ERIC Number: EJ1445983
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2024
Pages: 11
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0309-8265
EISSN: EISSN-1466-1845
Can GIS Use in High School Bolster College Geography Enrollments? The Impact of the Geospatial Semester
Robert A. Kolvoord; Emily Grossnickle Peterson
Journal of Geography in Higher Education, v48 n5 p752-762 2024
Recruiting undergraduate students is a significant challenge for undergraduate geography programs. Few students have robust exposure to geography in secondary school and the major has low name recognition for entering first year students. In fact, geography is often a "found" major on many campuses with students coming to the major after a general education course. But, does it need to be this way? Can geography programs take a more proactive role in building a pipeline of prospective students that is not solely tied to supporting AP Human geography teachers? In this paper, we describe an alternative path for university departments to build strong recruiting pathways, sharing the successes and challenges of building the connections and the learning advantages that students gain through early exposure to geospatial technologies. We focus on the Geospatial Semester, a dual enrollment program between James Madison University and participating school districts in Virginia (and beyond) that began in 2005. We share how departments can build a successful partnership with high schools and the process of sustaining such a program within a university setting. We will also describe the research we have done on the learning gains the Geospatial Semester provides to participating students and how extended use of geospatial technology bolters students' spatial thinking skills.
Descriptors: High Schools, Enrollment Influences, College Enrollment, Geographic Information Systems, Geography Instruction, Technology Uses in Education, Student Attitudes, Geographic Concepts, Geographic Location, High School Seniors, Student Interests, Attitude Change, Dual Enrollment, Active Learning, Student Projects, Personal Autonomy, Professional Autonomy
Routledge. Available from: Taylor & Francis, Ltd. 530 Walnut Street Suite 850, Philadelphia, PA 19106. Tel: 800-354-1420; Tel: 215-625-8900; Fax: 215-207-0050; Web site: http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Descriptive
Education Level: High Schools; Secondary Education; Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: National Science Foundation (NSF), Directorate for Education and Human Resources (EHR)
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: District of Columbia
Grant or Contract Numbers: 1420600