“You are Here”: Developing Elementary Students’ Geography Skills by Integrating Geospatial Information Technologies
Abstract: This study explores the use of geospatial information technologies to develop third grade students’ mastery of latitude and longitude and related geography skills. The researchers worked with teachers and students at three elementary schools to develop and refine a week-long sequence for teaching latitude and longitude—along with map skills and geospatial awareness—incorporating GPS units, Google Earth overlays, and geospatially-embedded social media. Student learning outcomes were assessed before and after the unit, demonstrating large effect sizes, depending upon the level of prior exposure to geography education. Following instruction, student focus groups shared their experiences of geography education, indicating a predominance of traditional methods during in-class instruction but an emerging array of unconventional, non-curricular sources of informal geography education. Implications for geography education and teacher education are addressed, and further research on the use of