The Comparison of a Thematic versus Regional Approach to Teaching a World Geography Course

The benefits of a regional or thematic approach to the study and presentation of world geography have long been debated. The goal to not to reimagine these debates or to promote one approach over another; the aim is to explore how world geography courses are currently being taught in American universities. By polling and sharing information about course structures, topics, and forms of evaluation, an open dialogue between instructors that will improve teaching strategies and student comprehension is encouraged.     

“Doing Geography”: Evaluating an Independent Geographic Inquiry Assessment Task in an Initial Teacher Education Program

The assessment task of the final course in a bachelor of secondary education program is examined for opportunities for preservice geography teachers to achieve the course aims of integrating, consolidating, applying, and reflecting on the knowledge and skills they have learned during their initial teacher education program. The results show that the preservice teachers did better in some areas (integrating, consolidating, and reflecting) than in others (applying). This has implications for curriculum renewal in geography methods courses—specifically to provide more opportunities for preservice teachers to practice applying the knowledge and skills they have gained during the program, essential for their future roles as senior geography teachers.     

Are teachers and students ready for the new middle school geography syllabus in Sweden? Traditions in geography teaching,current teacher practices,and student achievement

The article examines the relationship between selective traditions in geographical education, what middle school teachers choose to emphasise in geographical education, and student achievement. The study, conducted in Sweden, is based on observations made by students in teacher training programmes, interviews with teachers, and analyses of a test administered to middle school students. It shows that selective traditions in geographical education are strong, resulting in a focus on country-related knowledge and map-reading skills. Both teachers and students seem unclear about what other subject-specific skills geography teaching provides. Furthermore, students have difficulty achieving a high level of geographic reasoning. The authors argue that a subject-specific language in geography is important in both teaching and assessment. They stress that students need more practice in geographic reasoning, since this is required by the new curriculum and in the national test in geography for Year 6 (i.e. pupils in the age range 12–13 years). The study adds to earlier research by highlighting Swedish middle school teaching, which is a neglected field within curriculum studies, and by using a combination of methods to analyse the impact of selective traditions.     

Digital Data-Centric Geography: Implications for Geography's Frontier

The debate regarding geographic information systems (GIS) as tool, toolbox, or science still lingers in geography departments and among geographers. Analysis of geographic information is a vital component of decision making among business, governments, researchers, and academics. GIS users, geographers and nongeographers alike, use and benefit from problem-solving methods in numerous fields and contexts, making the use of GIS and the core competencies associated with using GIS a topic of intense debate. Complicating this ongoing discussion is the rise of data-centric approaches to research in geography that further expand the capabilities of spatial analysis and add to the expected knowledge of a GIS user and analyst. Building on a panel discussion at the 2016 American Association of Geographers (AAG) annual meeting, as well as informal dialogues on Twitter and other social media platforms that navigate this issue in academics and industry, this article explores how skills in research computing and programming operate in geography and GIS, especially given the rise of data-centric approaches to research in these realms. Some topics, like the costs and benefits of open and closed source software, are familiar from previous discussions in geography and GIS. Others, though, like the reward structures and recognition for computing skills or programming ability, have not been widely considered given the current landscape.     

《区域生态环境评价技术》实验课教学模式探索

《区域生态环境评价技术》课程是本科生专业必修课,于2007学年列入专业系统实验的教学计划。该课程旨在利用现代计算机新技术,学会和掌握区域生态环境的评价技术及方法。通过几年来的课程建设和结合该实验课教学的实际情况,研究探索《区域生态环境评价技术》实验课教学的新模式,探讨实验教学改革的新思路。将相关研究内容和解决问题的方法引入到《区域生态环境评价技术》实验课的教学当中,将综合能力培养实验、设计提高型实验等教学模式相结合。针对教学过程发现的新问题和学生需求,及时调整教学手段和更新教学内容,达到了知识与技能的传授与素质培养相互促进和统一的作用。     

经济地理学视角下创新网络与区域增长研究述评

创新是引领经济发展的第一动力,创新与区域增长之间的关系成为经济地理学者关注的重点领域。文章通过梳理近年来有关创新网络测度、创新网络与区域增长关系、创新网络作用于区域增长方式等方面的文献发现：网络资本可以弥补社会资本在解释企业创新结网经济价值方面的不足,区域增长呈现出网络化特征已成为学界共识,知识流与邻近性能较好地解释创新网络与区域增长的关系机理。然而,当前研究对社会资本如何促进区域增长,网络资本与区域增长关系模型如何构建,不同类型的邻近性与知识对区域增长的影响有何差异等问题尚不明确,建议重视网络资本对区域增长的作用并实证检验二者的关联,同时还应重视创新网络中企业家精神、创新个体心理行为特征等因素对区域增长的影响。     

历史地理学信息化若干问题的探讨

信息技术应用的日益普及为中国历史地理学发展提供了可选择的途径。在社会需要、信息源、技术方法等因素的支持下 ,开展历史地理学信息化已具备了可行性 ,应结合具体实例在历史政区、气候、人口、土地等专题开展 GIS技术应用 ,以及推广数字地图、图像处理技术应用。在实践中不断解决历史文献的信息精度等问题 ,推动学科方法论的进步。     

世界地理研究回顾与展望——建所70周年世界地理研究成果与发展前景

中科院地理科学与资源研究所建所70年来,世界地理研究由于坚持了紧密为国家政治斗争和社会经济建设服务的正确方针,在地缘政治与地缘经济、国家与区域地理的综合研究、部门地理与专题研究、中外对比研究、世界地理知识普及等方面取得了一系列重要研究成果.研究工作中存在的问题为:超前性不够、系统性不强、研究手段落后、资料来源单一、成果...     

Bridging the Qualitative–Quantitative Divide in Transport Geography∗

Recent viewpoints concerning the state of research in transport geography have touched on the issue of insularity and the need to bridge the divide between the largely spatial–analytical or quantitative research in transport geography and the critical or qualitative research prevalent in urban, economic, and most other subfields of human geography. Transport geography has been criticized by some for being a quiet corner of our discipline that has lost its centrality largely because it remains within the analytical framework of the 1960s. This article explores these sentiments by reexamining recent transport-oriented research in highly cited geography journals to assess the degree to which the qualitative–quantitative divide exists within transport geography and between transport and other subfield in human geography, as well as to explore issues of productivity and centrality of transport-oriented research in geography. Results indicate that geographical research involving transport topics is much more prevalent and reflects a wider range of epistemological and methodological approaches than is frequently assumed. Nevertheless, there is still a considerable divide between “mainstream” transport geography and other human geographical research that necessitates much more interaction between transport and other subfields and greater incorporation of alternative research approaches within the mainstream of transport geography. To that end, we propose a preliminary critical transport geography research agenda that is open to a variety of methodological approaches, including quantitative analysis.     

Choosing the Network Less Traveled: Perceptions of Internet‐Based Teaching in College Geography

This study examines factors affecting the acceptance and utilization of the Internet as a teaching tool in college geography. Geography faculty members were surveyed with a questionnaire that measured their perceptions of Internet‐based teaching. An analysis of the survey data identified factors that influenced perceptions and adoption decisions among various groups of geographers. Overall, the results support hypothesized relationships between perceptions of innovations and rates of adoption and reveal intradisciplinary patterns of using the Internet for college geography instruction.     

Combining Geography,Math, and Science to Teach Climate Change and Sea Level Rise

This study examines the effectiveness of integrating geography into existing math and science curriculum to teach climate change and sea level rise. The desired outcome is to improve student performance in all three subjects. A sample of 120 fifth graders from three schools were taught the integrated curriculum over a period of two to three weeks. They were given a pretest and posttest comprised of questions measuring knowledge relevant to the lesson in terms of geography, math, science, and spatial skills. Paired-samples t-tests were conducted to determine significant differences in student performance. These t-tests indicate statistically significant improvements in all but one instance across all subjects, at all schools for both boys and girls. No statistically significant results were observed for a control group of an additional twenty-seven fifth graders. These results demonstrate the value of combining geography with math and science to improve student performance in STEM knowledge.     

地理学区域研究与区域历史地理学的取向

地理学的区域研究传统由来已久,后形成了独立的分支学科——区域地理学,经历了古代地志的分区书写、区域差异的描述解释、空间关系的定量分析和社会过程的深度建构4 个阶段的发展过程。区域地理学演进中遭遇的计量革命与理论创新,实质上是对传统区域学派过分强调区域所导致的静止、孤立的研究僵局的打破与修正,是区域地理学不断总结和完善自身的发展之路。区域历史地理学的学科性质、研究范式与研究内容和方法深受区域地理学的影响和启发,并形成了连续的地理剖面复原研究、区域的景观文化生态研究、区位与结构—功能体系研究和分区分类分级的综合研究等多个分支。与西方相比,中国区域历史地理学的研究在研究内容和方法方面显得比较滞后,今后应加强对特定地方的社会、文化及经济空间的深度剖析,进一步深化人地关系理论及研究方法,不断拓展研究思维的深度和广度,争取有更多、更有影响力的区域历史地理研究成果问世。     

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.     

区域地理与系统地理二元论的演变及其透析

地理学是一门追求普适性的学科,还是强调其独特性,这个"普适"与"例外"的问题曾引起地理学史上最大的方法论争论。它反映出系统地理学与区域地理学的二元论。系统地理学家强调地理学追求一般法则,区域学派则认为研究独特的区域是地理学的核心。这种二元论争论在古希腊时代就初见端倪,"舍费尔—哈特向之争"则使其达到顶点。对争论的历史根源和发展演变的分析表明:虽然两个学派的代表人物哈特向和舍费尔都至少在形式上反对只强调系统和区域中的一个而忽视另一个的做法,但是他们的兴趣、价值观导致的偏好和地理学史观的重大分歧,使他们最终对区域地理和系统地理的倾向不一样。20世纪80年代的"哈特—格里奇之争"只是这种二元论的一个余波。其后,多元主义方法论的兴起使得这种二元论争论逐渐淡出人们的视野,但后现代地理学聚焦于"批判的区域研究",实质上仍是这种争论在新时代的变种。中国地理学界缺乏此种争论,原因可能在于"实用主义"的学术导向、学术环境、学术评价体制、折中调和的理论构建方式等。这不利于中国地理学自立于世界学术之林。     

Problem-Based Inquiry on World Water Problems in Large Undergraduate Classes

Abstract

This paper reports on the design and implementation of a project-based course—World Water Problems—that was introduced within the framework of introductory undergraduate geography education. The aims of the course were twofold: (1) to cultivate in students a world geographic perspective on water problems; and (2) to conduct an original research project on the search for detailed appraisals, or ex-post evaluations, of completed water projects and programs. The project involved problem-based inquiry and learning through several interrelated tasks including: hypothesis testing, systematic electronic library and database searching, corresponding with water resources experts; and synthesizing of results. Evaluation of the project, and the course more generally, was achieved through a questionnaire administered to the students and a focused in-class discussion. Overall, the students' comments about the course project demonstrate learning in the form of greater knowledge of world geographic regions and water sectors as well as enhancement of database search skills and critical thinking.     

Investigating Student Perceptions of Knowledge Acquisition within a Role-Play Simulation of the Convention on Biological Diversity

Abstract

This article investigates the particular mechanisms through which a role-play simulation impacts student perceptions of knowledge acquisition. Longitudinal data were mobilized in the form of quantitative and qualitative surveys to examine whether the simulation succeeded in increasing knowledge around both content and skills. It then delves deeper into the relationship between simulations and knowledge transmission by exploring the role of online technologies and stakeholder choice as mediators. This analysis reveals two major insights: (1) the importance of thoughtfully embedding the simulation within the overarching logic of the course itself, and (2) the potential contribution of online technologies to enhancing student knowledge acquisition.     

21世纪中国历史地理学发展的思考

本文在回顾中国历史与近 5 0年来取得的巨大成就的基础上 ,结合当今地球系统科学、地理科学的发展趋势以及国际全球变化与可持续发展研究的最新动向 ,提出了新世纪中国历史地理学研究应以收集、发掘人类文明演进的地理证据 ,分析历史上人地交互作用的时空特征为核心 ,以探寻当今地理学历史渊源人类适应环境变化模式的历史证据为目标 ,以文献分析、野外调查、考古发掘等传统方法与现代实验技术、空间信息技术的集成为手段 ,以编制5 0 0 0年来华夏故土嬗变与文明演进的历史图谱为主要平台的发展新思路 ,并认为中国历史地理学在国际全球变化与可持续发展研究中可以做出具有重大显示度的贡献     

Inventing Geography: Writing as a Social Justice Pedagogy

Abstract

A critical geographic pedagogy of writing can help students participate in public life by gaining access to the means of knowledge production. Drawing on pedagogical and composition theory, this article analyzes student papers from an introductory-level geography course to show how geography teachers can create assignments that broaden the scope of student agency and expand access to power. This is one way to promote social justice in the classroom because it fosters habits and skills of critical citizenship and participatory democracy instead of passive, consumption-oriented attitudes. Students are better able to position themselves as active members of a community and as agents in the process of critically reshaping knowledge about the world.     

Multimedia Guided Writing Modules for Introductory Human Geography

Abstract

This article describes a pilot project initiated in the fall term of 1993 that implemented and tested an interactive system of multimedia computer learning modules for an introductory human geography course. Modules actively involved students in learning and collaborative writing about topics illustrative of the breadth of contemporary human geography. Evaluation was achieved by means of analysis of student essays, electronic logs of student time spent in various portions of the system, and a comprehensive survey administered to students at the end of the term. This information suggests that the use of interactive multimedia lab modules can greatly enrich the learning environment for a wide range of students taking introductory human geography courses, though careful attention must be paid to ensure ease of use. The modules are now being refined based on these results; our hope is to make them available to other geography departments in the near future.     

Applying Geography Course Projects to Issues in City Resilience and Global Connectivity

Globalization would appear to be a subject that easily could be addressed in geography classrooms, yet this is not always the case. In terms of pedagogy, many geographers are concerned whether the field has been adequately engaging various components of this topic (e.g., connectivity, core-periphery), especially in terms of making the subject matter relevant to students. This article presents the results of a recent course project situated at the intersection of city-level resilience to hazards and connectivity with the global economy, utilizing SWOT analysis. The student projects demonstrated that this comparatively simple analytical tool was a useful means for exploring and integrating key topics in globalization and urban-economic geography, while also facilitating a problem-based learning environment.