Geography Undergraduate Program Management

Abstract

Vision and mission statements are the foundations for the types of undergraduate degrees departments confer as well as other types academic programs such as pre-major, certificate, and distance education curricula. Critical to each department should be careful administration of course selections and offerings and management of academic majors, minors, and class enrollments. The key concepts in these processes are detailed planning and conscientious implementation. Ideally, this paper's integrated conceptual model showing administrative relationships within undergraduate programs that link degree types, courses, and enrollments, will become a synoptic guide for departments and nurture a national dialogue about geography undergraduate programs.     

Measuring Human Extensibility in a Shrinking World

Abstract

The concepts of time-space convergence and human extensibility provide important insights relating the impacts of transportation and communications advances with the human organization of space. This paper explains these concepts and suggests how they may be used for structuring classroom projects.     

Cultural Patterns and Processes in Advanced Placement Human Geography

Abstract

In this article I outline some of the key concepts and approaches that form the cultural patterns and processes section of the Advanced Placement human geography course. In addition, I provide examples to illuminate and help explain those concepts and suggest strategies for pursuing educational discussions concerning the range of cultural geographies.     

Modelling accessibility using space-time prism concepts within geographical information systems

Abstract

The space-time Of time geographical framework is a powerful perspective from which to analyse human behaviour. One of the central concepts in this framework is the space-time prism, which models individual accessibility to an environment. In this paper, the derivation and manipulation of space-time prism concepts within a geographical information system (GIS) are discussed. The required system inputs and desired outputs are identified and a generic GIS based procedure is presented Given these basic requirements, issues are discussed which can determine the feasibility of current GIS technology to handle the derivation of space-time prism concepts.     

The Council at Work

Abstract

Through analysis of census data, these lessons cover geographic concepts dealing with migration and population change in the United States. Students discuss the historical push and pull factors of immigration to the United States. By focusing on the recent influx of Hispanic immigrants, students look at the geographic concepts of assimilation, discrimination, and time-decay. Students also create graphs and maps to examine the recent increase in the United States Hispanic population and geographic patterns of Hispanic settlement.     

Activities to Develop a Spatial Perspective Among Students in Introductory Geography Courses

Abstract

Teaching students to gain a spatial perspective is one of the most difficult yet important components of geographic education. This paper presents a series of activities designed to develop a more comprehensive understanding of spatial concepts among students in introductory geography courses. The activities and content are most appropriate for high school or university undergraduate students. An evaluation of these activities demonstrates that they enhance the student's spatial perspective and their understanding of the role of spatial concepts in geography.     

Maps and Spaces

Two quite different concepts of space are important in geography and environmental psychology. One is the concept of macro-environment, of space as geographical scale. The other is the concept of form-at-a-timeless-instant: of naive geometry. Confusing these two concepts leads to serious errors. This paper examines some methodological and philosophical sources of this confusion, and points to a number of research problems in geography and psychology that can benefit from an untangling of the two concepts of space. One such problem is the need to understand the development of mapping abilities in very young children. Another is the larger question of building a body of theory to explain the development of macro-environmental cognition and behavior.     

Concept Learning through Writing for Learning: Using Journals in an Introductory Geography Course

Abstract

To effectively use journals and other writing for learning tasks as critical thinking and learning tools, geographic educators need to draw from the education literature on concept learning. Using the literature on concept learning and critical thinking, geographic educators can construct different kinds of journal assignments that give students opportunities to personalize and understand concepts. I demonstrate that students, regardless of their sex, level of education, or previous coursework in geography, found journal assignments helpful in understanding human geographic concepts.     

THE NATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY ACT IN THE COURTS AND CONGRESS, 1970-1972

This paper tests the validity of general central place concepts in a two-province, government-organized planning region in western Argentina known as Cuyo. Results of trade area surveys for various hierarchical levels and patterns formed by shopping-trip behavior agree well with expectations based on similar central place research in the United States.     

A Field-Based Technique for Teaching about Habitat Fragmentation and Edge Effects

Abstract

This article presents a field technique that exposes students to the indirect effects of habitat fragmentation on plant distributions through studying edge effects. This assignment, suited for students in an introductory biogeography or resource geography class, increases students' knowledge of basic biogeographic concepts such as environmental gradients and disturbance in addition to formulating research questions and design. In this exercise, fieldwork can be implemented with simple tools that are easily obtainable and found in most physical geography labs. In this example, student response to the exercise was positive; they indicated that the exercise was a fun and interactive way to learn fundamental biogeographic concepts.     

Teaching Geography's four traditions with Poetry

Abstract

Poetry is a powerful form of writing that has received relatively little attention from geography educators. However, most poetry is imbued with explicit and vivid references to physical and human phenomena over space, and is thus a source of information that may help illustrate a variety of geographic concepts. This article uses William Pattison's four traditions of geography as a framework for illustrating the explicitly spatial concepts present in selected poetry. Through the poetry of authors like Walt Whitman, Robert Frost, and Maya Angelou, this work introduces a new perspective from which to teach and to learn familiar geographic themes.     

Storyline-metoden,geografi og klassekameratene til 'Lille Marius'

During the last few years storyline as a teaching method has created considerable interest in many Norwegian primary schools. In storyline the teacher supplies some key concepts and the framework, and the pupils make the storyline. In this article I use a passage from Alexander Kielland's novel Gift to show how storyline can be a useful approach in geography teaching.     

River Views of Beginning Pre-service Teachers: Content Knowledge Use

Abstract

How beginning teachers organize themselves to teach new or unfamiliar topics is an important issue for research. This paper discusses information about rivers in pre-service teachers' lessons taught to fourth grade students. Lessons were videotaped and transcribed for analysis. The data consisted of all information about rivers found in the lessons. Lesson content was analyzed for accuracy, coherence, centrality, over-simplification, and undue emphasis.

Seven kinds of problems with lesson content occurred because the beginning teachers lacked sufficient knowledge about rivers. Inaccurate information was either presented or allowed to stand unchallenged in the lessons. The lessons lacked coherence, because the beginning teachers tended to make passing references to concepts. About twice as many of the lesson concepts were peripheral to the study of rivers, the problem of centrality. The relationships between some river-related ideas were misunderstood or ignored. Both physical and human geography concepts were consistently over-simplified. The recreational use of rivers was consistently over-emphasized.     

Cities and Urban Land Use in Advanced Placement Human Geography

Abstract

This article examines key topics and concepts in the cities and urban land use section of the Advanced Placement human geography course. Among the topics discussed are definitions of urbanism, the origin and evolution of cities, functional character of contemporary cities, the built environment and social space, and responses to urban growth.     

Making Cyberspaces into Cyberplaces

Abstract

This article explores the interplay between geographic concepts and geographers' Web site design. The concepts—place, site, and situation—provide the context for reconsidering current metaphors dominating the rhetoric of cyberspace. Challenging the predominant metaphor of cyberspace as path or highway, we draw on the work of French phenomenologist Merleau-Ponty and on the work of phenomeno-logically oriented geographers to propose the figure/ground structure of cyberplace in contrast to the void of cyberspace. For the absolute freedom of unlimited space we suggest the depth and breadth of world. If geographers succeed at creating Web sites informed by disciplinary concepts, Web site design itself can help to reconceive geographic concepts. Two virtual field-trips offer the opportunity to demonstrate the interaction of a reconceived notion of place and the design of graphical interfaces. The article discovers possibilities for enhancing the value of geographic Web sites. Three design strategies—geographic context, duration, and nonlinearity—are recommended as a result of this investigation.     

Some Spatial Implications Of A Massive Industrial Accident: The Case Of Nuclear Power Plants 1

The application of geographic concepts and techniques to solving human problems is gaining new strength as a dimension of American geography. The nature of this trend is being shaped by a concern for relevance and educational change. Adoption of this approach has many implications for the individual geographer, as well as for the discipline. Some possible negative and positive aspects of the trend are suggested.     

Nonsense Geography-or Is It?

Abstract

Commonplace items such as fruit (orange), gelatin, golf balls, sugar cubes, tennis balls, and aquaria can be used to demonstrate a number of salient geographic concepts. Examples relating to earth-sun relations, a locative grid, the physical structure of the earth, glaciation, and frontal activity are set forth herein. The essential point is that providing tactile and visual demonstrations in which the students can participate drives home certain points more effectively than is possible by other means. Similarly, experiments of the sort described are useful for teaching geographic concepts to students who are quite young as well as those who are considerably older.     

Creating a County Agricultural Atlas

Abstract

Compiling an agricultural atlas of the home county is a means of learning about a significant aspect of the local environment. Each student selects a product of the county for which he prepares a distribution map and an agricultural calendar of the month-by-month routine of the producer. Cartographic concepts can be taught during the design phase of map construction. Examples are given from An Agricultural Atlas of Lane County (Oregon).     

THE FAILURE OF FEDERALISM IN CENTRAL AFRICA: A POLITICO-GEOGRAPHICAL POSTMORTEM

Basic concepts of cultural historical geography have been applied to a variety of community issues in St. Paul, MN. Through the process a sense of place has been developed at several scales. This inclusive sense of place has provided a link among various factions and made possible several compromises in land use and economic development issues. Most of the work was done through undergraduate field seminars.     

Organization of Feature-, Time-, and Location-Based Mental Models

This study considers how mental models are encoded into memory by viewing visual displays like maps. A mental model is an internal representation of a situation that links objects or concepts to other objects or concepts. Previous studies indicated location-based mental models are encoded when a series of propositional statements such as the object is in the location are read from a text. Evidence that locations were being used as the basic container for an organization of mental models is provided by a significant fan effect. A fan effect shows an increase in reaction time with the number of models considered when making a decision. Features, times, and locations were considered as possible containers in the mental models. Subjects created location-based mental models, but also encoded feature-based mental models. A reverse fan effect for time, found for a map animation, suggested the order of the presentation of maps could greatly affect the structure of learned information.