The purpose of this study is to analyze the potential for preservice elementary teachers (PETs) to apply a geographic perspective in their reinterpretation of world history using ESRI StoryMaps. The participating PETs represented and reinterpreted historic events from a geographic perspective using StoryMaps. As a result, the PETs improved their understanding of geography-history relationships, the characteristics of the subject of geography, and the potential and limits of narrative-based geospatial technologies (NGSTs). The study results support the need for discussion regarding the integration of geography and history and the use of NGSTs in elementary geography education and PET preparation.
Investments in polar research have produced critical data for integrating into undergraduate geoscience curricula on climate change. Tools like 360-degree Interactive Environments (360 IEs) and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) enhance learning by connecting polar research data to classrooms. The NSF-funded PolarPASS curriculum, incorporating Greenland-specific datasets, was implemented in five classrooms (n = 90 students) and a pre-post design efficacy study was conducted. Results show improved understanding of polar processes and enriched "sense of place" in students. Students developed deeper emotional and intellectual connections to Greenland, associating it with human and scientific attributes. The results demonstrate the efficacy of this place-focused curriculum.
There is a growing concern, especially how students learn with AI-generated outputs. This case report examines how Generative AI is used in a lesson on the Hadley Cell where undergraduate geography student teachers generated an AI-assisted poem, critiqued its geographical accuracy, defended their critique orally, and revised their work. This is a small illustrative case for the instructional and assessment design using the HEDGE framework of learning with GenAI, and oral defense. The case report from Singapore contributes to learning and assessment in geography with the rise of GenAI, by providing geography educators with examples of AI integration in geography.
This study examines the impact of a didactic intervention on improving geographic knowledge and place location knowledge (PLK) among third-year compulsory secondary education students aged from 12 to 13 in the Balearic Islands (Spain). Through a quasi-experimental design involving pilot and control centers, the research assesses gains in spatial competence using a validated questionnaire and an online mapping tool. Results reveal significant improvements in both content knowledge and PLK, particularly among students who engaged with map-based active learning strategies. The findings underscore the effectiveness of using maps to foster spatial reasoning and geographic literacy in secondary education.
