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.     

当代西方区域规划研究的主要流派及对我国的思考

本文研究内容主要包括当代西方区域规划研究的主要流派与趋势、国内区域规划研究的现状与存在的主要问题和关于我国新一轮区域规划的思考三大部分。研究认为:(1)我国新一轮的区域规划必需纠正长期以来形成的,目前还在继续影响的“区域规划就是生产力的总体布局,是国民经济与社会发展计划在地域上的空间落实与延伸”的错误观点和习惯作法;(2)必需破除计划经济体制背景下形成的区域规划较强的“自上而下”的强制性控制色彩;(3)必需厘清政府与市场的关系和功能区别,从而为我国经济、社会和政治生态的和谐、稳定和可持续发展服务,为社会主义市场经济制度的不断完善作出贡献;(4)必需以制度的方法对我国新阶段如何规范区域规划研究、有效开展区域规划实践等重大问题进行深层次的思考,加强对新时期我国区域规划法理、法据和法序框架与组织和实施机制的探索;(5)必需以科学发展观和“五个”统筹为指导思想,以新区域主义的基本理念、研究视角与理论方法为基础,通过对我国区域规划理论体系和观念的全面更新与内涵的拓展,重点研究适合我国国情的新概念的区域规划理论体系基本构架与实施方法和管理体制的创新等问题。     

The place of schools in parents' community belonging

Abstract:  Schools are central community facilities in the daily lives of families with young children. The paper draws on survey and in-depth interview data to describe the role schools play in parents' sense of belonging to community. Māori and Pākehā parents indicated that schools and preschools were the most significant sites to their community belonging. They are a common meeting place, a source for community knowledge, and a point of departure for the development of parental friendship networks, and reciprocity in child care and support. Parents' perceptions of local schools in all socio-economic neighbourhoods influenced school choice and commitment to a neighbourhood. For Pacific and Asian parents schools were less significant as sites of community belonging.     

山区贫困县中小学空间格局变化与可达性分析——以河南省嵩县为例

山区贫困县具有经济落后、交通不便、人口分散且居住空间格局快速变化等特点,使得其中小学空间格局变化及可达性分析在教育公平中具有重要意义。本文以豫西山区贫困县嵩县为例,利用1997、2007、2015年中小学数据,运用趋势面分析和引力模型等方法对其空间格局变化及其空间可达性进行研究。主要结论为：①嵩县中小学空间布局在一些地形条件地区局部集中：小学在浅山丘陵区和低山区分布相对较多,初中则局部集中在浅山丘陵区;②撤点并校使中小学数量减少,各行政村内学校数量的分布差距缩小,趋势线逐渐平缓;③Voronoi模型的Cv值结果显示,中小学空间分布呈集聚分布状态,随着中小学数量的减少其空间集聚程度逐渐下降,在县域北部沿东北—西南走向呈现面状密集分布区,沿境内两条主要干线路(G311和S247)分别形成南北和东西向狭长带状分布区;④2015年中小学空间可达性区域差别明显,小学最远入学距离为最近入学距离的160倍,有26.1%的村庄初中入学距离达10 km以上,且全部位于中山和低山地区;⑤地形、交通、人口、经济、政策因素等对嵩县教育资源的分布具有重要影响。     

沉积相的一些术语定义的新思考:基于迈尔(Miall,1985)的文章

近年来,《古地理学报》(中文版及英文版)连续收到一些来稿,其作者根据迈尔(Miall,1985)文章的观点和方法,把他们研究地区碎屑岩剖面中的每个岩层中的岩石挑出来,归纳出一些岩石类型,如砾岩、砂岩、细粒岩等,并称它们为岩相(lithofacies)。这不符合沉积相的定义。我曾写过几篇文章,即冯增昭(2018,2020)及Feng(2019),指出这些问题,希望国内外的作者、尤其是国内的作者,不再继续盲目地引用和传播迈尔(1985)文章的观点和方法。迈尔是第1个称岩石(实际上是沉积物)为岩相的人,他的观点和他提出的相分析方法误导了沉积相的正确定义及正常的相分析方法。本文主要讨论迈尔(Miall,1985)文章中的问题,即他把沉积物当作岩相并用岩相分析相。不讨论他文章的贡献及建筑单元中的一些术语欠严谨的问题。在这里,必须申明,本文中的相,是沉积岩石学中的相,不是火成岩岩石学、变质岩岩石学、古生物学、地层学、地球物理学、地球化学等地质学分支学科中的相。岩相、相和沉积相是同义的术语。当然,这些术语的定义是有争议的,希望遵循“百花齐放和百家争鸣” 的方针和地质实践,逐步地解决这些争议。     

沉积相的一些术语定义的评论

近年来,在《古地理学报》(中文版和英文版)的已刊文章和来稿中,一些作者把岩石或岩石类型称作“微相”或“岩相”,把岩石薄片中的微观特征称作“微相”,把岩石的宏观特征称作“宏观相”。笔者曾写过2篇中文的短文《主编的话——岩石不是微相》和《主编的话——岩石不是岩相》,刊于《古地理学报》(中文版)中。但是此二文尚未引起国内外广大读者的关注。还有,在20世纪80年代,一些中国沉积学家根据野外露头和钻井岩心的岩石宏观特征,提出了“亚相”和“微相”。这个“微相”的定义与外国沉积学家在20世纪40年代根据岩石的显微镜下微观特征提出的“微相”的定义完全不同。这些问题屡屡出现从而迫使笔者,作为《古地理学报》(中文版和英文版)的主编,应该遵循“百花齐放和百家争鸣”的方针,再写出1篇中文及英文兼有的新文章,即《沉积相的一些术语定义的评论》(A review on the definitions of terms of sedimentary facies),把沉积相的一些术语,如“相”、“沉积相”、“岩相”、两种“微相”、“宏观相”、“亚相”等术语的定义讲清楚,并把此文同时在《古地理学报》(中文版和英文版)中刊出。希此文能引起国内外广大读者的关注,并撰写文章和参与这些问题讨论及争鸣,争取逐步得到一些共识,从而促进沉积学和古地理学的进步与发展。     

Green schools in Taiwan – Effects on student sustainability consciousness

In recent decades, the Taiwanese government has worked actively to implement the concept of a sustainable Taiwan. As an important step in their strategy, the Ministry of Education has decided to promote the Green School Partnership Project in Taiwan (GPPT). However, academic research and critical reflection on the effects of this environmental and sustainability education initiative are lacking. Therefore, this study focuses on filling this gap by means of a nationwide generalizable effect study. The sampling allowed comparisons between the sixth, ninth, and twelfth grades in GPPT and non-GPPT schools and considered the geographic location (north, center, and south of Taiwan) as well as socio-economic area of the schools. A total of 1741 students participated, answering a questionnaire that focused on student sustainability consciousness (SC) and its components (i.e., knowingness, attitudes, and behaviors in relation to sustainability). Data were analyzed through structural equation modeling. Our findings make an important empirical contribution, indicating that GPPT schools and non-GPPT schools have a similar effect on the SC of students, i.e. schools engaged in the GPPT do not enhance student SC. In addition, the gender gap regarding SC increased consistently with each increasing grade level, yielding higher mean values for the girls than for the boys. Furthermore, an adolescent dip occurred in the student SC, especially with regard to student sustainability behavior. Given these findings, implications for developing GPPT are discussed; this research could provide valuable information about the educational transformation process to enhance environmental and sustainability behavior among students in Taiwan.     

中等职业学校测绘类技能竞赛规范化训练研究

中等职业学校测绘类技能竞赛越来越受到相关行业部门和各院校的重视,如何在竞赛中取得好成绩,主要取决于科学规范化训练。本文主要介绍了规范化训练的组成部分和注意事项,为各院校在今后的训练中提供了参考。