Teaching Experiential Learning in Geography: Lessons from Planning

Abstract

Geography increasingly relies on training of professionals who can apply geographic concepts to solve real-world problems. The planning profession for years has been training professionals to work in the area of community planning. Planning programs typically include experiential learning modules throughout the curriculum. This article looks at how community planning approaches can be incorporated into geography programs in lower level courses to: (1) provide exposure to practical applications of geographic concepts; (2) give students experience with team dynamics; and (3) provide students with experience in real-world client relations. Advantages and challenges of experiential learning are identified and discussed. An example of an experiential learning exercise adapted from a planning application is presented. The exercise was developed to enhance learning in a geography curriculum.     

Positionality and Active Learning: Confronting Privilege in Field-Exercise Design

Abstract

University instructors are increasingly drawing on active learning exercises to engender critical thinking skills among students. In this article, we introduce the design and implementation of an active learning exercise about mobility and transportation that we assigned in an introductory human geography class at the University of Georgia. The students' responses and the survey instrument we used to assess the effectiveness of the exercise revealed disappointing results and caused us to think carefully about the role of positionality in designing active learning exercises. In this article, we argue that we need to understand privilege—particularly class privilege—in order to design effective assignments.     

Field Trips as Valuable Learning Experiences in Geography Courses

Abstract

Field trips have been acknowledged as valuable learning experiences in geography. This article uses Kolb’s (1984) experiential learning model to discuss how students learn and how field trips can help enhance learning. Using Kolb’s experiential learning theory as a guide in the design of field trips helps ensure that field trips contribute to internalizing relevant geographical theory and concepts. Three types of field trips are presented: an informal survey of a neighborhood, a more formal scavenger hunt, and a virtual field trip using Google Earth.

Learning is the process whereby knowledge is created through the transformation of experience.

—Kolb (1984)     

Integrating GIS into the Undergraduate Learning Environment

Abstract

Despite the promise of GIS, substantial barriers have prevented its widespread use in geographic education. Among the key factors are technical impediments stemming from software complexity, pedagogic issues related to the lack of experienced faculty and the shortage of curriculum materials, and systemic issues associated with faculty motivation. This case study describes strategies that were employed for addressing each of these barriers in a large enrollment, multisection world geography course. Successful implementation of those strategies has enabled large numbers of students in classes taught by instructors with no formal GIS experience to spend a substantial amount of time learning geography with the help of simple, easy-to-use GIS software applications.     

Using Information Technologies for Interactive Learning

Abstract

Experiences in designing, offering, and evaluating joint senior undergraduate course assignments in resource and environmental management on two different occasions, which connected students in two universities in British Columbia and Ontario, are documented. The shared assignments provided students with experience in group work and consensual decision making, and allowed them to use a mix of information technologies (e-mail, chat rooms, the Web, video conferencing). The undergraduate students rated very highly the experience with information technology but found some aspects of a collaborative learning approach to be challenging. The course was less successful than had been anticipated in highlighting different regional perceptions and perspectives regarding resource and environmental problems and solutions. Clarification of objectives and expectations, more attention to allocation of time, and consideration of computer access and assistance would improve the effectiveness of the courses.     

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.     

Problem-Based Learning for Promoting Student Learning in High School Geography

ABSTRACT

This study determines the impact of problem-based learning on a preuniversity geography class. Learning activities include problem analysis, information collection, an examination of concepts, oral presentations, and group summaries in relation to current and perennial geographical issues of local and/or global concern. Assessment for learning and assessment of learning were done by the teacher, classmates, and students themselves. Results showed that students could analyze problem statements and present their understanding systematically but varied considerably in organization, argument, and quality of thinking. To seek improvements, teachers should become more active facilitators while encouraging students to learn as problem solvers. Teacher training and school-based support are needed for creating a collaborative inquiry-oriented atmosphere in the classroom.     

The Utility and Organization of a College Field Course: Examining National Park Management

Abstract

This article reviews the benefits of field-based instruction, particularly as it complements traditional classroom learning. It suggests that direct observation and hands-on learning associated with field-based instruction raise students' interest level and improve their understanding and long-term retention of targeted concepts. In addition, planning, implementation, and evaluation strategies are provided and recommendations are outlined for instructors interested in organizing or improving a field course at their learning institution. The park management field course offered between spring and summer semesters at Oklahoma State University provides an example of the major components of a successful field course.     

Kolb's Experiential Learning Theory and Its Application in Geography in Higher Education

Abstract

Kolb's experiential learning theory is one of the best known educational theories in higher education. The theory presents a way of structuring a session or a whole course using a learning cycle. The different stages of the cycle are associated with distinct learning styles. Individuals differ in their preferred learning styles, and recognizing this is the first stage in raising students' awareness of the alternative approaches possible. This article presents some case studies of ways in which the theory can be applied in university geography.     

Experiential Learning,Spatial Practice,and Critical Urban Geographies

Abstract

Experiential learning pedagogies are being adopted across undergraduate education and touted as an effective strategy for enhancing student learning. This paper develops an explanation for how and why such pedagogies can foster students' critical thinking and learning. Drawing on data collected from first-year students in “field based” urban geography courses at an urban university, I show how students' existing knowledge of urban spaces and specific parts of the city is constructed from a variety of sources and experiences, and can be incorporated in experiential learning activities in ways that foster critical learning. Such an approach is crucial to creating learning environments in higher education that include a greater diversity of student identities and life experiences.     

Linking Theories of Service-Learning and Undergraduate Geography Education

Abstract

Service-learning, or community-based experiential learning is receiving much deserved attention as an alternative or addition to the traditional university lecture. This approach to learning not only establishes valid linkages between the university and the community or public sector, but allows course participants to practice responsible citizenship while acquiring practical work experience. The main objective of this article is to establish the theoretical linkages between undergraduate geography education and service-learning. It is argued that community service-based learning is allied with pragmatic and constructivist theories, and may enhance undergraduate geographic education. Second, some of the strategies employed to establish effective university-community partnerships and offer students “hands-on” experience are introduced. In an upper-division land use planning course, the class first compiled a draft comprehensive plan that was adopted by the planning commission of a recently incorporated municipality, then assisted with plans for open space preservation and environmental protection in the community. A review of the course objectives and the planning project exemplifies the benefits of service-learning and its appropriate application to geography.     

The Digital Versatile Disc as a Learning Support Medium in the Teaching and Learning of Map Work

Abstract

This article describes the results of a study where the digital versatile disc (DVD) was used as a variant of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in order to aid in the teaching and learning of map work in geography at secondary school level. A group of grade 10 learners of a previously disadvantaged school in South Africa comprised the target group for the project. A case study was conducted and data was gathered on the implementation of the DVD and the learners' perceptions thereof. Qualitative analysis techniques such as field notes, observation, interviews with the learners, and questionnaires were used to analyze the effectiveness of the implementation of the DVD as well as the learners' perceptions regarding the use of the DVD in geography education. The results of the study indicated that the geography learners demonstrated positive attitudes towards the implementation of the DVD as a learning support medium. To determine the contribution of the DVD project towards the achieved results of the learners in map work, both the experimental and control groups participated in a pre- and post-test at the beginning and conclusion of the project. Effect size was used to determine the significance of the differences between the two groups and indicates a strong practical significance regarding the contribution of the DVD project towards the achieved test results of the learners.     

Effects of Social Learning on Rural Farmers’ Adaptive Capacity: Empirical Insights from the Vietnamese Mekong Delta

Abstract

Environmental challenges in the Vietnamese Mekong Delta characterized by adverse impacts of climate change, upstream hydropower development and localized dyke expansion present imperatives for rural farmers to “learn to adapt.” However, little is known about how learning contributes to improving their capacity in adapting to these “wicked” problems. This study investigates potential effects of farmers’ learning on their adaptive capacity, utilizing nine focus group discussions, 33 interviews, and a structured survey of 300 farmers. The exploratory factor analysis produced two factors for social learning: (1) learning through social interactions and (2) self-reflection, and one factor for adaptive capacity. The regression results show that the social learning factors have significantly positive effects on adaptive capacity. Farmers with a higher level of social learning are likely to demonstrate higher adaptive capacity. The findings call for policy considerations to promote learning in a broader context of the delta to enhance local capacity.     

Individualized Learning in An Open Geography Classroom

Abstract

In the last few years a great deal of educational literature has been devoted to the concept of individualized learning in an open classroom, i This approach is based on the premise that students are capable of analytical and creative thought when given the opportunity to work on their own initiative and at their own rates. It is an alternative to the traditional teacher-centered classroom and is justified by the belief that the student learns more effectively when he is interested; that the student develops greater responsibility; that the slower, generally passive student is brought into a position of active participation in the learning process.

Little has been written about the applicability of such an approach to the field of geography. Interest in this method prompted the author to experiment with such a program in her own classes during her first year of teaching. This article describes the results of individualized learning in two ninth grade physical geography classes conducted at Western Illinois University's Laboratory School.     

Lessons Learned from Reviewing Research in GIS Education

Abstract

Traditional lectures generally force students to play a passive role in the classroom. In an effort to promote active learning, we added discussion sections to a large lecture hall course. Field trips, student journals, and group-based assignments, in particular, enhanced the learning experience. To ensure the success of the new format, course planners must enlist the sustained cooperation of key faculty and administrators on campus, as well as teaching assistants assigned to the new sections. The new discussion sections allowed students to acknowledge the environmental impact their actions have on campus and to recognize that environmental problems occur at multiple scales.     

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.     

Active Learning Strategies and Assessment in World Geography Classes

Abstract

Active learning strategies include a variety of methods, such as inquiry and discovery, in which students are actively engaged in the learning process. This article describes several strategies that can be used in secondary-or college-level world geography courses. The goal of these activities is to foster development of a spatial perspective in students through frequent analysis and interpretation of spatial data. Detailed examples of one particular technique, the “atlas warmup”, are included. Active approaches supplement expository teaching of standards-based geography concepts and current geographic issues. Assessment of the impact of these methods reveals the need for ongoing guided practice in the use of these skills.     

Research in Geographic Learning: A Special Task Force Report to the National Council for Geographic Education

Abstract

The videotape and other technological innovations are powerful tools for enhancing classroom learning. Teachers can fall into the trap of simply turning on the VCR while students watch with unstimulated and unchallenged minds. This article offers a technique that engages students in active, reflective thought by utilizing the National Geographic Society videotape, Connections. Using the videotape narrative prior to viewing provides students with opportunities to become critical consumers of technology.     

Agnotology as a Teaching Tool: Learning Climate Science by Studying Misinformation

Abstract

Foreign travel for secondary school teachers is beneficial for enhancement of classroom curriculum. The dual nature of the U.S. Navy-National Geographic co-sponsored trips is key to enriching the global geography perspective in the classroom. A travel study to Japan provides in-service benefit for teacher peers and community groups by enhancing geography through the link between the natural and social sciences.