Learning in Authentic Contexts: Projects Integrating Spatial Technologies and Fieldwork

Abstract

In recent years, professional practice has been an issue of concern in higher education. The purpose of this study is to design students' projects to facilitate collaborative learning in authentic contexts. Ten students majoring in Management Information Systems conducted fieldwork with spatial technologies to collect data and provided information works for communities. Activity theory was used to analyze the activity system of the project. The results showed that the project had positive effects on students' attitudes toward practical knowledge and social communication. In the end, the author suggests the benefits and problems related to promoting learning through integration with community practices.

The Challenges and Rewards of Introducing Field Trips Into a Large Introductory Geography Class

“…Students respond positively to hands-on data acquisition, data analysis, the use of instrumentation in the field, and accordingly take greater responsibility for their work (Gold et al 1991;Kent, Gilbertson, and Hunt. 1997;Huang 2011). Drawing on the literature, Cole and Smyth (2010) sum up what might be generally accepted as good practice in fieldworkembodying careful design, appropriate preparation and skill development, staff supervision, direct student active participation, data collection and analysis, postfield trip debriefing, alignment of teaching and learning methods, and assessment procedures.…”

La práctica educativa bajo el lente de la teoría de la actividad

“…La práctica educativa como sistema de actividad es entendida como acción humana intencional que convoca la participación de estudiantes y profesores en torno a un objeto común que los motiva y dirige, haciendo uso de herramientas físicas y socio culturales que facilitan el logro de los resultados esperados. Analiza la cultura del aula de clases desde distintas capas, mediada por herramientas en constante desarrollo histórico y desde diferentes perspectivas (Arnseth, 2008;Huang, 2011;Juárez, Buenfil y Triguelos, 2008;Mattar, 2018).…”

Integrating Spatial Technology into Fieldtrips within Elementary Geography Education

“…Field experience within the local area motivates students to actively participate in discovering relevant places and making sense of them in the context of a particular topic (Fuller, 2006;Gaillard & McSherry, 2014). Prior studies indicate that fieldtrips combining classroom and field activities help students to engage in a process of inquiry (Huang, 2011b;Remmen & Froyland, 2013). Moreover, using space as a framework to understand local affairs helps students to develop observational skills and to synthesize complex information about the world around them.…”