Computer Science and Programming Courses in Geography Departments in the United States

Geographic information systems (GIS) are fundamental information technologies. The capabilities and applications of GIS continue to rapidly expand, requiring practitioners to have new skills and competencies, especially in computer science. There is little research, however, about how best to prepare the next generation of GIScientists with adequate computer science skills. This article explores how U.S. geography departments are introducing and developing computer science and programming skills in their geography and GIS degree programs. We review the degree requirements in fifty-five geography departments and discover that forty-four of them offer some kind of GIS programming course. Of the 210 separate degree options identified, however, only 22 require one of these courses for a degree. There is little consistency or emphasis on computer science and programming skills in geography or GIS degrees, despite the immense importance of these components in geography and GIS careers. We propose future research along distinct investigative tracks to build a research-based understanding of the educational interactions among GIS, computer science, programming, and geography.     

Gaps,Intellectual Enthusiasms,Personal Insecurities: Response to “Stages on Journeys”

Abstract

The Department of Geography at Arizona State University implemented a field exam as part of its PhD program requirements. This field exam requires students to develop an independent field-based research project based on a general question in the student's specialty area. A survey of current and former PhD students and faculty members document how the field exam assists students in developing skills necessary for continuing graduate research and for preparing them for the rigors of academic employment. The outcomes of the exam include both long-term, process-related benefits and more immediate tangible rewards. For some students, the preliminary fieldwork and results redirect student interests and form the basis for their eventual dissertation. The field exam is adaptable to a diversity of geography research methods, subject areas, and graduate degree programs, while remaining grounded in the discipline's vibrant, widely respected fieldwork tradition.

     

A National Survey to Examine Teacher Professional Development and Implementation of Desktop GIS

ABSTRACT

This article examines the results of an online national survey of K–12 educators who attended a series of GIS training workshops conducted by the authors between 1998 and 2004. Data from the self-report survey (N = 186) suggest new information about potential changes in instruction and assessment patterns following GIS training. The survey provides insight for those designing GIS-based professional development, while simultaneously describing relatively little change in instructional methodology. The survey confirms some classroom implementation constraints from an earlier national implementation survey, identifying a lack of time for teachers, variable skill levels among students, and software complexity.     

"3S"技术在城市规划专业的应用与教学改革

信息技术的发展,城市规划专业教育逐步将定量和数字技术方法引入教育体系,文章对“3S”技术特别是“GIS”、“RS”和数字城市技术在城市规划领域的广泛应用和课程体系的教学改革进行探讨和建议。     

The place of rural, remote and least-wealthy small islands in international water development: the nexus of geography–technology sustainability in Chuuk State, Federated States of Micronesia

Many least-wealthy, rural, remote and resource-poor small island communities are unlikely to benefit from high-profile global water improvement initiatives. Their small landmasses, geologic composition, geography, social and technological isolation, colonial history, and weak educational and financial resources constitute significant barriers to improving access to safe drinking water. This paper discusses the relatively unique position of such island societies in the international community, providing a case study of the Federated States of Micronesia that integrates data and information pertaining to water resources management and governance, spanning from the island village to national scale. A vision is offered regarding the interaction between small island human and biophysical water systems, manifesting ways to pursue water resource development to improve public health which are constructed to be economically, physically and culturally sustainable.     

大连市初中教育消费者的社会空间结构研究

基于消费者差异的特色均等化是义务教育未来发展的重要指向。运用因子生态分析法对大连市域范围内189所初级中学学生的问卷调查数据进行分析,提取出5个主因子并划分为5类初中教育消费者,得出大连市初中教育消费者在空间上呈现出职业的城乡分化、受教育水平的南北差异等多重分异特征。然后采用聚类分析方法和集中度指数将所研究的初中教育消费者所在学校划分为4类,即高学历高收入家庭子女学校、城市中上收入家庭子女学校、农民及外出务工人员子女学校和工人及办事人员子女学校。最后根据不同类型初中教育消费者所在学校空间上的分布特征,归纳出大连市初中教育消费者社会空间结构的圈层分布特征。     

Closing the “Hole in the Sky”: The Use of Refutation-Oriented Instruction to Correct Students' Climate Change Misconceptions

This article discusses the implementation of a pedagogical tool aimed at the refutation of secondary school (grade ten-equivalent) students' persistent climate change misconceptions. Using a lesson study approach, the materials and intervention techniques used were developed collaboratively with geography teachers. The objective is two-pronged: to closely monitor how children learn through refutation-oriented approach and to document how teachers process the experience. A pretest and post-test comparison showed that there was significant improvement in the students' climate change conceptual understanding following the intervention.     

Meeting the Challenge of Systemic Change in Geography Education: Lucy Sprague Mitchell’s Young Geographers

The history of K–12 geography education has been characterized by recurrent high hopes and dashed expectations. There have, however, been moments when the trajectory of geography education might have changed to offer students the opportunity to develop a thorough working knowledge of geography. Lucy Sprague Mitchell’s geography program developed in the 1920s and 1930s was brilliant in its conception and execution but it did not lead to large-scale systemic change. Analyzing the origins, development, and outcome of her program suggests the conditions that facilitate and inhibit systemic change, and therefore perhaps we can learn to capitalize on comparable moments in the future.     

Holiday in Cambodia: Perceived effects of a New Zealand high school international field trip on students

Using an exploratory case study approach, this research used semi‐structured interviews to investigate the motivations, expectations and experiences of high school students in New Zealand who travelled to Cambodia on a school supervised field‐trip. Findings suggest students are motivated by altruistic behaviour and the desire for unique experiences. Students had very high expectations, predicting the experience to be either life changing or incredibly important. Post‐trip interviews revealed that the volunteer work undertaken was perceived as positive and that experiences of poverty were challenging and influential. Finally, personal development and an increased sense of social responsibility were identified as important effects of the trip.