Spatial Literacy

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Spatial Literacy

• Nearly the Final Frontier
• Sarah Witham Bednarz
• The Place of GIS in the Curriculum
• Leicester, UK

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We wish to suggest a structure for the salt of
deoxyribose nucleic acid (DNA). This structure
has novel features which are of considerable
biological interest.Watson and Crick, 1953
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Spatial Thinking

• To use
• Concepts of space
• Tools of representation
• Processes of reasoning
• To structure problems, find answers, and express
  solutions to these problems.

• Knowledge, skills, and habits of mind

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Spatial Thinking

• Visualize relationships
• Perceive structures spatially
• Remember these constructions
• As static architectures
• Dynamic properties relationships of objects

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Spatial Thinking

• Graphic
• Textual
• Imaginal
• Auditory
• Tactile
• Kinesthetic

• STRUCTURE
• OPERATION
• FUNCTION

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• Dr. John Snow

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• Doherty Senior Research Scientist Lex van Geen,
  center, analyzing well water in Arahaizar Upazila
  with the prototype of a new field-kit for arsenic
  -- part of a 5-year epidemiological and earth
  science study of the arsenic crisis in Bangladesh
  funded by the Superfund Basic Research Program.

Doherty Senior Research Scientist Lex van Geen,
center, analyzing well water in Arahaizar Upazila
with the prototype of a new field-kit for arsenic
-- part of a 5-year epidemiological and earth
science study of the arsenic crisis in Bangladesh
funded by the Superfund Basic Research Program.
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James Hutton

• William Smiths Geological Map

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• http//graphics.stanford.edu/papers/assembly_instr
  uctions/

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http//www4.passur.com/lax.html
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New Yorker Cartoon
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Solving Problems
Map 1, Economist May 3 2003
Corrected Map, Economist May 17, 2003
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Thinking Spatially
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Thinking Spatially

• Space
• Distance, coordinate systems, nature of spaces
• Representation
• Views, projections, principles of graphic design
• Reasoning
• Ways of thinking about distance, extrapolation,
  interpolation, decision-making

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Research in Spatial Thinking

• ST is a collection of cognitive skills
• What the learner KNOWS (about space and tools of
  representation), and
• What the learner CAN DO (processes of reasoning)
  with what they know
• ST develops in specific disciplines
• Experts vs novices TRANSFER
• ST is a skill related to multiple sensory
  systems.
• ST develops individually.
• ST can --and should-- be learned by everyone.

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Status of Spatial Thinking in US
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Contexts for Spatial Thinking

• Geography of Life Spaces
• Cognition IN space

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Contexts for Spatial Thinking

• 2. Geography of Physical Spaces
• Cognition ABOUT space

This is a conceptual animation showing how polar
ice reflects light from the sun. http//www.nasa.g
ov/vision/earth/environment/arctic_soot.html
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Fabrikant Buttenfield, 1997

• 3. Geography of Intellectual Spaces
• Cognition WITH space

http//cmap.ihmc.us/
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http//www-personal.umich.edu/mejn/election/
Election Results by State
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Election Results as a Cartogram
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Election Results as a Cartogram Rescaled to
Represent the Electoral College
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Election Results by County
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Election Results by County as a Cartogram
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Election Results by County Representing
Percentage of Voters
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Election Results by County Representing
Percentage of Voters as a Cartogram
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Election Results by County Using a Non Linear
Color Scale Red--70 GOP Blue--70 Dem.
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Spatial Literacy

• Spatial Knowledge
• Concepts
• Educational Challenges?
• Complex body of knowledge in each discipline
• Seek common themes across disciplines

• Spatial Ways of Thinking Acting
• Strategies
• Educational Challenges?
• Teach strategies and how, where, when to use
  each most appropriately

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Spatial Literacy

• Spatial Knowledge
• Concepts
• Educational Challenges?
• Complex body of knowledge in each discipline
• Seek common themes across disciplines

• Spatial Ways of Thinking Acting
• Strategies
• Educational Challenges?
• Teach strategies and how, where, when to use
  each most appropriately

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Spatial Literacy

• Spatial Capabilities
• Context specific
• Tools technologies
• math graphing calculator
• geography GIS
• fMRI

• Educational Challenges?
• Provide learners low-tech experiences/tools
• Provide learners experiences in high-tech general
  tools
• Provide learners with skills to learn new
  high-tech support systems

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The Spatial Literate Individual

• Has the habit of mind
• Practices informed spatial thinking
• Practices critical spatial thinking
• Enjoys spatial thinking

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The Role of GIS?

• A support system
• Tools and technologies to leverage the power of
  the human capacity to think and solve problems
• Augments and enhances challenging mental tasks,
  e.g., memory, computation, visualization, analysis

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Role of GIS

• Tools/technologies needed to support spatial
  thinking because
• Spatial thinking is COMPLEX
• Spatial thinking is POWERFUL

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Role of GIS
Spatialize Data Visualize Perform Functions
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Role of GIS

• The POWER of GIS
• The APPEAL of GIS
• The POTENTIAL of GIS
• The PROBLEMS of GIS

GIS is not THE answer to the problem of teaching
spatial thinking but it can play a significant
role in AN answer.
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Design Issues

• Accessible to a wide range of learners
• Better able to spatialize non-spatial data
• Better able to do time and dimensions
• Developmentally appropriate
• Intuitive interfaces with cognitive tutors

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Design Issues

• Customizable
• User friendly
• Installation
• Maintenance
• Use

http//myworldgis.org/myworld/
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A Teachers Guide to Modern Geography
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http//gis.nitle.org/
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AGSSSS
Advancing Geospatial Skills in Science and Social
Science

• Geospatially skilled Fellows, working with
  Teachers, to develop Students spatial thinking
  problem solving skills
• Mechanism existing curricular initiatives, GIS,
  RS, and GPS
• Assessed through teacher-research

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Spatial Literacy

• Nearly the Final Frontier
• --continuing the voyage of discovery