interpret the distribution based on physical and human processes. The field site is a 400-m-long shoreline reach in Raritan Bay, New Jersey. Students defined the term “litter” for purposes of the investigation, developed a classification system, and mapped the location and type of litter on the beach. Three sampling grids were established across the beach from the dune crest to the waterline. Students conducted topographic surveys of the sampling grids, collected litter in each grid cell, and counted, classified, and weighed the litter. Data gathered were reduced, analyzed, and interpreted based on the published literature. Findings were presented at a formal presentation on the last day of the investigation. Students submitted a written report and presented the results of the investigation at a student conference two months later. Field investigations can expose students to different methods of data sampling and measurement. Collaboration between secondary schools and universities can result in successful learning initiatives that allow students the opportunity to experience the role of a practicing professional.     

Geography Current

Abstract

This article explains a professional development experience of fifth to twelfth grade teachers in using geographic information systems (GIS) and global positioning systems (GPS) technologies to enhance classroom teaching and learning environments. A key challenge faced by the developers was whether teachers would value the technology tools enough to warrant the time necessary to develop the skills for productive use of the technology. Based on five years' experience, researchers identified seven key components and elaborated on them with examples and related processes.     

Observational Work for Children

Abstract

Geographic information systems (GIS) are computer-based tools for geographic data analysis and spatial visualization. They have become one of the information and communications technologies for education at all levels. This article reviews the current status of GIS in schools, analyzes the requirements of a GIS-based learning environment from constructivist perspectives, and discusses the major issues in the design of a constructivist GIS-based learning environment based on experience from the development of World Explorer, a GIS-based learning environment that provides a theme-oriented data and information base, supports multiple representations and multiple linkages of information, and facilitates interactive learning and knowledge construction.     

An Investigation of the Use of Real-Time,Authentic Geospatial Data in the K–12 Classroom

Abstract

This article situates geospatial technologies as a constructivist tool in the K-12 classroom and examines student experiences with real-time authentic geospatial data provided through a hybrid adventure learning environment. Qualitative data from seven student focus groups demonstrate the effectiveness of using real-time authentic data, peer collaboration, and geospatial technologies in learning geography. We conclude with recommendations about geospatial technology curricula, geospatial lesson design, providing preservice teachers with geographic technological pedagogical content knowledge, and encouraging further research to investigate the impact, affordances, and pedagogical implications of geospatial technologies and data in the K–12 classroom.     

Building Environmental Literacy through Participation in GIS and Multimedia Assisted Field Research

Abstract

A Learning Support System (LSS) that emphasizes experiential research in natural environments using the cutting-edge technologies of GIS and multimedia has been developed for teaching environmental literacy to undergraduate students at the University of Georgia. Computers are used as cognitive tools to create a context in which students become interns in an ecological research center. Students are instructed to conduct research in the form of two field laboratories (the stream and forest laboratories). They accomplish their tasks by collecting data in the field (the State Botanical Garden of Georgia near the campus). They enter the data in the Learning Support System (LSS), and are guided to formulate hypotheses relating to stream water quality and human impact on forest succession for testing. Students also interact with the Environmental Research Support Site (ERSS) within the LSS for explanations to their findings. A specially customized Arc View GIS program within the LSS provides a tool to students for spatial analysis in the case of the forest laboratory. Students and faculty evaluations as well as final examination results confirmed the receptiveness of students to the LSS approach and its effectiveness in the learning of environmental literacy.     

MIT's Computer Resource Lab:

Abstract

The paper describes the curriculum on geographic information systems developed in the Department of Planning at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology for those studying for the Master in City Planning degree. Particular emphasis is given to the part played by the Computer Resources Lab in serving the needs of the architecture and planning departments, the interactions between teaching and research, and those between the course and professional practice. The required courses are outlined and the wide range of recommended courses, drawn from a number of departments in the Institute, are listed- The authors emphasize the necessity of their being at the forefront of research if they are lo maintain the flow of hardware and software from contacts and donations on which their research and teaching depend.     

The Trade and Industries of Western South America

Abstract

This research was based on an instructional module developed and used to investigate whether GIS can be used to enhance fourth grade students' geographic knowledge and map skills. Another goal was to identify challenges the teachers and the students face using GIS.

Findings from the study suggest that using GIS in the classroom helps students improve their geographic knowledge and maps skills. In addition, this study found that the students' geographic content knowledge tended to improve gradually and the knowledge transferred to the subsequent lessons, while certain map skills tended to develop in a more specific manner.     

Exploring Youth Cultures Geographically Through Active Learning

Abstract

This paper presents strategies for actively involving students in studying cultural geography through a research project on youth cultures. It provides a basic framework to investigate selected “subcultures” focusing on the origin and diffusion of each culture, its material and non-material aspects and the attributes and meanings of spaces used by each cultural group and youth cultures in the context of change. Students used a variety of methodologies to gather data and to describe and analyze the cultures selected. Of the eleven youth cultures investigated by the class, examples from the cultures of raves, skateboarding, and the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) are selectively presented to elucidate their geographic characteristics.     

Internet-Based GIS in an Inductive Learning Environment: A Case Study of Ninth-Grade Geography Students

Abstract

This article reports the results of a qualitative case study that explored the use of Internet-based geographic information systems (IGIS) with ninth-grade geography students. The students worked in teams to examine the geography of Africa using IGIS resources with the instructional goal of developing a presentation on a significant issue facing one region or country. The purpose of this study was to explore the use of IGIS as a tool for integrating geospatial technologies into ninth-grade geography curriculum and instruction within an inductive learning environment. The findings for this study indicate that IGIS can be a successful tool for geography education in an inductive learning environment. Based on qualitative data collected through classroom observations, focus group interviews with students, student work samples, and a teacher journal, two assertions are offered: students perceived expanded freedom as a positive aspect of this IGIS project and IGIS projects such as this can lead to gains in students' cultural awareness and empathy for distant others.     

Geographic Education and Careers in Geography

Abstract

Disciplinary concern with career options and opportunities has fluctuated over the years. Not surprisingly, geography continues to be incorrectly stereotyped as a field of study offering limited employment prospects. While geographic education has long focused on content, it must also embrace the importance of educating instructors, students, and career counselors concerning how the field opens doors to viable careers. This article presents a program that can be implemented by college and university departments to raise awareness and disseminate information about career opportunities in geography. The program emphasizes an integrated approach that includes partnerships with alumni, campus placement offices, and employers.     

Aids in sub-saharan africa: A diffusion simulation

Abstract

This paper provides a geographic approach to teaching about HIV and AIDS in a non-U.S. setting. A simulation is used to illustrate the path and means by which AIDS is diffusing across sub-Saharan Africa, the region most severely affected by this pandemic. A biological simulation to illustrate disease transmission has been adapted to give it a spatial dimension. Students occupy several countries on a hypothetical continent and migrate within and across political boundaries. They are given profiles based on the characteristics of those most at-risk in spreading the disease. An overview of the pandemic in sub-Saharan Africa is provided. The simulation can be used as a springboard for examining the global dimensions, diffusion patterns, and social and economic consequences of this pandemic.     

Geographic Information Technologies + Project-Based Science: A Contextualized Professional Development Approach

Abstract

This study investigated the effects of using a long-duration, project-based science professional development model on the acquisition of declarative knowledge and basic terminology associated with the use of geographic information technologies (GIT), teachers' self-assessed confidence in using GIT skills, and the implementation of GIT in participants' classrooms. Results suggest that a long-duration, project-based science model was effective in teaching GIT declarative knowledge and raising teachers' self-confidence in using GIT tools. The academy was funded through a grant from the US Department of Education with additional support from Environmental Science Resources Institute (ESRI), Inc., and members of the New Mexico Geographic Information Council.