Towards a Concept of “Spatially Enabled Learning” (original) (raw)
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Using the Geographies of Learning. An Exploratory Categorization for Spatially Enabled Learning
GI_Forum, 2018
In a discussion spanning close to three decades, a variety of approaches for the use of geomedia in secondary education have been developed, roughly following technical/ workforce, spatial thinking, and spatial citizenship arguments. However, these approaches have mainly supported teaching within the subject of geography, or adjacent school subjects with a distinctly spatial outlook. Spatially Enabled Learning looks into a completely different domain, discussing how spatio-temporal contextualization might support learning processes across subjects. This contribution explores the possibilities of supporting learning processes using the example of German language education and suggests a model for support structures.
"Communication and information exchange is increasingly web2.0 mediated, networked and complex. The use and integration of a spatial reference to information, i.e. geomedia, has been gaining importance. As a consequence, these changes and the potential of spatial representations to contextualize learning content account for an increasing relevance of geomedia in education. Based on these developments a concept of Spatially Enabled Learning makes use of web-based mapping to support interaction and communication in educational contexts via social geocommunication. It links social media with individual spatial representations. The purpose is to make learners capable to be ‘produsers’ (producer-users) of information with a spatial reference. This is supposed to be helpful in education and everyday life with regard to spatial citizenship, i.e. reflective and participatory practice. The idea of spatially enabled learning focuses on the vision to enhance both learning and teaching processes, as well as to contribute to a more global understanding through linking learning processes with spatial representations. This contribution discusses two main topics: a) the role of space and spatial representations in everyday life and in learning processes, and b) conceptual tools needed for that. The concept of social geocommunication mirrors the shift from stand-alone web mapping applications to collaborative web mapping applications and finally towards social web mapping applications. In this context there is a variety of recent tools that already cover the prerequisites of spatially enabled learning. This paper provides a rudimentary conceptual framework to integrate existing tools and learning."
Maps4Learning: Enacting Geo-Education to Enhance Student Achievement
IEEE Access, 2020
During the last few years, increasing emphasis has been given to geo-education in middle and high school curricula, transforming the way certain subjects are now taught to provide students with comprehensive knowledge about dynamics and interconnections in the world, which also rely on relevant geographic information. This is the case for history, geography, the earth sciences, and other subjects. However, so far, little has been done to provide adequate learning tools that can support such an important transformation. This paper proposes the integration of advanced geospatial technology in traditional interactive learning tools as a way to describe experiences that help students understand phenomena and improve their competencies. The system is the result of a usability engineering process aimed at providing users with an effective learning experience, iteratively analysing their expectations and needs with respect to georeferenced content. The resulting learning environment, Maps4Learning, allows users to manage content in terms of learning objects named geoLO+, which are extended with spatial and temporal components and built according to standardized metadata. The system was tested in the context of a middle school programme. A usability study was carried out to analyse the impact of geoLO+ resources in terms of perceived quality, engagement, and student learning performance, and the outcomes of the resources were compared to the outcomes of traditional teaching methods. The results were encouraging and showed that learning improvement can indeed be achieved using Maps4Learning.
Spatial citizenship: potentialities of participatory geospatial web
Communication technologies recast the organization and production of the spatial and temporal scenes of social life and they open new possibilities of public action. The production of alternative representations of space, based on individuals’ georeferenced experiences, thoughts and emotions are increasingly supported by the potentialities of Internet based technologies, such as the ever more easy-to-use online software. The potential of these technologies to promote the agency, to change power relations and to disrupt the hegemonic discourse increase as more people become the authors of an informal flow of knowledge, information, memories and narratives. This research explores the potential of geospatial online practices, based upon the experiences, emotions and feelings to disclose the socially encoded meanings in specific spatial, temporal and cultural contexts, highlighting how spaces and citizenship are mutually constitutive. This communication will present case studies on the areas of education and public spaces.
Vogler, R. & Hennig, S. (2013): Providing Geomedia Skills beyond (Post) Secondary Education
In the last years the way how we communicate and exchange information has undergone significant changes. The relevant processes are increasingly Web 2.0-mediated and enable reflective and participatory practices. As part of this development, the use of geomedia in everyday life (both in work life and private life) has gained in importance. The intrusion of new communication channels and media is closely related to discussions and research on topics such as geo-communication, spatially enabled society and spatial citizenship.
Learning and teaching students for Digital citizenship in a global world : use of Geo-spatial ICT
In a rapidly changing economic dynamic in India, major cities are developing from metropolitan cities to smart cities while villages are experiencing rapid urbanization. In such an environment of urban change the city Development Plan (DP) for the Greater Mumbai from 2014-34 has offered an excellent opportunity for people not only to study and appreciate how urban plans are made but also allowed the people to critically comment on the proposed plan. In this context, as part of development of smart cities, it was realized that knowledge of Geo-spatial ICT was an important to the common public for understanding the existing situation as common public has been invited to participate Seizing this opportunity arising from the DP of city a non-governmental organization ‘Asha for Education’ located at Powai, Mumbai has undertaken a community mapping project along with a small group of students. They soon realized the need for geo-spatial knowledge and were taught to digitize the maps taking as a pilot L-Ward an area out of 24 similar wards, to see their world on a map and get a holistic picture and an interactive visual map of their community. It was also an experiment to study the pedagogy of teaching and learning of geo-spatial education with ICT. It was felt that geo-spatial technology without the context and its understanding, the skill of digitization would be devoid of motivation. It will not result in real participation in the democratic process of making a DP and supervising the implementation of the same over decades to come. Softwares like QGIS, postgreSQL/postGIS, My Tracks (mobile app) and web platform based on Drupal and Cartaro were provided and taught for interaction and documentation. Many other digital technologies were used in the study with benevolent support from Indian Institute of Technology, the premier technology institute in neighbourhood. The study was qualitative in nature owing to the small group of students and several professionals who wished to be part of this project also joined us. The members of the group were at different knowledge levels and could teach their peers. Education 3.0 has emphasized the need to connect students, society and current technology. Over the last few years, spatial knowledge databases like Google Maps and location-based search, GPS enabled smart phones etc. have become household terms. Still, the spatial knowledge finds rare occurrence in academic practices.
Spatial thinking is an important competency that needs to be formed in the era of technology 4.0 so that students can master spatial concepts in Geography learning so that a cutting-edge technology-based learning media is needed. One of the potential learning media to support the formation of spatial thinking is WebGIS. The advantages of WebGis in learning are: (1) Facilitate the application of spatial concepts in Geography learning by collecting, representing, and analyzing spatial data in the form of maps so that students can understand it. (2) Using WebGIS in education can help students develop the ability to think spatially, critically, and adapt to the inquiry process, which includes exploration, data processing, and conclusion in order to produce scientific discoveries.(3) Compared to other popular geospatial technologies (ArcGIS and Quantum GIS mapping applications), The method used is a literature review (literature study) with data in the form of qualitative descriptions. The data collected comes from secondary data using relevant literacy sources both online and offline. Based on the analysis conducted, it can be concluded that WebGIS is relatively easy to use for both students and teachers because the system's base is a website so that it can be accessed by anyone, anywhere and anytime without requiring complicated installation or configuration. Utilization of WebGIS is easy. It supports simple and flexible tools because they can be used in all Geographical Basic Competencies in Senior High Schools. Steps to using WebGIS can be done by (1) Students are directed to collect and convert verbal or written information into spatial information on WebGIS. (2) The spatial information collected can be seen through WebGIS so that students can find out various kinds of spatial patterns. (3) The spatial pattern can be used by students for more in-depth geographic analysis activities
Assessing the Use of Geospatial Technologies in Higher Education Teaching and Learning
European Journal of Geography, 2018
Educators continually seek new technologies to complement and enhance the student learning experience. The use of technologies in the classroom promotes spatial awareness, important across a number of disciplines. To better enable students to gain spatial awareness, higher education educators creatively utilise geospatial technologies in the classroom to enhance engagement and help visualise theoretical subject content. Teaching innovations and integrating technologies into the classroom over the past decade adhere to changing technological paradigms aimed at better engaging students in lectures and seminars to increase their practical and applied understanding and make classes more interactive. This study is an analysis of insight on approaches observed in academic literature. Three these themes emerged and are articulated in this paper: classroom engagement, interactive spatial knowledge, and practical skills acquisition. The first two are concerned with learning impacts in the classroom whilst the third theme focuses on career impacts.
During recent years spatial data infrastructure (SDI) concepts have developed towards user-centered initiatives, whose creation is strongly driven by user requirements. Closely related to (user-centric) SDIs is the vision of spatially enabled societies where access to and use of spatial data is regarded as relevant support for everyone to organize their activities. Both user-centric SDI models and the concept of spatially enabled societies focus on large and diverse user communities encompassing, besides public and private sector organizations, the general public as well. Although the benefits of spatial data use for professional reasons are widely recognized, awareness of the potential advantages for private life such as activities related to citizenship (civic duties and rights) has only recently been raised. Nevertheless, most citizens, as non-professionals regarding spatial data use, face difficulties when carrying out tasks related to the use of resources provided by a SDI. While capacity building is a long-established feature to ensure effective use by professionals, the need for citizens’ spatial education has lately become an important consideration. This asks, on the one hand, for the specification of skills and competencies required on the part of citizens to open up opportunities to benefit from SDIs and on the other hand, suitable education initiatives addressing the general public. Therefore, this paper argues that “Spatial Citizenship” seems to be an appropriate education approach to train user groups as pupils/ students and adults (non-GI professionals), who demand for different education initiatives adjusted to their particular situation.
Learning in Geocommunities. An explorative view on geo-social network communities
Learning with Geoinformation IVLernen mit …, 2009
The concept of Web 2.0 enhanced the widespread of collaborative mapping activities on the web. Public and private mapping agencies are increasingly supplemented and, especially for the domain of everyday activities, replaced by geocommunities that collaboratively create geoinformation contents. Geocommunities become visible and self-aware by their participation, communication and cooperation in virtual communities that integrate geospatial technology. They form ideal learning environments according to the model of situated learning. This paper applies theory of knowledge production and learning in virtual communities on the concept of geocommunities. Furthermore it investigates the adoption of geo-social networks in everyday life which is a necessary requirement for situated learning.