Encoding Geography: Building Capacity for Inclusive Geo-Computational Thinking with Geospatial Technologies

该项目将启动一个研究-实践伙伴关系（RPP）的形成，以阐明pre -14的途径，这将扩大所有学生发展空间和计算（即地理计算）思维技能的机会。这个试点RPP由地理学家、计算机科学教育者和地理空间技术专家组成，他们在为少数族裔学生和社区提供服务方面经验丰富。在美国地理学家协会的协调下，该RPP将合作开展探索性研究，为教育标准和经过测试的方法提供信息，帮助机构了解他们需要现代化地理教育的能力，并扩大代表性不足的少数民族在地理计算课程中的参与。建立计算地理学包容性路径的能力将增加所有学生为国家创新生态系统做出贡献的潜力。该试点将为其他地区或州提供基础知识，以设计、开发和实施一项战略，使其通往计算密集型工作和大学专业的途径现代化。从移动全球定位系统（GPS）等地理空间创新中获得的价值和情报，使地理空间服务行业每年在全球创造约400万个直接就业岗位，创造4000亿美元的收入。最近制造地理空间硬件的民主化是该行业持续创新和增长的标志。更重要的是，它将产生大量的地理空间数据，这些数据的生成速度将比我们现在所面临的更快。然而，这些空间数据的价值取决于具备计算思维和空间思维的劳动力。2015年，美国政府问责局（Government Accountability Office）提出了担忧：“在全国范围内，K-12学生可能没有获得足够的地理技能和地理知识，而这些技能和知识是满足地理空间和其他地理相关行业劳动力需求所必需的。”同时接受过地理和计算思维训练的毕业生更是供不应求，因此公共和私营部门的雇主都受到限制，被迫在雇佣有有限或没有计算技能的地理学家和有有限或没有地理信息专业知识的计算机科学专业毕业生之间做出选择。推动本研究的主要问题是：(1)学校或院系在提供涉及地理计算思维的课程方面遇到了哪些障碍？(2)不同层次的学生在学习地理计算思维课程时遇到的障碍是什么？(3)在当今的地理空间技术行业中，需要哪些新技能来提高生产力？(4)要扩大K-12学校获得高质量地理计算教育的机会，需要做些什么？该RPP将开始设计一种长期的混合方法，将调查与定性数据收集相结合，使其他地区或州能够在所有教育水平上设计、开发和实施地理计算课程。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

This project will initiate the formation of a researcher-practitioner partnership (RPP) to articulate preK-14 pathways that will expand opportunities for all students to develop spatial and computational (i.e., geo-computational) thinking skills. This pilot RPP is composed of geographers, computer science educators, and geospatial technology specialists experienced in serving underrepresented minority students and communities. Under the coordination of the American Association of Geographers, this RPP will collaborate on exploratory research to inform educational standards and tested approaches to help institutions understand the capacity they need to modernize geography education and to broaden the participation of underrepresented minorities in geo-computational curriculum. Building capacity for inclusive pathways in computational geography will increase the potential of all students to contribute to the national innovative ecosystem. This pilot will provide other regions or states the foundational knowledge to design, develop, and implement a strategy to modernize their pathways to computationally-intensive jobs and college majors.The value and intelligence gained from geospatial innovations such as mobile Global Positioning System (GPS) is such that the geospatial services industry creates approximately 4 million direct jobs and generates 400 billion U.S. dollars globally in revenue per year. The recent democratization of manufacturing geospatial hardware is a sign that this industry continues to innovate and grow. More importantly, it will generate enormous volumes of geospatial data, which will be generated at even higher rates than we are already facing. The value of these spatial data, however, hinges on a workforce that is equipped with both computational thinking and spatial thinking. In 2015 the Government Accountability Office raised concerns that "throughout the country, K-12 students may not be acquiring adequate skills in and exposure to geography, which are needed to meet workforce needs in geospatial and other geography-related industries". Graduates with a combination of training in geography and computational thinking is in even shorter supply, so employers across the public and private sectors are limited and forced to choose between hiring a geographer with limited or no computational skills, or a computer science graduate with limited or no expertise in geographic information. Main questions driving this research are: (1) What are barriers experienced by schools or departments to offer courses that involve geo-computational thinking? (2) What are barriers experienced by students at different levels to enroll or succeed in courses that involve geo-computational thinking? (3) What new skills are necessary to be productive in today's geospatial technology industry? (4) What needs to be done to expand access to high-quality geo-computational education in K-12 schools? This RPP will initiate the design of a long-term mixed-methods approach combining surveys with qualitative data collection to allow other regions or states to design, develop, and implement geo-computational curriculum at all educational levels.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.