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

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

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

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

6. 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.

7. ITS Structure COHORT of 70 Teachers BiologyChemistryHazardsMath GEOSCI 17

8. 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

9. 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

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

11. Theoretical Foundations Spatial Skills Constructivism Action research Educational theories

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

13. 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

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

17. 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

18. 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

26. 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

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

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

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

30. 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

31. For additional information… http://geoits.tamu.edu Department of Geography Texas A&M University College Station, Texas 77843-3147 klein@geog.tamu.edu r-bednarz@tamu.edu s-bednarz@tamu.edu