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Humankind is increasingly being challenged by anthropogenic environmental changes and society needs to be better equipped with knowledge, skills and values to adapt to these changes. This poses new challenges for school education. We propose a framework towards future-oriented education by addressing three issues: a) How can the school curriculum be reframed to take account of anthropogenic environmental changes? b) What difficulties do students encounter when learning about these changes? c) What learning tools and pedagogical strategies are best suited to effectively and efficiently teach about environmental changes? An example is provided, whereby secondary school students engage with the topic of deforestation using geospatial technology. This study informs curriculum makers and instructors in providing education that enhances adolescents’ understanding of the uncertain world and increases their ability to be proactive, rather than merely responding to change.
Xi Xiang; Michael Meadows. Preparing Adolescents for the Uncertain Future: Concepts, Tools and Strategies for Teaching Anthropogenic Environmental Change. Sustainability 2020, 12, 6832 .
AMA StyleXi Xiang, Michael Meadows. Preparing Adolescents for the Uncertain Future: Concepts, Tools and Strategies for Teaching Anthropogenic Environmental Change. Sustainability. 2020; 12 (17):6832.
Chicago/Turabian StyleXi Xiang; Michael Meadows. 2020. "Preparing Adolescents for the Uncertain Future: Concepts, Tools and Strategies for Teaching Anthropogenic Environmental Change." Sustainability 12, no. 17: 6832.
There is a dearth of research concerning the learning effects of web‐based mapping tools on students with different learning characteristics. This study investigates the extent that different learning styles exert an influence on spatial thinking of students within a web‐based GIS mapping environment. Thirty six sophomores utilized the tools over one semester in a course guided by a blended learning approach. A learning style inventory, a self‐rating questionnaire and a survey were administered to these students to examine their learning styles, the development of their spatial thinking skills as well as factors influencing the enhancement of their spatial thinking skills. Results show that all learners have improved their spatial thinking skills after interacting with the GIS mapping tools. However, the visual and auditory learners have improved significantly more than the kinaesthetic learners (p = 0.024). The survey result from students shows that such differences may be attributable to the design of the web interface that matches the learning styles of the visual and auditory learners better than with that of the kinaesthetic learners. Our findings contribute to the current debate on students' learning styles as well as to help instructional designers and educators optimize learning in spatial thinking through personalized learning design.
Xi Xiang; Yan Liu. Exploring and enhancing spatial thinking skills: Learning differences of university students within a web‐based GIS mapping environment. British Journal of Educational Technology 2018, 50, 1865 -1881.
AMA StyleXi Xiang, Yan Liu. Exploring and enhancing spatial thinking skills: Learning differences of university students within a web‐based GIS mapping environment. British Journal of Educational Technology. 2018; 50 (4):1865-1881.
Chicago/Turabian StyleXi Xiang; Yan Liu. 2018. "Exploring and enhancing spatial thinking skills: Learning differences of university students within a web‐based GIS mapping environment." British Journal of Educational Technology 50, no. 4: 1865-1881.
Understanding geographic changes has become an indispensable element in geography education. Describing and analyzing changes in space require spatial thinking skills emphasized in geography curriculum but often pose challenges for secondary school students. This school-based research targets a specific strand of spatial thinking skills and investigates whether students using geospatial technology, such as Google Earth, are able to develop their thinking about spatio-temporal changes. An experiment was conducted in a Singaporean secondary school in which skill development was framed within the formal geography curriculum. It compared the effectiveness of two pedagogical approaches: learning with Google Earth versus traditional instruction without the use of such a technology. Findings indicate that the use of Google Earth significantly increased students' ability to identify spatial and temporal changes and analyse these changes. Qualitative data complemented the results by showing that Google Earth could offer students more opportunities to observe and infer changes, thus facilitating their understanding about the dynamic and the complex nature of changes. What is already known about this topic: What this paper adds: Implications for practice and policy:
X. Xiang; Yan Liu. Understanding ‘change’ through spatial thinking using Google Earth in secondary geography. Journal of Computer Assisted Learning 2016, 33, 65 -78.
AMA StyleX. Xiang, Yan Liu. Understanding ‘change’ through spatial thinking using Google Earth in secondary geography. Journal of Computer Assisted Learning. 2016; 33 (1):65-78.
Chicago/Turabian StyleX. Xiang; Yan Liu. 2016. "Understanding ‘change’ through spatial thinking using Google Earth in secondary geography." Journal of Computer Assisted Learning 33, no. 1: 65-78.