Using Geographic Information System to Promote Spatially Based Problem Solving

• In Event: Lesson Learned About Increasing Mathematics Achievement Through Spatial Instruction

Abstract

Objectives. Spatial thinking is critically important for success in STEM fields (e.g. Wai, Lubinski, & Benbow, 2002; Uttal & Cohen, 2012,). These findings have engendered many efforts to increase students’ spatial skills. Thus far, however, many of these efforts have focused on isolated spatial skills, such as mental rotation. Although these studies clearly indicate that spatial ability can be improved (e.g., Uttal et al., 2013) very few have demonstrated that this training transfers to real-world STEM classes, and it is now clear whether training on abstract figures will be helpful when learning content-rich topics.

Theoretical Rationale. Therefore, in the present research, we focused on teaching a spatially-based approach to problem solving. Rather than teaching specific spatial skills, we sought instead to help students think about and represent spatial data to solve complex, real-world problems. We assessed the influences of the Geospatial Semester on students’ spatial thinking. The Geospatial Semester is a senior-year science elective. The curriculum stresses geospatial problem-solving, with a particular focus on the use of Geographic Information Systems (GIS). GIS allows students to represent data spatially (as maps) in layers. For example, students could represent the distribution of wind patterns and temperatures in trying to predict the path of a hurricane. GIS is widely used in industry and education to help solve complex, real-world spatial problems. The Geospatial Semester supports students learning of GIS and of the problem-solving that it can afford.

Methods. We will report the results of two sets of studies that have investigated students learning in the Geospatial Semester, and whether (and how) it affects learning. The students come from suburban high schools in Northern Virginia. We compared the learning and spatial problem-solving of students enrolled in the GSS to a comparison group of AP students who were studying other science electives, such as AP physics.

Data Sources. We assessed the quality of students’ final projects and their solutions to hypothetical transfer problems. For example, we asked the students to formulate a strategy for running a campaign and reaching likely voters. These and similar questions could evoke spatial solutions, such as simultaneously representing the distributions of residences, population density, and voter registration status.

Results. The results suggest that the GSS has substantial positive effects on students’ spatial-problem solving. Students consistently identified rich spatial problems for their final projects, such as planning the location of wind farms or methods for reaching populations currently underserved by Internet Service Providers. In addition, GSS students performed substantially and significantly better on the transfer questions, showing substantially greater use of spatial strategies for solving the problems than the control group did. For example, students produced. They also gave richer, more detailed, and spatially descriptive answer to our questions.

Scientific Contributions. This study makes both a theoretical and methodological contribution to understanding and enhancing spatial thinking. Spatially-based approaches to teaching problems-solving have the potential to promote engagement and learning of the practices of science and engineering. Additional research is now underway to investigate the brain correlates of learning in the GIS.

Authors

• David Henry Uttal, Northwestern University

• Bob Kolvoord, James Madison University

• Adam Green, Georgetown University

• Emily M. Grossnickle, Georgetown University

• Emily Hollenbeck, Northwestern University