Promoting Students' Spatial Thinking in Upper Elementary Grades using Geographic Information Systems (GIS)

本项目通过拓宽四年级学生对地理和其他科学学科固有的空间视角的理解和兴趣，探索提高学生对STEM学科兴趣和能力的潜力。这项研究结合了地理信息系统（GIS）在课堂上应用的最新发展。该项目测试了一系列假设，假设在课堂上使用地理信息系统会对学生的空间推理和动机产生可衡量的改善。小学的地理教师接受过使用地理信息系统软件的培训，以便根据学生的工作主题和项目制作数字地图。然后，学生们以小组合作的形式参与公开讨论，以提高他们空间推理和多步骤推理能力的发展和运用。地理信息系统已在初中和高中环境中使用。该项目将GIS引入小学高年级，让学生有机会尽早参与有意义的数据和地图驱动活动，以提高他们的空间技能。该提案小组预测，女孩和男孩在空间技能方面的传统差距将随着训练而缩小，因此相对于对照组，在实验中会非常明显。该项目记录了教学实践的有效性，这些实践可能会增强多步骤推理、系统思维、概念和空间理解，以及在学习使用地图解决涉及地理和生态意识的问题时的学习动机。该项目开发了结合创新工具的教学方法，以促进解决问题，在这个日益技术驱动的时代解决现实生活中的问题。这个创新的工具是开源的，是为专业人士设计的，但它可以被修改为儿童友好型。课堂活动与科学和社会研究课程和内容标准相结合。期望教师发现课程有吸引力且易于实施。

This project explores the potential for enhancing students' interest and ability in STEM disciplines by broadening fourth grade students' understanding and interest in the spatial perspectives inherent in geography and other science disciplines. The study incorporates the latest developments in the use of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) within the classroom. The project tests a set of hypotheses that posit that the use of GIS in the classroom results in a measureable improvement in students' spatial reasoning and motivation. Geography teachers in elementary schools are trained to use GIS software to create digital maps specific to the subject matter and projects on which their students work. Students then work in small collaborative groups and engage in open discussions designed to enhance the development and use of their spatial and multi-step causal reasoning.GIS has been used in middle and high school settings. This project introduces GIS to upper elementary grades particularly to allow students an early opportunity to be involved in meaningful data and map-driven activities to promote their spatial skills. The proposal team predicts that the traditional gap between girls and boys in spatial skills will shrink with training thus will be strongly pronounced in the experimental relative to control groups. The project documents the effectiveness of instructional practices that are likely to enhance multistep reasoning, systems thinking, conceptual and spatial understanding, and motivation for learning while learning to work with maps to solve problems involving geography and ecological awareness. The project develops instructional methods that incorporate innovative tools for promoting problem solving to address real-life issues in this increasingly technology-driven era. The innovative tool is open-source and designed for professionals, but it can be modified to be child-friendly. Classroom activities are integrated with science and social studies curricula and content standards. Teachers are expected to find the curriculum attractive and easy to implement.