Conference presentation
Threshold concepts in geographical information systems: A step towards conceptual understanding
Learning & Teaching Week, 2011 (Sunshine Coast, Australia, 19-Sep-2011–23-Sep-2011)
University of the Sunshine Coast
2011
Abstract
Threshold concepts are the key concepts of a discipline, as recognised by educators, likely to be difficult to understand when such concepts are first encountered, but which, when mastered transforms students, both epistemologically and ontologically in relation to the discipline. This recently proposed learning theory in education research can be useful for laying the conceptual foundation among students as well as the first-time learners of a discipline. This study identifies three key concepts as the threshold concepts and links them with other concepts of the relatively new and technology-oriented discipline of Geographical Information Systems (GIS). The user-friendly technology, both in the form of software and hardware, dominates the GIS, and this overly leads to the use of these tools without conceptual understanding. This is often considered akin to adopting a surface-learning-approach, an undesirable form of superficial learning, which does not yield meaning and understanding. The newly released body of knowledge for GIS (GIS&T BoK) identifies the key knowledge areas that should be learnt to become a GIS expert. Additionally, it lays equal emphasis on the technological component of GIS and the underlying principles. However, the GIS&T BoK does not provide information about what knowledge area should be learnt first, how different knowledge areas are linked with one another, and what knowledge areas are troublesome. The identification of threshold concepts within GIS can play a key role in addressing these issues. The study identifies map-scale, data model and interoperability as the GIS threshold concepts, which will help in establishing different portals for GIS learning.
Details
- Title
- Threshold concepts in geographical information systems: A step towards conceptual understanding
- Authors
- Sanjeev K Srivastava (Author) - University of the Sunshine Coast - Faculty of Science, Health and Education
- Conference details
- Learning & Teaching Week, 2011 (Sunshine Coast, Australia, 19-Sep-2011–23-Sep-2011)
- Publisher
- University of the Sunshine Coast
- Date published
- 2011
- Organisation Unit
- School of Science and Engineering - Legacy; University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland; School of Science, Technology and Engineering; Sustainability Research Cluster
- Language
- English
- Record Identifier
- 99449984302621
- Output Type
- Conference presentation
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