Supporting Experiential Learning with No-Cost Digital Tools: A Comprehensive GPS Lesson
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| Title: | Supporting Experiential Learning with No-Cost Digital Tools: A Comprehensive GPS Lesson |
|---|---|
| Language: | English |
| Authors: | Mathews, Adam J. (ORCID |
| Source: | Geography Teacher. 2018 15(3):117-128. |
| Availability: | Routledge. Available from: Taylor & Francis, Ltd. 530 Walnut Street Suite 850, Philadelphia, PA 19106. Tel: 800-354-1420; Tel: 215-625-8900; Fax: 215-207-0050; Web site: http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals |
| Peer Reviewed: | N |
| Page Count: | 12 |
| Publication Date: | 2018 |
| Document Type: | Journal Articles Guides - Classroom - Teacher |
| Education Level: | Higher Education |
| Descriptors: | Geography Instruction, Physical Geography, Geographic Information Systems, Experiential Learning, Active Learning, Undergraduate Students, Educational Benefits, Handheld Devices, Computer Uses in Education, Internet, Technology Integration, Learning Activities, Lesson Plans |
| DOI: | 10.1080/19338341.2018.1436461 |
| ISSN: | 1933-8341 |
| Abstract: | Incorporation of Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) technology in the classroom has quickly been adopted by instructors in geography and related disciplines because it provides an effective, low-cost, easy-to-use, and hands-on technique to reinforce geographic concepts (Brown 1999). The most frequently utilized GNSS is the Global Positioning System (GPS), which is owned and maintained by the U.S. Government. There are countless GPS applications, from vehicle-based navigation to thematic data collection for Geographic Information Systems (GIS). Geocaching, a very popular GPS application that involves use of a GPS receiver to find hidden containers or caches (Groundspeak 2017), is often incorporated into lesson plans across varying academic levels (K-12 and higher education) as a way to introduce the concept of GPS and immediately get students using the technology (Hagevik 2011; Lisenbee, Hallman, and Landry 2015; Flynn and Popp 2016). The low cost of handheld GPS receivers enables instructors to get students into the field and expose them to new technology with relative ease. Smartphones with integrated GNSS receivers (typically GPS and/or GLONASS [the Russian equivalent of GPS]) provide a no-cost option to instructors (see Flynn and Popp 2016), although it cannot be assumed that all students will own such a device. Even though many lessons incorporate GPS technology (e.g., Hagevik 2011), they often do so to a limited extent, focusing on GPS receiver usage in the field to find specific locations such as a geocache or record locations as points of interest. Further, many lessons require use of handheld GPS receivers (e.g., Garmin or Trimble devices) that must be borrowed or purchased, are dedicated devices (with GPS functionality only, often without an integrated camera), and--in terms of practicality for students--are devices that they will likely never see or use again. In this way, few GPS lessons provide a comprehensive approach to the technology that allows students to (1) interactively learn about the satellite system, (2) plan a data collection effort, (3) use smartphone-integrated GPS receivers to locate and collect location data together as a class, and (4) integrate the collected data into a web map and/or GIS, all with the use of freely available digital tools. Therefore, the purpose of this work was to develop a comprehensive GPS lesson using a variety of no-cost digital tools. This experiential lesson was developed for a lower-level undergraduate course titled "Digital Tools for Environmental Exploration," which is equivalent in level and content to "Introduction to Geospatial Technologies" and "Digital Earth" general education courses (see Vogt and Hodza 2013). |
| Abstractor: | As Provided |
| Number of References: | 20 |
| Entry Date: | 2018 |
| Accession Number: | EJ1188479 |
| Database: | ERIC |
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