Location Knowledge: Assessment, Spatial Thinking, and New National Geography Standards

Abstract

Location knowledge is typically assessed using outline maps. A new set of questions reflect spatial thinking research and helps to assess student location knowledge. A small group (145) of first-year college students helped to refine the items. Question styles include: open-response, multiple-choice, listing, labeling, and sketching. Topics include: grid knowledge, world regional references, neighboring countries, neighboring features, and shapes of borders. This instrument combines spatial thinking research and expectations in geography standards.