Teaching with Technology

In this third article in the series on GIS in the classroom, we will look at an article in The Journal of Geography in Higher Education titled: Spatial Thinking and Technologies in the Undergraduate Social Science Classroom. The authors believe that although spatial thinking and analysis has grown in popularity at the higher levels of education, there is still a shortfall at the undergraduate level in understanding its value in a well-rounded education. There can be little argument that spatial thinking techniques and technology in the social sciences has contributed to a number of new and important discoveries. Even though the article concentrates on the field of Archaeology, the lessons and rules apply to a variety of social science disciplines. Additionally, with the widespread use and lowering cost of GPS data and GIS software, there is every reason to encourage its use in each field of study (Hespanha et al).
There are a number of accepted strategies shown in the article that can be used for assessing spatial thinking and knowledge in students which the instructor can then use to form a basis for developing lessons and activities in the classroom:
• Prior Knowledge Survey: Used at the beginning of the course incorporating spatial concepts and thought processes which incorporate content based questions.
• One minute Paper: Following a lecture or laboratory exercise, students complete a fast one page paper in class summarizing the most important points.
• Pro/Con Grid: Students review a recent decision in their field and make a list of pros and cons of that decision. They are further asked to describe a birds-eye view and a perspective view of different features of the scene as observed.
• Theory Comparison: The students provide a summary of the differences between two theories that describe the same phenomenon. Encouragement is given to the students to think spatially in their answers.

Guided Problem Solving Activities are exercises that can be used to evaluate if the student has achieved an appropriate level of learning and if they are beginning to think spatially. They ask the student to go beyond the requirement of just providing information back to the instructor and allow for the student to not only interpret data but to apply new knowledge in decision making. Some activities provided in the article about using specific discipline driven problem solving activities in the classroom include:
• Multi-discipline: Students are provided a thematic map (theme or discipline related) and asked to provide a list of critical variables and symbols that would help identify the problem presented and/or help display possible solutions.
• Multi-discipline: Students are given examples of geographic data in recognizable formats such as spreadsheets, maps, photographs and asked to use the information to make a decision and/or prove their rationale behind the decision. They are additionally asked what information could have been provided for them to make a more informed decision.

• Sociology: Students are provided maps of a cities administrative districts and minority populations that exceed a given average and asked to discuss possible reasons for the observed distributions.
• Business: Students view a map that displays manufacturing facilities for a specific industry and students are asked to look at population density, travel corridors, pollution issues to determine new locations for development.
• Economics: Students are shown maps containing gross domestic products, life expectancy, population growth or income levels and asked to provide their thoughts on the interrelationships between each category.
• Criminology: Students look at a map depicting high and low crime rates for a specific region and discuss reasons for the levels. Also discussed are income levels, land use, public services, transportation networks.
• History/Anthropology: Students are given satellite imagery of areas of the planet and are asked to determine patterns of civilization and the reasons development existed in certain areas

Researchers at the graduate level often rely on spatial analysis tools for gathering, analyzing and presentation of data about human activities and interaction with geographic or environmental elements. It is not always necessary to work with GIS software in a computer lab, with some forethought and creative planning as well as the use of maps and geo-spatial data, it is possible to develop these spatial thinking skills in undergraduates as well.

Hespanha, Stacy R, Fiona Goodchild, and Donald Janelle. “Spatial Thinking and Technologies in the Undergraduate Social Science Classroom”. Journal of Geography in Higher Education, 33: Suppl 1, S17-27. 2009.