Teacher Preparation and Student Participation in a GIS (Geographic Information Systems)-Focused Computer Science Unit: Impact on Students’ Geospatial Thinking

• In Event: Friday Roundtable Session 4:55 pm
  In Roundtable Session: Integrating Computing Education and Professional Development (Table 28)

Abstract

Experience with geographic information systems (GIS) can improve students’ spatial skills and provide a foundation for success in STEM (Jant et al., 2019). Researchers and educators co-designed a GIS unit in which high school students learned to use ArcGIS software by exploring geospatial patterns in their local communities. Across three teachers, 134 students participated in the unit and completed a geospatial problem-solving assessment. Students’ performance on the assessment significantly increased from pre- to post-test. Students who participated in more GIS lessons and whose teachers had more GIS experience used more spatial language than students who participated in fewer lessons or whose teachers had less GIS experience. We discuss the impacts of teacher training and lesson implementation on students’ geospatial thinking.

Authors

• Lauren Christine Pagano Hush, Northwestern University

• Jose J. Sotelo, Northwestern University

• Randi L McGee-Tekula, The Learning Partnership

• Steven McGee, The Learning Partnership

• Bob Kolvoord, James Madison University

• David H. Uttal, Northwestern University