Evaluation of the didactic potential of Geographical information contents considering Spatial Thinking Ability Test (STAT)

• Type: Article in International Conference Proceedings Book
• Date: 2020

Authors

Lia Duarte (Author) FCUP; Ana Teodoro (Author) FCUP

Conference proceedings International

Title: EARTH RESOURCES AND ENVIRONMENTAL REMOTE SENSING/GIS APPLICATIONS XI

Conference on Earth Resources and Environmental Remote Sensing/GIS Applications XI held at SPIE Remote Sensing Conference

ELECTR NETWORK, SEP 21-25, 2020

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Other information

Authenticus ID: P-00S-ZA0

DOI: 10.1117/12.2573745

Abstract (EN): Spatial thinking can be defined as the knowledge about spatial concepts (e.g. location, direction, and scale) applicable on the description, analysis and problems solving in several contexts, such as Geographical Information System (GIS). Students from two Curricular Units (CU) and from 6 different background areas solved a test, named Spatial Thinking Ability Test (STAT), composed by questions about logic, spatial thinking, and geographical reasoning, regarding the GIS context. The aim of this study is to evaluate: i) the differences in knowledge, logical and geographical reasoning of the students and, (ii) the spatial thinking of students in the different areas. The test was applied to 83 students at the beginning and at the end of the semester (that is, respectively before and after students' contact with the concepts taught in the referred CUs). This study presents itself as a support methodology to pedagogical didactics that have been implemented in the CUs where it is intended to provide the domain of computer tools for manipulation and analysis of geographical information. Also, it will contribute to improve the learning of students, and will help teachers in a more effective, interdisciplinary and targeted management of knowledge within the scope of CUs, and to guide the syllabus and didactics for learning that must be guaranteed to all students. The responses were analyzed in the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) software. The analysis of the test results will allow to direct the contents considering the level of students in spatial and geographical reasoning.

Language: English

Type (Professor's evaluation): Scientific

No. of pages: 7