Measuring Community and University Impacts of Critical Civic Geography: Insights from Chicago

Geographers have increasingly adopted community-based learning and research into their teaching and scholarly activities since Bunge and Harvey called for an applied public geography that is both useful and challenges societal inequalities. With few exceptions, however, there has been little discussion of methods for measuring this work. Many published assessments focus on the impacts of projects on students but overlook the impacts on community partners. Impacts on faculty and the larger university community are also often ignored. This article discusses literature on the evaluation of community–university research and service learning from a critical perspective. A discussion of service learning and community-based research (CBR) projects at two Chicago universities, DePaul and Chicago State, is presented. In both cases challenges were encountered to achieve full evaluation of projects, yet both included an evaluation of university and community partners that allowed for assessment of the projects’ value to all partners.     

Index to Volume 100

Abstract

The integration of GIS into the secondary curriculum can aid student learning of geography. Through a partnership between a local high school and our university, high school students received nine hours of classroom instruction and field-based training on GIS and GPS to complete a mapping project. Upon completion, a test based on seven geography core curriculum units was administered to these students and to a group of university students who did not receive GIS training. Results of the test revealed that high school students significantly outperformed the university students, suggesting that GIS does aid in the learning of geographic principles.     

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.     

Youth transitions and going to university: the perceptions of students attending a geography summer school access programme

This paper contributes to understandings of youth transitions in childhood and youth geographies through the use of a participatory diagramming exercise with students studying geography in a summer school access programme at a Scottish university. In particular, the paper explores young people's perceptions about adult/child binaries and their hopes and fears in applying to university. The discussion highlights the extended nature of youth transitions: the usefulness of participatory diagramming as a research method and teaching technique for this group; and the consequences that the increasing interest in childhood and youth geographies might have on teaching and learning in human geography.     

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.     

Reflections on post-pandemic university teaching,the corresponding digitalisation of education and the lecture attendance crisis

This short commentary discusses effective university teaching in the context of the pandemic, the corresponding digitalisation of tertiary education, and the recent lecture attendance crisis. By critically reflecting on my own experience as a university educator and as a student in a teacher education course, I suggest that the attendance crisis presents an opportunity to explore effective teaching in a rapidly changing context. To improve our teaching and learning, we can reflect on what students and teachers have gone through and seek to understand who our students are.     

Paper versus Pixel: Effectiveness of Paper versus Electronic Maps To Teach Map Reading Skills in an Introductory Physical Geography Course

Abstract

This article addresses the lack of outcome-based research on the integration of technology into pedagogy at the undergraduate college level. It describes a study performed at a Midwestern university, testing the relative effectiveness of paper and electronic topographic maps for teaching map-reading skills, and considers the relationship between learning styles and paper or digital map preference. Results indicate that, although student map skill performance did not differ significantly with the use of paper or electronic maps, students preferred paper maps. Neither their performance nor their preferences were related to learning style. The article discusses the significance of these findings.     

Learning to do geography? University students posing questions in GIS laboratory exercises

In many higher education curricula, pre-structured step-by-step laboratory exercises in introductory courses in geographical information systems (GIS) are an important part of the training of future geographers. The reasons for this approach to teaching GIS are manifold, such as large numbers of students, off-the-shelf desktop software that is often complex, technical challenges, and scarce faculty resources. Often the reasons are well agreed upon by members of a university faculty and among the students. Research in other fields has shown that the use of a controlled manual for laboratory work often provides low learning potentials. However, not much empirical research has dealt with this issue within a GIS learning environment. Inspired by research on the value of student-generated questions within science education, the authors take a closer look at the type of student-generated questions and their relation to students' self-image of their learning approach in two pre-structured GIS laboratory settings at two Danish universities. They conclude that the vast majority of student-generated questions are of a basic information type and independent of the students' self-image of their learning approach. Further, it is found that wonderment questions, i.e. questions that are reflective in nature and show students the process towards acquiring extended geographical knowledge and software proficiency, are rarely asked.     

杭州下沙高教东区学生行为时空特征研究

以杭州下沙高教东区为例,尝试探讨空间要素对大学生生活、学习等行为的时空影响,从大学生的需求出发,为完善大学城规划发展提供案例数据和思路。通过访谈和问卷调查方法,以杭州下沙高教东区部分大学的大学生日常行为调查问卷为基础,对其行为的时空特征进行调查和分析,并与处于市区的老校区学生进行对比。调查表明,新生和高年级学生行为空间模式和空间选择存在差异,新老校区的学生之间同样也存在差异。进而,探讨了造成这些差异的原因,总结出目前高教东区空间布局对学生行为的影响主要有:(1)功能分区;(2)校园区位与对外交通;(3)树形空间结构;(4)公共空间及设施布局。由此提出建议:(1)东区有必要考虑优化管理体制提高配套设施的共享效率;(2)加强高校与城市社区的互动;(3)大学城规划建设进一步"以人为本"满足师生合理的空间需求。     

In search of meaningful assessment in the university curriculum: the case for culturally relevant pedagogy

ABSTRACT

The poor performance of Pacific students at university is a concern for every level of society. Conventional models of teaching, learning and assessment have overlooked the cultural background of students, yet the effects of this oversight have been disastrous, alienating and disempowering. Studies of and developments in education in the Pacific and elsewhere offer opportunities to rethink the methods of teaching, learning and assessment of Pacific students in ways that are congruent with their home culture. Informed by the principle of so’a lau pule (the Samoan concept of consensus through consultation and conversation) and ethnographic research methods, this study describes an attempt to rethink ways of teaching, learning and assessing student performance in a third-year course on Resource Conservation and Management in the School of Geography, Earth Science and Environment at the University of the South Pacific. Introduced in 2007, the Student Innovative Contribution to Knowledge (SICK) allows students to participate in key decisions concerning teaching, learning and assessment. SICK is grounded in the principles of inclusiveness and participation. It takes account of the skills and abilities of Pacific students and is aligned with the philosophical basis of Pacific cultures. One hundred and fifty-eight students took part in this study over a 5-year period. Analysis was based on students’ written reviews of the semester’s work, in-depth conversation with individual students and the end-of-the-course evaluation. The findings show that, while students embrace the need for non-conventional forms of teaching, learning and assessment, the most frequently cited responses for non-participation are poor time management and varying perceptions of what is considered an innovative assessment. This study shows that understanding the cultural background of students is critical to creating culturally inclusive learning environments.     

Bridging the Divide: The Potential Role of Contemporary Geographical Research in Schools

This article examines the implementation and impacts of a program intended to improve research-led teaching in schools. Little consideration is given to the role of research-led teaching in schools; the argument is that this is a consequence of fractures between schools and universities. A program was developed to bring contemporary geographical research of university scholars into schools. Examining this program, the finding is that being exposed to research: improves access to up-to-date knowledge; heightens student enthusiasm; and informs choices students make about their learning. This article calls for bridges to be built between universities and schools upon the nexus of teaching and research.     

Geographical Notes

Abstract

This article describes the benefits of combining field-based learning within the context of a competitive setting in the geography curriculum. Findings and data are presented based on experiences gathered from teaching an upper-level university geography course that combined geographic techniques and theory into a game of capture-the-flag. Students analyzed a variety of geospatial data sources, using ArcMap Geographic Information System software, to prepare a series of maps for the game. Students reported a first-time understanding of many geographic skills that were previously ambiguous to them when the material was presented in a different format, such as lectures and labs.     

Integration of Geospatial Science in Teacher Education

Abstract

One of the primary missions of our university is to train future primary and secondary teachers. Geospatial sciences, including GIS, have long been excluded from teacher education curriculum. This article explains the curriculum revisions undertaken to increase the geospatial technology education of future teachers. A general education class introducing geospatial technology to the general student body has been developed, a cartography class has been modified to provide applied geospatial experience explicitly for future teachers, and a service learning partnership with local K–12 schools has been established where students are working with teachers to integrate geospatial sciences in their academic programs.     

Teaching generic GIS using commercial software

Abstract

The debate between training and education in GIS in a university or college setting and whether or not commercial systems should be used in such institutions may be far from resolution, but an indication of the level of interest shown in hands-on, computer-based GIS education using a commercial system is the appearance and growth of the Institute for GIS in Education. The Curriculum Development Toolkit produced by the Institute has involved academic input and evaluation, and contains both generic GIS background information and system-specific computer-based learning materials, used in over 200 academic institutions world-wide.     

A Sustainability Initiative to Quantify Carbon Sequestration by Campus Trees

Abstract

Over 3,900 trees on a university campus were inventoried by an instructor-led team of geography undergraduates in order to quantify the carbon sequestration associated with biomass growth. The setting of the project is described, together with its logistics, methodology, outcomes, and benefits. This hands-on project provided a team of students with several learning opportunities including an introduction to carbon sequestration, basic arboriculture, field-based measurements, mapping, geographic information systems, and biogeography concepts. A GIS geodatabase was produced containing information on tree location, species, size, biomass, carbon content, and annual CO₂ sequestration, which was later customized for integration into campus facilities management.     

Mapping Communities: Geographic and Interdisciplinary Community-Based Learning and Research

This article discusses the ways in which the impacts of “geographic” community-based learning and research (CBLR) transcend the boundaries of the discipline of geography and also contribute to the practice and theory of civic engagement. I consider mapping and spatial thinking as a unique method for encouraging faculty, students, and community to engage in community partnerships. Drawing from several years of experience of teaching a CBLR course in an interdisciplinary setting, I highlight the role of geography in promoting community engagement. Geographic perspectives and methods can transform outreach or service models of community engagement into meaningful community partnerships that build and sustain a reciprocal relationship between university and community. I articulate three levels of geographic intervention that geographers need to attend to: theoretical, pedagogical, and institutional interventions on civic engagement.     

In the Eye of the Storm: A Participatory Course on Coastal Storms

Storm disasters are amplified in the coastal environment due to population pressures and the power of the sea. The upper-division/graduate university course Coastal Storms was designed to equip future practitioners with the skills necessary to understand, respond to, and mitigate for these natural disasters. To accomplish this, Coastal Storms integrates active learning approaches, namely literature discussions, GIS labs, and field excursions. Further, the pedagogical model employed aligns the course objectives with fundamental geographic principles: understanding of geographic patterns, awareness of social-physical interactions, and capacity for geographic writing. Informal evaluation of Coastal Storms suggests that the course objectives are being met. Finally, the overall intent of describing the pedagogy of this particular course is so it can be used as a model for shaping the future of hazards courses in geography programs.     

大学城建设对广州城市发展的促进分析

知识经济时代的到来使得大学城成为最具时代特色的城市空间形态之一,大学城因此成为社会各界的关注焦点。在系统梳理中外有关大学城的概念,尝试从新角度重新认识大学城及其与大学园区、大学卫星城、大学城市、新科技城市的关系基础上,通过对广州大学城的实证研究,分析大学城对建设学习型城市、强化城市教育、文化、科技功能,改善城市空间结构,催生城市经济新增长点等方面的作用。     

中国高校技术转移网络的时空特征及影响因素——基于高校-城市二模网络视角

高校技术转移效率偏低是当前中国亟待解决的现实问题,在创新驱动战略深入实施背景下,从空间供需视角探究其转移规律,对实现世界科技强国目标具有重要参考价值。基于2001—2018年中国高校专利转让数据构建高校-城市二模网络,利用社会网络分析、GIS空间分析和网络动力学模型,定量分析高校技术转移网络的空间演化规律及影响因子。研究发现：(1)中国高校技术转移网络规模迅速扩张,高校和城市节点的发育均呈现显著差异性,高校技术主要由综合类和理工类“985/211”高校转至直辖市、省会和区域中心城市;(2)高校技术转移以本地为主,边界效应明显,本地技术转移高值区呈现以直辖市和省会城市为核心的散布格局,跨区域技术转移网络呈现以京津、成渝、长三角、珠三角、哈长沈为核心节点的“梯形”架构;(3)高校等级、高校类型、地理距离、空间共位、技术兼容性和城市技术吸收能力综合影响高校技术转移网络的形成与演化。据此,建议因地制宜促进城市尺度的高校技术转移体系建设,并强化核心城市的多尺度高校技术转移网络建设。