GIS for Elementary Students: An Inquiry Into a New Approach to Learning Geography

This case study investigates the potential use of GIS as a means for teaching geography to elementary students. A GIS learning project based upon constructivist pedagogy was developed and introduced to a fifth grade classroom. The findings suggest that the GIS module afforded students considerable o...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of geography (Houston) 1999-03, Vol.98 (2), p.47-59
Main Author: Keiper, Timothy A.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Case Studies
Computer Uses in Education
constructivism
Core curriculum
Courseware
Educational Change
Elementary Education
Elementary school students
geographic education
Geographic Information Systems
Geography
Geography Instruction
GIS
Grade 5
Learning
Learning Theories
Locational Skills (Social Studies)
Map Skills
Student Behavior
Students
Teaching Methods
Thinking Skills
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Summary:This case study investigates the potential use of GIS as a means for teaching geography to elementary students. A GIS learning project based upon constructivist pedagogy was developed and introduced to a fifth grade classroom. The findings suggest that the GIS module afforded students considerable opportunity to practice geographic skills. In addition, GIS in the elementary classroom can be highly motivating; however, it is also likely to cause a great deal of frustration. Several promising approaches to the use of GIS at the elementary level are suggested: using local data in the context of an authentic problem, developing elementary level GIS modules, and using a collaborative approach in association with the cognitive apprenticeship metaphor.
ISSN:0022-1341
1752-6868
DOI:10.1080/00221349908978860