Integrating spatial technology into fieldtrips within elementary geography education

Abstract

Thanks to the rapid development of spatial technology, people can now easily access global geographic information. Geography education in schools faces the need to integrate spatial technology with fieldwork. The purpose of this research is to combine geospatial information and fieldtrips to promote elementary-school students’ learning in the national geography curriculum. During a GIS camp, students were taught to use Google Earth, Google Maps and desktop GIS. They were then guided to do fieldwork and mapping of their local area so that they would know how to geotag interesting local spots by themselves. Observation and questionnaires were used to understand the students’ learning progress. Sketch-map analysis was adopted to evaluate the development of their map skills and geography capability. The results indicated that students’ map skills and geography knowledge increased. Students actively participated in the activities and showed a positive attitude towards learning using Google Maps and Google Earth rather than GIS software.