TY - JOUR
T1 - Using video case studies to assess the impact of the use of GIS on secondary students' spatial thinking skills
AU - Kolvoord, Robert A.
AU - Uttal, David H.
AU - Meadow, Nathaniel G.
N1 - Funding Information:
This project was funded by the National Science Foundation through a grant to the Spatial Intelligence Center, commonly referred to as SILC(See http://www.spatiallearning.org for more information). SILC is one of sixScience of Learning Centers, all of which were created to facilitate large-scale, interdisciplinary research on learning to address problems facing the United States. In SILC’s case, this problem is STEM education; it is now well-known that the United States is not producing enough qualified STEM workers to fill the growing demand. SILC’s contribution to addressing this problem is to understand and enhance the role of spatial thinking in STEM education. Substantial evidence now exists that spatial skills are a unique predictor of both achievement and attainment in STEM fields [3]. This holds true even after statistically controlling for the contributions. For example, in predicting who will become a (mechanical) engineer, measures of spatial skills turn out to be more predictive than either or mathematics or reading. SILC’s position therefore is that understanding and enhancing spatial thinking can be a critical part of enhancing STEM education in the United States.
Copyright:
Copyright 2017 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.
PY - 2011
Y1 - 2011
N2 - We present the analysis of video case studies of students using geographic information systems (GIS) software to address sophisticated, locally-based problems in a secondary school course. Students show evidence of complex problem definition, hands on resolutions to conceptual and technological issues through the application of advanced geospatial processing, and choice of representations in their work, as well as the application of advanced geospatial processing. We are also conducting a quantitative study of the evolution of the students' use of spatial language and gesture through the course. Geospatial tools such as GIS demonstrate considerable promise in building students' ability to conceptualize and solve complicated problems with a spatial component, and the resulting spatial gains may benefit students in other scientific, technological, engineering and mathematical (STEM) domains.
AB - We present the analysis of video case studies of students using geographic information systems (GIS) software to address sophisticated, locally-based problems in a secondary school course. Students show evidence of complex problem definition, hands on resolutions to conceptual and technological issues through the application of advanced geospatial processing, and choice of representations in their work, as well as the application of advanced geospatial processing. We are also conducting a quantitative study of the evolution of the students' use of spatial language and gesture through the course. Geospatial tools such as GIS demonstrate considerable promise in building students' ability to conceptualize and solve complicated problems with a spatial component, and the resulting spatial gains may benefit students in other scientific, technological, engineering and mathematical (STEM) domains.
KW - GIS
KW - Geospatial
KW - Inquiry-based teaching
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=82555170660&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=82555170660&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.sbspro.2011.07.039
DO - 10.1016/j.sbspro.2011.07.039
M3 - Conference article
AN - SCOPUS:82555170660
SN - 1877-0428
VL - 21
SP - 372
EP - 379
JO - Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences
JF - Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences
T2 - International Conference on Spatial Thinking and Geographic Information Sciences 2011, STGIS 2011
Y2 - 14 September 2011 through 16 September 2011
ER -