ERIC Number: EJ867372
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2009
Pages: 16
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1303-0485
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: N/A
The Functionality of a Geography Information System (GIS) Technology in Geography Teaching: Application of a Sample Lesson
Ozgen, Nurettin
Educational Sciences: Theory and Practice, v9 n4 p1879-1894 Aut 2009
A Geographic Information System (GIS) is a high performance computer-aided chain of software which enables us to understand, interpret, capture, update, map, and display natural and human-originated events on Earth and allows us to bring out such phenomena in a form of synthesis. Therefore, a GIS is an important information system in which graphical and non-graphical information, which are based upon spatial observations, are accumulated, saved, processed, and presented to the users in unity. A GIS is known to be one of the devices employed in the application of spatial analysis of geography, a scientific field that makes an analysis of the reciprocal interaction between human and the natural environment in a sustainable framework. It does not seem to be very easy to draw as much benefit as would be expected from a geography lesson in which no atmosphere of sharing and discussing is available for students, memorization is given a good deal of emphasis and only the descriptive aspect of geography is laid emphasis upon. However, a geography lesson supplied with a GIS appears to make it possible for students to access whatever information is being sought at the desired level. It also offers some very good advantages to not only students but also to teachers who may still be teaching geography in the conventional way. It is also possible to feed into a GIS every single device, numerical data, technical knowledge, and equipment used in geography teaching, as well as analysis or application of all this stuff. Therefore, if functionality of a GIS can be increased through the incorporation of various programs into it, the teaching of geography may well be easier and more productive. Besides, the enthusiasm of students for learning geography could be furthered even more, thus maximizing the level of the benefit to be drawn from teaching geography. The present study aims to encourage teaching geography with the help of a GIS in not only secondary and high schools but also in universities. With this in mind, a sample lesson on "Internal Migration" was presented. The method used in this lesson was based upon the contributions that a GIS could make to the teaching of this geography lesson so that the efficiency of a GIS in learning geography could be appreciated.
Descriptors: Foreign Countries, Geographic Information Systems, Migration, Geography Instruction, Human Geography, Spatial Ability, Technology Uses in Education, Educational Technology, Lesson Plans, Geography
Educational Consultancy, Ltd (EDAM). Kisikli Mh. Alemdag Cd. Yan Yol Sk., SBK Is Merkezi No:5 Kat:1, Uskudar-Istanbul, 34692 Turkey. Tel: +90-216-481-30-23; Fax: +90-216-481-31-36; e-mail: editor@edam.com.tr; Web site: http://www.edam.com.tr/estp.asp
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Descriptive
Education Level: High Schools; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Turkey
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A