Spatial Skills for Science Education Integrating Spatial Skills and Information Technology: ITS and Geoscience Andrew Klein Robert S. Bednarz Sarah W. Bednarz Texas A&M University

Spatial Skills for Science Education Project context Theoretical foundations Pedagogical approach Research questions

Two Goals and a Process… Professional development structured around IT Production of sci-ed specialists

Three “Types” in Cohort Teachers/ Certificate Grad Students/ Education Grad Students/ Geosciences

ITS Mission nChange the culture and relationships among scientists, educational researchers, and teachers by engaging them in the use of information technology to learn about: –how science is done; –how science is taught and learned; –how science learning can be assessed; and –how scholarly networks between scientists, educational researchers, teachers, and students can be developed.

ITS Structure COHORT of 70 Teachers BiologyChemistryHazardsMath GEOSCI 17

Geosciences n Core integrating spatial technologies of GIS, Remote Sensing, and Scientific Visualization to enhance science education n Our goal: advocacy of a spatial & problem-based approach

Premises Interactive spatial technologies –make it easier to create environments in which students learn by doing –help people visualize difficult to understand concepts –provide access to information –enhance student performance

Team Approach Geography: Klein, Bednarz 2 –Physical/techniques geographer –Human geographer –Geography educator Geology& Geophysics: Bruce Herbert Oceanography: Robert Stewart Education: Lynn Burlbaw

Theoretical Foundations Spatial Skills Constructivism Action research Educational theories

Spatial Relational Skills Recognize spatial distribution and spatial patterns Identify shapes Recall and represent layouts Connect locations Associate and correlate spatially distributed phenomena

Spatial Relations Skills Comprehend and use spatial hierarchies Regionalize Comprehend distance decay and nearest neighbor effects Imagine maps from verbal descriptions Sketch mapping Overlay and dissolve maps

Educational theory… Interactive lecture demonstrations –Introduction –Prediction –Observation –Discussion and development of deep understanding to facilitate transfer

Pedagogical Approach Mess with data… –Patterns? –Ways to visualize it? –Research questions/hypotheses suggested by data? –Further data to collect? Global hydrological cycle as a core organizing concept

Why GIS? Move from passive animations to active learning Technology is already available and used in schools Provides a hand-on tool for developing spatial relational skills

More Than Staff Development ITS has a research mission as a primary goal A participant assessment structure is part of ITS Follow-up assessment of students is required

Research Questions Barriers to introduction of IT into classrooms: Instructor barriers –Technological (in)experience –Subject-matter mastery –Learning styles, attitudes –Spatial skills, abilities

Instructor Data Pre- and post-testing of participants regarding each hypothesized factor. Assessment of final projects –Professional development programs –Classroom activities

Student Data Action research by classroom instructors to measure changes in student learning, attitudes, motivation Thesis and dissertation research conducted by grad-student participants

Research Context Impact of IT on high school students’ attitudes, beliefs, and learning in geography Characteristics of college students that lead to success in an introductory GIS class

For additional information… Department of Geography Texas A&M University College Station, Texas