The technical skills of using geographical information systems (GIS) are often taught in different higher education disciplines apart from geocapabilities or geographic disciplinary expertise. Theorised to include capabilities such as spatial thinking, geographical imagination and structured ways to explore places, the concept of geocapabilities has been developed from educator perspectives but student perspectives have yet to be empirically examined. Drawing upon recommendations that students can better acquire geocapabilities through research and authentic problem-solving, this study examines how 27 higher education students' perceptions of geocapabilities evolved as they learnt technical skills of web mapping through investigating real-world issues with ArcGIS StoryMaps. Content analyses of students' pre- and post-class reflections suggest that students' perceptions aligned with existing theorisations of geocapabilties in areas such as spatial thinking and geographical imagination. However, students also perceived that geographers need curiosity, interest, enthusiasm, and love for geography, and generic skills for working and living in the world that are not geography-related. Through making story maps with GIS, students' perceptions of geocapabilities shifted significantly in the areas of geographical practice and application, geographical imagination and interdisciplinarity. The implications of these findings for higher education teaching of GIS and how it informs the theorisation of geocapabilities are discussed.