Defining geographical mobility: Perspectives from higher education

Context is generally overlooked when selecting measures to define geographical mobility in mobility and migration research. This paper contributes to a discussion on the importance of context when defining geographical mobility and draws on examples from higher education in Sweden. Using binary logistic regression, statistical outcomes are compared when different measures of mobility to and mobility from higher education are employed. The measures produce different statistical outcomes, and these differences are illuminated when comparing results of common measures of mobility (e.g. crossing administrative boundaries or moving a certain distance) against two measures constructed specifically for Swedish higher education-related mobility. The results indicate that using municipality boundaries for measuring mobility in the Swedish higher education context is particularly inappropriate because the measure does not differentiate commuters from movers. This challenge surfaces because mobility must be determined in relation to the locations of students’ higher education institutions since administratively registered moves are unreliable in the educational context. These findings emphasize the importance of considering the geographical locations and characteristics of higher education institutions in addition to feasible commuting possibilities in research on higher education-related mobility. The two measures developed for the Swedish higher education context are identified as most appropriate because they center on the geographical distribution of higher education, and this distribution is perceived as having an important role in influencing mobility in this context. Consequently, this study accentuates the need for considering the geographical arrangement of resources (e.g. schools, hospitals) relevant to the context under investigation when determining measures to define mobility.     

中小学建筑空间设计

中小学建筑作为实现我国基础教育的载体,肩负着教育下一代、为社会培养人材的历史使命。新时代的校园应努力培养学生的创新意识和创新能力,造就全面发展型人才。本文结合青少年学习特点,以中小学校建筑空间设计为出发点,结合工程实际经验,探讨创造出更加适宜青少年生长发育、健康成长的学习、交往空间,期望"快乐教育"成为主题。     

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.     

Lessons from the Dust Bowl: Human-Environment Education on the Great Plains

Abstract

This article documents regional demand for human-environment educational resources via assessment of public knowledge of the environmental crisis known as the Dust Bowl. The steadily eroding knowledge-base on the topic is discussed along with the desire for enhanced Dust Bowl educational resources. Regionally focused educational activities utilizing geospatial technologies, family interviews, and repeat photography were created to help redress shortcomings in human-environment understanding of the Great Plains at a local level.     

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.     

Paper-Based GIS: A Practical Answer to the Implementation of GIS Education into Resource-Poor Schools in South Africa

Abstract

Geographical information systems (GIS) were phased into the geography curriculum of South African schools from 2006–2008 as part of the National Curriculum Statement (NCS) for grades 10–12. Since its introduction, GIS education in schools across the country has been met with a number of challenges including the cost of purchasing the hardware and software required to elucidate the basic concepts of GIS to learners. This article examines the introduction of GIS education in schools in South Africa. The development and distribution of a paper-based GIS educational package for resource-poor schools in the country is also highlighted. Preliminary educator and learner evaluations of the paper-based GIS package are discussed and the broader learning opportunities and benefits associated with flexible teaching mechanisms are examined.     

The Status of Geography in the Social Studies Curricula of Canadian Schools

Abstract

Successful curriculum development that will have impact upon individual American classrooms remains the key to maintaining the momentum of Geography for Life: National Geography Standards 1994. Teachers and students must be able to translate the national geography standards from the national stage to the local classroom setting to become geographically informed people. One example of this development for elementary urban geography is the Main Street lesson plan. It encourages observation and analysis required by Standard 4: The geographically informed student knows and understands the physical and human characteristics of places. After testing in a variety of Missouri classrooms, instructors thought that Main Street was a unique way of studying urban places and allowing students to gain a greater understanding of place.     

Geography and Multiple Abilities Program: Innovations in Teacher Education-Reconnecting Teaching to Students' Needs

Abstract

The University of Alabama is now offering a new and innovative, five-semester program that provides preservice teachers with both knowledge of and skill in using strategies and teaching methods associated with general and special education. The goal of the Multiple Abilities Program (MAP) is to enable teachers to accommodate the wide range of learning styles and developmental readiness for instruction of all learners in a given classroom, regardless of the labels with which the children are identified. This article describes MAP in light of the geography strand of the MAP curriculum. MAP students work with five topics in geography, which they use to develop a greater understanding of how authentic teaching and learning of geography are mediated by cognitive, affective, and social needs of children. MAP students take a particular topic in geography and design and implement instruction for it by creating authentic learning activities that offer elementary school students an opportunity to explore the topic. The variety that is systematically planned into the activities is the major means of accommodating differences in cognitive ability, learning style, level of physical and social development, and cultural, ethnic, and socioeconomic diversity.     

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.     

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.