Title
The Application of Geographic Information System in the Learning and Teaching of Field Studies in Geography
Project No:
2004/0181
Description
enhancing teachers and students geographical skills through developing learning and teaching materials on application of Geographical Information System (GIS) in field studies
Purpose of the Project
The aim of the project is to enable secondary school teachers to apply Geographic Information System (GIS) to geographical field studies in learning and teaching in their own schools, to prepare the secondary school geography teachers to cope with the changes in the new Senior Secondary Geography curriculum, to develop a sharing and professional development network of secondary school teachers on the pedagogies of GIS and field studies, and to supplement the professional development in GIS offered by the Curriculum Development Institute.
Year:
2005-09 To 2006-08
KLA
Personal,Social&Humanities Education
School Sector
Secondary
Keywords
Geographical Information
Senior Secondary Geography
secondary school geography
learning-and- teaching materials
Professional development courses
field studies
hands-on experience
team spirit
enhanced professional knowledge
Lands Department
GIS software provider
Curriculum Development Institute
instructional guide book
Senior Secondary Geography
secondary school geography
learning-and- teaching materials
Professional development courses
field studies
hands-on experience
team spirit
enhanced professional knowledge
Lands Department
GIS software provider
Curriculum Development Institute
instructional guide book
Organization/School:
Caritas Chan Chun Ha Field Studies Centre
Design /methodology /approach
To adopt learning-and- teaching materials on application of GIS in field studies in four different field sites in Hong Kong (i) map work; (ii) river system; (iii) agricultural landscape; and (iv) urban landscape in the format of a CD-ROM. Professional development courses are organized for teachers on the pedagogies of GIS and field studies.
Findings /Results /Evaluation of the Project
Through hands-on experience and working as a group, the project helped to equip students with the skill of manipulating and applying GIS and to cultivate students' team spirit. The project also helped to improve teachers' professionalism and self-improvement in the process of project implementation. Teachers' professional knowledge in GIS and teaching was acquired through the collaboration with expertise in the development of the learning and teaching materials.
Project limitations /implications
N/A
Practical implications
Equipping students with the skill of manipulating and applying GIS, improving teachers' professionalism and self-improvement in the process of project implementation and inducing co-operation with professional organization, such as CDI, EMB, the Lands Department, and, ESRI (global software provider) which equip teachers with enhanced professional knowledge.
Social implications
N/A
Originality/value (Importance) of the project
To supplement the professional development in GIS offered by the Curriculum Development Institute (CDI), EMB and to exert a pull on the GIS software provider (global commercial firm) toward the secondary school sector.
IT software used
1. CD-ROM on the application of GIS in the learning and teaching of Field Studies in Geography (including an instructional guide book for teachers, students' worksheets, and demo and field studies materials.
Good Practices
N/A
Deliverables