Geography Module Research Articles

The spatiality of geography assessment questions: a case study of selected South African universities

ABSTRACT Spatial thinking is an essential skill for geographers and can be taught and learnt at any age. Spatial thinking should, therefore, form part of the Geography curriculum at every study level. An initial desktop study by the authors has indicated that the inclusion of spatial thinking in the undergraduate Geography curriculum at South African universities needs improvement. Up to now, published research papers have focused mostly on questions on spatiality included in Geography textbooks at the school and tertiary levels. None of these papers focused on the spatiality of assessment questions. This research aims to assess the spatiality of questions posed in formative and summative assessments of undergraduate geography modules at six selected South African universities. The taxonomy of spatial thinking was used to determine the spatiality of 2864 formative and summative assessment questions used at the first, second and third-year levels at six selected South African universities. The results indicate that the assessment questions, generally, do not reach a desirable level of spatiality and will, therefore, contribute towards developing students’ spatial thinking skills only in a limited way. Based on the results, recommendations are supplied to improve the spatiality of undergraduate Geography assessment questions using the taxonomy of spatial thinking.

A critical reflection on the inclusion of spatial thinking in undergraduate Geography modules: A case study of selected South African universities

A critical reflection on the inclusion of spatial thinking in undergraduate Geography modules: A case study of selected South African universities

Development of a Geography Module with a Disaster Mitigation Learning Model Based on the Concept of Local Wisdom in Disaster Preparedness

Ternate City is one of the areas that has a high level of disaster vulnerability in Indonesia. In addition, the level of public awareness and knowledge about disaster experiences the highest level of vulnerability to local disasters, such as landslides, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions. as for the purpose of this research is). Developing a disaster mitigation learning model based on the concept of local wisdom in disaster preparedness?. And designing disaster mitigation lessons based on the concept of local wisdom in disaster preparedness? . The 4-d model consists of four stages, namely: definition, design, development, and deployment. Researchers have developed a disaster mitigation geography learning module based on the concept of local wisdom in disaster preparedness, especially at State Senior High School 5 Ternate City. The results of the development of learning modules can be seen from the aspect of content 82.23% with proper qualifications, the aspect of the science and technology community model 85% with very decent qualifications, the aspect of format 82% with very decent qualifications, the language aspect 93% with very good qualifications. proper qualifications and presentation aspects of 80% with proper qualifications. While the average value of the validator results is 85.5%. in addition to disaster mitigation learning materials, namely, types of disaster characteristics and disaster management cycles, distribution of disaster-prone areas in Indonesia, disaster management through education, local wisdom and use of technology and the role of society in natural disaster mitigation. In addition, the subjects at State Senior High School 5 Kota Ternate showed that the assessment results of highly qualified students were 75%, and the assessment of students with very high qualifications was 8.33%, while those with high qualifications were moderate student assessment qualifications of 16%. It can be concluded that teacher learning teaches students to understand learning material well, both from learning modules and community technology science models that are applied in learningKeywords: Geography Module, Disaster Mitigation, Local wisdom, Disaster Preparedness

Enquiry-based skills education for sustainable development in a UK geography module as a catalyst for organisational change

PurposeHigher education institutions have a significant role in preparing future generations for the world of work and sustainable development. This paper aims to present a curriculum model of an enquiry-based learning pedagogy and a sustainable development conceptual context as a mechanism for teaching skills in a geography module. Potential influences of this model on organisational change towards integrating sustainable development are explored.Design/methodology/approachFollowing the design and implementation of the curriculum model, semi-structured interviews of the module teaching team were conducted. Thematic analysis was undertaken against a priori objectives determined from existing theoretical frameworks.FindingsThematic analysis suggests powerful synergies exist between enquiry-based learning, education for sustainable development and skills teaching. Potential impacts are as follows: conceptual perspectives enhance cognitive potential around systems thinking, learning methods promote behavioural potential around professional capability and agency and cultural encounters raise affective potential around inclusive curricula.Practical implicationsFindings indicate potential for bottom-up curriculum intervention to enhance individual learner capability and outcomes, to promote the role of Geography in responsible futures, to build teaching team capacity for active learning pedagogies, to influence individual and institutional behaviour change towards sustainability practices, diversity and inclusion, and to catalyse organisational change around sector priorities including integrating education for sustainable development, active learning, inclusive education and enhanced graduate outcomes.Originality/valueThis paper identifies multiple benefits from a curriculum model combining skills teaching in a synergistic pedagogical and conceptual framework and its bottom-up potential to catalyse organisational change in higher education.

Spatial perspectives on student profiling to inform open distance e-learning (ODeL) in various geographical contexts: a case study from the Global South

Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 4 underpins the other SDGs and emphasizes the importance of increasing access to inclusive, equitable, quality education. Equitable and inclusive access to education remains a pressing issue in many parts of the world, especially in the Global South. Developments and challenges experienced in the Global South have increased awareness of the potential of open distance e-learning to increase access to higher education. This potential has to be considered from the perspective of the digital divide. Analyzing student data can play an important role in obtaining insights into students' lives to improve the quality of the educational services provided.This paper aims to reflect on the use of spatial statistics in compiling a profile of the students registered for a Geography module at the University of South Africa. This paper has two objectives. The first is to specify the broad student profile in terms of the geographical location of students. The second objective is to reflect on the lifeworlds of the students in the different clusters and the challenges they may face in successfully completing their studies. Four representative student profiles could be compiled using lifestyle data. Marked differences in lifestyle factors between the four identified profile types were observed. These may directly impact students' ability to progress with their studies.

A Flipped Learning Experience in Geography: A Qualitative Study using Focus Group Discussion

Flipped learning (FL) is gaining broader acceptance in geography education. This study aims to explore the remaining question concerning how the FL approach is associated with students' understanding of Geography course content. A focus group discussion (FGD) was conducted in a protocol through nine groups of students consisting of six to ten members per group. In total, eighty-eight undergraduate geography students had taken part in the discussion. Qualitative data obtained from the FGD were coded and thematically analyzed. The qualitative analysis revealed four major themes: (i) attention to learning geography, (ii) personal needs in learning geography (iii) confidence to succeed in learning geography, and (iv) satisfaction in learning geography associated with students' understanding of the course content. The results reveal that the understanding of the students of the course content was high through the application of the FL approach to teaching and learning. The finding is very significant to provide a guideline for FL application at the university level, specifically for Geography Module to increase students’ understanding of the course content.

Emplacing Students through Everyday Mobilities

Abstract This article reflects on teaching and learning practices in a second-year human geography module “Space, Place and Mobility in Southern Africa” to consider the role of pedagogies of emplacement in the teaching of mobilities. Reflecting on the use of student-developed mobile diaries and digital stories over a five-year period, this article builds on the concept of “emplacement” in teaching practices to demonstrate how actively emplacing students’ everyday experience of mobility through reflective and embodied learning provides an opportunity for students to generate knowledge; to understand a range of mobility practices, spaces, and subjectivities; and more importantly, to illustrate the potential that epistemic disobedience may offer to mobilities pedagogy and theory.

Using COVID-19 as a vehicle for enabling geographical thinking in teacher education

This article describes a curriculum innovation conceptualized in the March/April 2020 COVID-19 lockdown and implemented over a six-month period (April to September 2020). Written from a position of hindsight, the article responds to the question: How can the geography of the COVID-19 pandemic enable teachers’ geographical thinking? More specifically, it addresses the need for practical ‘how to’ examples of responsive geography education curriculum making processes and pedagogical approaches employed in teacher education in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. The article begins by describing how, despite the many challenges faced across education sectors, COVID-19 was able to be used as a ‘teachable moment’ in the geography module of the Understanding the Social and Physical World course offered in the Bachelor of Education (Foundation Phase Teaching) qualification at a South African university. The article describes the curriculum design and conceptual framing, revealing how the constructivist epistemology used was employed to elicit, build on, and expand the students’ knowledge of the pandemic from a geographical perspective. This article critically reflects on how I used COVID-19 content to conceptualize and implement a curriculum that was responsive to the context in which we found ourselves while maintaining disciplinary integrity. In showcasing select examples of how this was achieved, the paper offers insights on the lessons learned which may stimulate curriculum innovation and pedagogical responsiveness in other geography teacher education programmes.

APPLICATION OF GOOGLE EARTH SOFTWARE FOR TEACHING STUDENTS OF GEOGRAPHY EDUCATION AT AN GIANG UNIVERSITY, VIETNAM IN THE DIRECTION OF CAPACITY DEVELOPMENT

Applying information technology to teach students majoring in Geography pedagogy in a university environment in the direction of capacity development has contributed to improving training efficiency and quality. By analyzing and synthesizing documents combined with pedagogical experiments in the classroom, the article introduces Google Earth and the application of Google Earth to teach some geography modules for students of geography pedagogy at the An Giang University, Ho Chi Minh City National University, in the direction of capacity development. Through lessons and tests, assessments help students improve their general and specific competencies in Geography. In addition, the article also proposes some recommendations to allow lecturers to use Google Earth to teach Geography at universities more effectively.<p> </p><p><strong> Article visualizations:</strong></p><p><img src="/-counters-/soc/0085/a.php" alt="Hit counter" /></p>

Spatialising Sport Management

ABSTRACT Sport and geography may be considered allied and complementary disciplines. They share, variously, interests in ideological and physical spaces, political and socio-cultural processes of space- and place-making, historical dis-/continuities, individual and collective identity formation, demography and topographies and representational practices therein. Sports geography modules may, for example, be taught independently within Geography, Sport Management/Studies/Science, Urban Studies, Development or Liberal Arts programmes, or form a bridge across shared degree/honours courses as a way of attracting an interdisciplinary audience of students. Regardless of institutional “home”, sports geography, affords a rich context for engaging students with critical contemporary issues, global-local analysis, and socio-cultural complexities and social justice concerns. We argue in this paper for a more pronounced place for sports geography – specifically, critical spatial studies – within Sports Management. We draw on our professional and personal experiences teaching sport and geography related courses. We contextualise the teaching of sports geography against wider Higher Education forces. Next we provide pedagogical illustrations of the benefits of a sports geography focus. We offer some recommendations and reflections. Ultimately, we advocate for improved collaboration between Sports Management and Geography fields, and call for continued scholarly and pedagogical symbiosis and play that might produce new and creative interdisciplinary inquiry.

Utilization of Youtube as a Supplement of Mapping Skills Teaching Materials for High School Students in Banyuwangi District

This research was conducted to improve the mapping skills of NU Genteng high school students using Youtube videos and combined with teacher-made geography modules. This study used a quasi-experimental design (quasi-experimental) which measured treatment through the pretest and post-test results. The treatment given is the same for students. As a result, students scored higher on the average post-test score compared to the pretest. This treatment affects students' academic achievement, especially in mapping skills in class XII social studies students. Youtube videos help students understand learning subjects more effectively.

Podcasting urban geographies: examining the utility of student-generated research podcasts for deep learning and education for sustainable development

ABSTRACT Action-oriented pedagogies are becoming an increasingly popular instructional approach within higher education, encouraging students to learn by doing and to actively participate in the construction of knowledge, forming part of learning-centred and research-centred approaches to teaching and learning thought to assist deep learning. Such pedagogies are also critical for attending to broader societal challenges through education for sustainable development (ESD). Despite pedagogical shifts, assessment methods remain largely centred on more traditional written methods such as exams or essays, even though there is a growing recognition of the diversity of learners within higher education institutions, coupled with recent drives for adoption of universal design principles for learning (UDL). Within this context, this paper reports on the use of audio podcasts for assessment in a final year urban geography module. Reflective statements completed by the students were analysed to examine the utility of learner-generated research-based podcasts for learning and assessment in urban geography, focussing on the depth of learning, creativity, and the development of graduate attributes. Podcasts have received little attention as a tool for teaching, learning and assessment within Geography, yet innovations in assessment can enhance the profile and popularity of Geography in higher education and beyond.

Translating green economy concepts into practice: ideas pitches as learning tools for sustainability education

ABSTRACT The urgency of the current climate crisis emphasizes the need for university graduates equipped with relevant knowledge and skills to tackle environmental and social problems such as material consumption, environmental degradation and inequality at all spatial scales. Geographic and spatially sensitive concepts and approaches to sustainability and greening are particularly relevant as best practices and success models are not easily transferable across different contexts. But how can students learn the necessary skills to connect theory with practice? Based on a third-year geography module at a British university that teaches green economy concepts, this paper presents insights from a problem- and project-based group learning exercise designed to help students translate conceptual approaches into practice highlighting the strength of geographic thinking. As part of the exercise, students work in groups to develop a green project that they present in a green dragons’ den-style ideas pitch to an expert panel for evaluation. Students are tasked to develop innovative, feasible and applicable proposals that address specific sustainability challenges. Findings from five consecutive years of teaching illustrate the value of project- and problem-based learning to students through the diversity of practical applications, the need for critical thinking and context-dependent assessments and enhanced transferable skills.

The strengthening of ecology literacy in eleventh grade senior high school students through development of Group Investigation (GI) module in geographic lessons of SMA Negeri 3 Sungai Kakap, Kubu Raya Regency

The purposes of this research were :(1) Determine the characteristics of the development of Group Investigation (GI) based modules (2) Determine the feasibility of Group Investigation (GI) based modules (3) Assess the effectiveness of Group Investigation (GI) based geography modules developed to improve Ecological Class XI Literacy. This type of research is Research and Development (R&D). The development stage of R&D is the 4D model, in this study there searchers only focused on the 3-D stage (Define, Design, Develop). This research design before and after the pre-test - post-test method. The researcher subjects were students of class XI IPS at SMA Negeri 3 Sungai Kakap. Data collection techniques used were test, question naire and documentation methods while data analysis techniques were used t test or t-test. Based on data analysis, the after thepre-test-post-test method. There search subjects were students of class XI IPS at SMA Negeri 3 Sungai Kakap. Data collection techniques used were test, questionnaire and documentation methods while data analysis techniques were used t test or t-test. Based on data analysis, the following results can be presented: (1) Characteristics of Group Investigation (GI) -based modules on preservation of environmental materials and sustainable development are at the integration stageof learning-based Investigation and insertion of environmental values Inproducts produced to enhance the Streng the ning of Ecological Literacy on environmental material class XI SMAN 3 Sungai Kakap Kubu Raya.(2)Theresults of the validation of the experts teamshow edanavera gerating, an average assessment module of 81% and included a very decent criterion, the response testshow edapositive respons etothepercentage of students andincluded with avery decent criterion.(3)Calculation of the effective ness of using N-Gain andourt-test, where N-Gainsees how much increases in the results of pre-test to post-test calculations in the experimental class 0.512% and the control classis 0.419% andthet-test to determine H1 hypothes is acceptedor rejected and the results obtained t = 3.69> table = 1.68 means that the research hypothesis (H1), isaccepted, which means there is a difference beteen the concluded experimental and control classes, the experimental class is more effective than the control class with the experimental class an average of 0.512% and a control class 0.419%.

Deep understanding of natural hazards based on the Sendai framework for disaster risk reduction in a higher education geography module in Singapore

The Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction develops and implements strategies to reduce disaster risks and can be used as a pedagogical tool to improve knowledge of natural hazards. From an early age, individuals can contribute positively to natural hazard mitigation and this is supported by research conducted in schools in countries like Thailand, Vietnam and Indonesia. Our research aims to explore undergraduate university student engagement and learning of natural hazards through real-world data analysis, risk assessment, developing adaptation and mitigation strategies and effective stakeholder communication in a region, while building students’ knowledge about the various hazards affecting an area. Throughout a series of tutorials and assignments, students were asked to explain a specified hazard, identify existing risks, explore adaptation and mitigation strategies and develop a stakeholder communication tool. Overall, students performed well in each individual assignment, getting marks between 14-18 out of 20. Assignment 4, in which students had to create a communication tool to report their findings to a stakeholder, such as a governmental agency, was the one where students received the highest marks. Students’ feedback at the end of the assignments was positive; most of them felt engaged and that the series of assignments enhanced their critical thinking skills.

Utilizing technology-enhanced learning in geography: testing student response systems in large lectures

ABSTRACT This paper explores the benefits and drawbacks of technology-enhanced learning (TEL) to engage undergraduate students in geography modules at Newcastle University. I consider the efficacy of “student response systems” (hereafter SRS, also known as audience response systems, clickers or personal response systems) in large lectures by experimenting with Mentimeter, an online platform designed to allow real-time response to questions. The rationale for the study is twofold: first, to respond to the swelling university enrolment which means that lectures remain a common teaching practice, and second, to reflect on the pervasive role technology plays in the everyday lives of staff and students. Bringing these two concerns together, I argue that TEL and SRS have the potential to respond to these challenges as well as to improve the overall learning and teaching experience. In order for SRS to be effective however, they need to be fully integrated into the curriculum and staffers need to be driving the usage. These arguments employ concepts of “active learning” and “contingent teaching” to better understand the usefulness of SRS to engage students in large lectures as well as how to develop a systematic approach to integrating technology into university lectures.

Teaching sexuality across time, space and political contexts

ABSTRACT Reflecting on a previous article, I evaluate changes encountered around teaching sexuality over the past 22 years in different geo-political settings. This article examines the ways in which my teaching practices, as an academic committed to equality, have developed in relation to different academic and political contexts. This personal pathway through learning and teaching work linked to sexuality has been, and still is, embedded within social, and feminist geography modules based on a political focus on social justice and injustice. I worked in two UK universities during the time when the Civil Partnership Act 2004 was enacted but left the UK prior to the Equality Act of 2010 and the Marriage (same sex couples) Act of 2013. I now teach in Singapore where Penal Code 377A still exists. This British colonial code criminalizes sex between consenting adult men in private or in public. This paper discusses my commitment to integrate sexuality into the curriculum and analyses the ways in which styles of delivery, content and engagement between and with students has varied across what I define as two ‘eras of teaching geographies of sexuality/sexualities’.

Mobilizing theory through practice: authentic learning in teaching mobilities

ABSTRACT This paper reflects on recent teaching and learning practices in two undergraduate human geography modules at the University of the Western Cape: GES111 Introduction to Human Geography and GES225 Space, Place and Mobility in Southern Africa. Content in both modules focuses on mobilities theory and its application toward understanding the shaping of space, place and subjectivity. Teaching and learning activities in both modules include student-generated knowledge through reflections on everyday mobility in the form of e-learning activities and autoethnographic essays. Using examples from teaching and learning activities in both modules, this paper considers the role of e-learning and mobile diaries as a link between theory and practice, where the latter serves as a means of illuminating and demystifying the former. Results from learning activities exemplify the innate understanding of critical concepts in mobilities studies, including the experience of movement, its meanings, and practices within the context of the global South. Comments from student evaluations demonstrate the importance of making connections between theory and practice, at the same time, the mobile diary method serves as an innovative practice of teaching, learning and student assessment.

Using blended learning to facilitate large room seminar provision in the era of TEF: reflections from a year two cultural geography module

ABSTRACTThe introduction of the Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF) in 2016 has placed the practice and quality of teaching centre of the UK university agenda, with concerns around contact, delivery, research/teaching balance and facility support framing debates within institutions. Situating the implementation of blended learning on a year 2 cultural geography in the broader context of these discussions, this paper explores some of the challenges and opportunities this approach has in addressing some of these broader concerns, whilst improving student engagement and performance.

Geography-Based Study Module Development Environment in East Lombok

This article is written to (1) study the development of module-based geographic environment in East Lombok (2) know the quality of the environment based on the geography module material lithosphere dynamics and their impact on life (3) knowing barriers in developing environment-based geography module in East Lombok. This type of research is quantitative descriptive. Quality geography module seen from the level of validity that includes feasibility aspects of content, presentation, graphics, language and environment-based. Validity of data obtained through the study of geography modules and expressed with values normalized gain score. The study found that the development of geography module developed by a team MGMPs eastern Lombok. The quality of the environment based on geography module seen from the aspect of the content of 79% feasibility, feasibility aspects of presentation of 69.6%, 85% and the feasibility language environment based 81.25%.