HR: 0830h
AN: ED31B-1169    [PDF]
TI: Cognitive Assessment of GIS Technology in Education
AU: * Healy, G F
EM: ghealy@cires.colorado.edu
AF: University of South Carolina, Department of Geological Sciences, Columbia, SC 29208 United States
AU: Voulgaris, G
EM: gvoulgaris@geol.sc.edu
AF: University of South Carolina, Department of Geological Sciences, Columbia, SC 29208 United States
AB: This multi-disciplinary research explores the cognitive and pedagogical implications of integrating marine science modules and GIS technology into an earth/environmental science curriculum. Four middle and high school earth/environmental science teachers implemented a 4-week marine science curriculum and followed a rigid implementation design. Traditional learning approaches were compared with technological learning approaches to assess student achievement and attitudes in science. Several important questions were considered: Does GIS improve science content knowledge and foster higher order analytical thinking skills? Are there certain science concepts or geographical spatial skills that the use of GIS technology is more appropriate for? Does the integration of technology in the classroom improve student's attitudes about learning? What is the best instructional approach to use when teaching science content and spatial skills? The results of this study will be preliminary. Examples of the marine science curriculum and GIS technology activities will be presented.
DE: 4299 General or miscellaneous
DE: 6605 Education
SC: Education and Human Resources [ED]
MN: 2003 Fall Meeting