Regional agglomerations of industry have been a focus of economic geography research, especially in terms of how these clusters form and remain successful. Such a core topic should be explored in economic geography coursework. Economic geography education itself has been the topic of debate, particularly in terms of how to make important concepts…

Geography is in a unique position to address the topic of terrorism both inside and outside the classroom and has much to offer in terms of crafting effective measures to counter some of the most pressing threats to international security. As little consideration has been given to teaching about this important subject matter at the university…

Storm disasters are amplified in the coastal environment due to population pressures and the power of the sea. The upper-division/graduate university course "Coastal Storms" was designed to equip future practitioners with the skills necessary to understand, respond to, and mitigate for these natural disasters. To accomplish this, "Coastal Storms"…

Field-based undergraduate geography courses provide numerous pedagogical benefits including an opportunity for students to acquire employable skills in an applied context. This article presents one unique approach to teaching geographic field methods using paleoecological research. The goals of this course are to teach students key geographic…

How undergraduate students learn research methods in geography has been understudied. Existing work has focused on course description from the instructor's perspective. This study, however, uses a grounded theory approach to allow students' voices to shape a new theory of how they themselves say that they learn research methods. Data from two…

This article investigates the particular mechanisms through which a role-play simulation impacts student perceptions of knowledge acquisition. Longitudinal data were mobilized in the form of quantitative and qualitative surveys to examine whether the simulation succeeded in increasing knowledge around both content and skills. It then delves deeper…

Understanding geospatial technologies (GSTs) and spatial thinking is increasingly vital to contemporary life including common activities and hobbies; learning in science, mathematics, and social science; and employment within fields as diverse as engineering, health, business, and planning. As such, there is a need for a stand-alone K-12…

This article explores the contemporary function and value of field-oriented geography experiences for university-level students. The article details the design and delivery of an interinstitutional field course that partnered faculty and students--both graduate and undergraduate--from two geography programs with different curricular and research…

The International Baccalaureate Organization (IBO) is doing much to promote the teaching of geography in schools. Since its establishment in 1968 to provide a common curriculum and university entrance credential for children of a geographically mobile international community, it has evolved and now includes schools in national systems all over the…

The article offers a description of a one semester college-level course in cultural geography. The outline is based on six themes--cultural analysis in geography, cultural universals, perception of the cultural environment, cultural diffusion, folk culture and popular culture, and humans and the land. (DB)

Undergraduate geography field courses are relatively rare at American universities, though they can exemplify well the fundamental tenets of learner-centered education. This article reports on an intensive three-week field analysis course taught at Northern Arizona University at Flagstaff, within the Department of Geography, Planning, and…

Used to satisfy the communications requirement of an undergraduate core curriculum, this article provides a curricular rationale, course outline, behavioral objectives, teaching strategies, and modes of evaluation for a course on the language of maps. (JDH)

Describes a college course which uses field studies to examine communities and small urban places. The course is designed for undergraduate students with little or no field experience and is offered as an intensive two-week session between semesters. (RM)

This paper presents a teaching module on the geographical aspects of war and peace for teachers who would like to incorporate these issues into their undergraduate courses but do not know where to begin, have limited preparatory time, or limited resources. Included is an extensive list of readings and audiovisual materials. (JDH)

The article focuses upon an experiment in a university class designed specifically to teach geographic concepts. Attention is placed on the degree certain concepts can be learned and some factors which affect the degree of learning. (Author)