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The benefits of outdoor education are well known and irreplaceable. Teachers of environmental lessons frequently ask themselves what kind of cartographic support (paper maps or mobile navigators) to offer their students doing fieldwork either navigating to selected points or being engaged in the research of a selected environment. In this article, we compare the success rates of children using either a paper map or mobile navigation with respect to independence, accuracy and speed when walking (wayfinding) through an unfamiliar environment. We collected the data by observing 122 primary school students of six different schools as they individually walked through a suburban area of Ljubljana, Slovenia. The results show that the children were more independent and made fewer mistakes when using a mobile navigator than when using a paper map. They were able to use mobile navigation successfully after having received only a short (2-minute-long) demonstration, even if they had never used such a device before.

The article discusses the potential of advanced technologies in the field of cultural heritage. It highlights how these technologies, such as virtual reality, artificial intelligence, and 3D printing, can be used to understand, preserve, and enhance cultural heritage. The article also presents scientific papers from the Florence Heri-Tech International Conference, showcasing the various applications of these technologies. The papers cover topics such as the use of hyperspectral imaging for hieroglyph recognition, the enhancement of user experience in cultural spaces through advanced systems, and the use of non-invasive techniques for conservation. Overall, the article emphasizes the significant impact of technology on the research, preservation, and promotion of cultural heritage. [Extracted from the article]

Geographical information systems (GIS) were phased into the geography curriculum of South African schools from 2006-2008 as part of the National Curriculum Statement (NCS) for grades 10-12. Since its introduction, GIS education in schools across the country has been met with a number of challenges including the cost of purchasing the hardware and software required to elucidate the basic concepts of GIS to learners. This article examines the introduction of GIS education in schools in South Africa. The development and distribution of a paper-based GIS educational package for resource-poor schools in the country is also highlighted. Preliminary educator and learner evaluations of the paper-based GIS package are discussed and the broader learning opportunities and benefits associated with flexible teaching mechanisms are examined. (Contains 4 figures and 3 notes.)

Introduction: Research on snakebite has mostly been conducted on settled populations and current risk factors and potential interventions are therefore most suited for these populations. There is limited epidemiological data on mobile and nomadic populations, who may have a higher risk of snakebite. Methods and results: We conducted a scoping review to gather evidence on survey methods used in nomadic populations and compared them with contemporary survey methods used for snakebite research. Only 16 (10.5%) of 154 articles reportedly conducted on pastoralist nomadic populations actually involved mobile pastoralists. All articles describing snakebite surveys (n = 18) used multistage cluster designs on population census sampling frames, which would not be appropriate for nomadic populations. We used geospatial techniques and open-source high-resolution satellite images to create a digital sampling frame of 50,707 households and used a multistage sampling strategy to survey nomadic and semi-nomadic populations in Samburu County, Kenya. From a sample of 900 geo-located households, we correctly identified and collected data from 573 (65.4%) households, of which 409 were in their original locations and 164 had moved within 5km of their original locations. We randomly sampled 302 (34.6%) households to replace completely abandoned and untraceable households. Conclusion: Highly mobile populations require specific considerations in selecting or creating sampling frames and sampling units for epidemiological research. Snakebite risk has a strong spatial component and using census-based sampling frames would be inappropriate in nomadic populations. We propose using open-source satellite imaging and geographic information systems to improve the conduct of epidemiological research in these populations. Author summary: Nomadic populations are at increased risk of snakebites, but interventions will not be developed or improved without reliable data on this risk. Highly mobile populations require specific considerations in selecting or creating sampling frames and sampling units for epidemiological research, and using census-based sampling frames would be inappropriate. We conducted scoping reviews to gather evidence on survey methods used in nomadic populations and compared them with contemporary survey methods used for snakebite research, which we used to inform our methodology. We describe the creation of a sampling frame of 50,707 households, the selection and geo-tagging of a sample of 900 households, and the identification and enrolment of participants from 875 households between August 2019 and March 2020. We propose using open-source satellite imaging and geographic information systems to improve the conduct of epidemiological research in these populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Digital systems storing cadastral data in vector format are considered effective due to their ability of offering interactive services to citizens and other land-related systems. The adoption of such systems is ubiquitous, but when adopted, they create two non-compatible systems with paper-based cadastral systems whose information needs to be digitised. This study proposes a new approach that is fast and accurate for transforming paper-based cadastral data into digital systems. The proposed method involves deep-learning techniques of the LCNN and ResNet-50 for detecting cadastral parcels and their numbers, respectively, from the cadastral plans. It also contains four functions defined to speed up transformations and compilations of the cadastral plan's data in digital systems. The LCNN is trained and validated with 968 samples. The ResNet-50 is trained and validated with 106,000 samples. The Structural-Average-Precision ( sAP 10 ) achieved with the LCNN was 0.9057. The Precision, Recall and F1-Score achieved with the ResNet-50 were 0.9650, 0.9648 and 0.9649, respectively. These results confirmed that the new method is accurate enough for implementation, and we tested it with a huge set of data from Tanzania. Its performance from the experimented data shows that the proposed method could effectively transform paper-based cadastral data into digital systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explored the experiences of geography subject advisors (GSAs) in the implementation of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) in South African schools. This was done to determine how they assist in the implementation of GIS. National senior certificate diagnostic reports for matric results indicate every year that learners are performing poorly in the GIS section of geography subject. The current literature shows that there is a lack of pedagogical content knowledge in geography teachers in the teaching and learning of GIS. Several scholars have written about learners and educators in the implementation of GIS in schools, but there is a lack of literature on GSAs' experiences in the implementation of GIS in schools. This paper is underpinned by instructional leadership theory, which argues for leadership to focus their efforts on implementing of practices that positively impact students' learning. Qualitative research approach, and semi-structured interviews were used to generate data to answer the research questions. Two GSAs from two selected districts were purposively chosen to participate in this study. The findings showed that GSAs organise workshops for educators. However, certain educators do not attend workshops and other workshops which are planned, do not materialise. GSAs rely on geography educators that are knowledgeable about GIS to assist in workshops by teaching others. GIS teaching in schools was alleged to be focused on a theoretical aspect without integrating the practical part. The study proposes that the DBE in collaboration with higher education institutions, should provide GIS teacher training opportunities for teachers. [Note: The page range (63-73) shown on the PDF is incorrect. The correct page range is 63-72.]

A marginal land definition is a contemporary scientific term that is constantly changing and unstoppable. There are many ways in which marginal lands are referred to, unproductive lands, including waste lands, unutilized lands, idle lands, abandoned lands, or degraded land. In the present research, we tried to collect all Scopus-based publications in English from 1979 to 2022 years using crucial keywords: Marginal lands, Land degradation, and Agricultural land. We analyzed the most popular journals, top authors, top-cited papers, top countries, top-cited years, etc. A common way to identify ML is to use biophysical constraints related to agricultural productivity or bioenergy. For instance, using a multi-criteria decision approach based on Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and remote sensing, combined data on land use/land cover (LULC), slope, soil depth, erosion, moisture, water holding capacity, texture, and availability of nutrient to study the land suitability for agriculture in hilly zones. There is a high potential for applying remote sensing (RS) and geographical information systems (GIS) for the mapping and monitoring of marginal lands. In addition, the role of remote sensing (RS) and geographic information systems (GIS) in other disciplines around the world is significantly high. In contrast, in this research work, we find out that the usage scale of RS and GIS technologies is not common all around the world on the given marginal land issues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While rural communities are not monolithic, many have seen recent shifts in demographics from historically homogenous populations to more racially, culturally, and linguistically diverse residents (e.g., Sharp & Lee, 2017; Brenner, 2016). Such shifts can occur very rapidly as new regional economic, social, or political forces emerge and are particularly impactful on educational communities which may have little time to adjust to the distinct needs of culturally and linguistically diverse students (Hansen-Thomas et al., 2016). Without clear systems for addressing such changes, reactionary policies to address the accompanying conflict can establish marginalized communities, deficit-based perspectives, and structural inequities (Lee & Sharp, 2017). As an alternative approach, this paper outlines promising practices for systemic approaches to addressing the ongoing professional development needs for teachers in rural communities who are supporting students from increasingly diverse backgrounds. These practices provide the support and professional development that is needed to meet emerging student needs and strengthen educators' self-efficacy (Flores et al., 2008) in relation to working with diverse populations. Research addressing the specific needs of a growing number of rural districts with low-incidence populations of students who are learning English as an additional language, known as "English learners" or "ELs," is limited. This paper, then, focuses on state-level teacher certification policies and accompanying postsecondary teacher training programs that are designed to ensure that teachers are prepared to meet the needs of students who are learning English as an additional language.

Landslides are among the major environmental hazards with large-scale socio-economic and environmental impacts that jeopardize socio-economic wellbeing in mountainous regions. Landslides are due to the interaction of several complex factors such as local or regional geology, geomorphology, topography, and seismic motions. The goal of this study is to review published articles on causes and effects of landslides in Central Asia throughout 2000–2020. In line with this goal, we have collected (using Scopus database), reviewed, and analyzed 79 papers published during 2000–2020. Our results revealed an increasing number of landslide studies in Central Asia during the period under investigation, with authors from Belgium dominating in the published outcomes (28% of total), followed by authors from Central-Asian countries. After then, the paper analyses the mostly applied models and frequently identified driving conditions and triggers of landsliding, such as aspect, altitude, soil types, precipitation, earthquakes and human interventions. Geographic information system (GIS) and remote sensing (RS) had not commonly been used in the papers between 2000 and 2010, and they have progressively been applied in landslide studies in Central Asia in the last decade. According to our analysis, geotechnical, geophysical and statistical methods were preferably used for the landslide studies in Central Asia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Archaeological LiDAR has evolved into an indispensable component of archaeological prospection and landscape archaeology. However, it is frequently employed as a black-box digital method, which confines it to the realm of a specialized field. Making scientific publications more accessible, transparent, and reproducible is one of the steps required to turn LiDAR into a background method for all archaeologists. This is possible, according to our proposal, through the Executable Map Paper concept. This concept can be understood as a type of executable paper that pursues Open Science's goals. The proposed technical solution consists of a PDF frontend, a persistence layer, and a hyperlinked interactive map. Executable Map Paper is applicable to all map-dependent sciences, including geography, geology, and any geoscience. In this paper, we outline the theoretical context, propose technical solutions, and provide a practical illustration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Geographical Information Systems (GISs) in architecture were initially limited to regional and urban development applications. Over recent years its potential has been recognized and its use has evolved to address urban planning and architectural heritage management subjects. Nevertheless, evidence shows that its use in architecture teaching is scarce and uneven. Directive 2007/2/EC, establishing the infrastructure for spatial information in the European Community (EU), is, in this way, an opportunity to develop a greater knowledge and application of GIS in the framework of higher education. In architecture, this can be achieved by problem solving based on real case scenarios, which can benefit from GIS-based techniques and analysis capabilities. In this paper, the authors aim to present a review of the use of GIS in teaching and research in architecture to assess its level in different European programmes. Experiences from three European universities (University of Seville, Spain, University of Beira Interior, Portugal, and Technical University of Crete, Greece), which are among the few in their respective countries that promote the inclusion of GIS in architectural education, particularly in the fields of urban and regional planning and architectural heritage, are compared and framed within the European scenario. The paper concludes with a reflection on the three universities' practice compared to the leading European architecture programmes listed in the main international university rankings. Main trends of future evolution on the use of GIS in architecture teaching are also presented.

In South Africa, paper-based geographic information system (PBGIS) was introduced as a strategy to resolve the hindrances in schools without computers in implementing GIS. This study explores the geography teachers' perceptions of implementing PBGIS in a rural learning ecology. In this context, PBGIS is defined as teaching and learning of GIS utilising topographic and orthographic maps, while rural learning ecology refers to a school in a rural environment consistent with how learners learn in a particular context. The unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT) constituted the theoretical framework used to understand the geography teachers' perceptions in this inquiry. Qualitative research methods, and semi-structured interviews were used to generate data to answer the research question. Two geography teachers from a rural learning ecology were purposively selected to participate in this study. The data generated from the field was then analysed thematically utilising a deductive and inductive approach. The findings showed the following: inadequate teacher training; teachers are unsure about the resources required for PBGIS; lack of teaching time; and the complexity of PBGIS concepts, and improper PBGIS examination setting. This study proposes that the Department of Basic Education (DBE), in association with universities, train teachers and provide resources; support teachers by reviewing the time allocated in the Annual Teaching Plan (ATP) for teaching PBGIS; engage teachers about ways to simplify PBGIS concepts when teaching; and guide teachers on the approaches that must be used when teaching PBGIS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Quantitative reasoning and interdisciplinary skills are central to real-world environmental problem solving. Enhancing those skills for students in environmental programs will help them succeed as future environmental professionals. This paper describes an approach that uses an applied geophysical imaging course to enhance quantitative reasoning and interdisciplinary learning in an environmental geography program. To adapt the course to geography students, applied learning is emphasized through the high-impact educational practices (HEPs) of undergraduate research and service learning. Throughout the course, students learn the theories of, and utilize electrical resistivity (ER), ground penetrating radar (GPR), and electromagnetic (EM) induction methods to answer real-life environmental questions in the local community. Course evaluations indicate that the course produced positive learning outcomes consistent with the course objectives. Similarly, students appreciate the unique opportunity to learn and utilize these technologies that are not commonly found within geography programs. The teaching strategies described in this paper can benefit other faculty contemplating curricular integration for interdisciplinary learning and quantitative reasoning outcomes.

In many ways, Arizona is on the forefront of school choice: in addition to a state-wide open enrollment law, it was one of the first states to adopt charter school legislation in 1994 and currently has the second-highest percentage of public school students attending charter schools in the nation. Despite the extensive research on school choice, less is known about whether choice systems meaningfully impart more opportunities for students classified as English learners, a diverse group that has been the subject of multiple discriminatory policies and has one of the lowest graduation rates in the state. The current paper uses geospatial analysis to examine English learner participation in school choice in one Arizona metropolitan area. The results indicate that charter schools consistently under-enroll EL students regardless of demographic variability across geographic locations. Charter school locational patterns may be one contributing factor to EL enrollment disparities, though they are not likely to be the only reason. Employing a conceptual framework of motility or "mobility capital" (Kaufman et al., 2004) and a critical stance on the spatial dimensions of neoliberal reforms, findings suggest that unregulated school choice may not reliably provide improved schooling options for students classified as English learners.

A student's transition into higher education or a new learning environment can set the foundation for the remainder of their study, both in perception and academic ability. Mentoring is a transition intervention strategy and most types of these interventions are student peer to peer. However, there is a growing interest in academic involvement in mentoring and consequently this paper is an investigation into the effective implementation of assigning students with an academic staff buddy or mentor in the transition period of their first year of higher education i.e. the Staff Student Buddy System (SSBS). The analysis focusses on using two measures to inform the results by qualitatively analysing the feedback from the students, and quantitatively measuring the difference in academic performance of both student participants and non-participants. The sample of the students come from the University of South Australia, and the qualitative analysis indicated that students enjoyed SSBS, particularly with the ability to ask questions to those that would be teaching them. The quantitative statistical evidence indicated that SSBS could be a positive factor on a student's Grade Point Average. Overall, the conclusion was that that the combination of the SSBS and these students produced improved academic performance while providing a positive student experience.

Land cover dynamics is a challenging and vigorous process that associates natural and human systems that have undeviating effects on atmosphere, water and soil which lead to many environmental problems worldwide. Urbanization is one of a major land cover change that is highly correlated with many environmental problems that need emphasis. This paper aimed to review and present level and effect of land use land cover changes, urbanization, factors affecting land cover change and application of geographic information system & remote sensing in monitoring land cover changes. Over the past 300 years, about 1.2 million kilometer square of forests and 5.6 million kilometer square of pasture and rangeland were replaced by other uses worldwide, while cultivated land increased by 12 million km2. Inm1950, monlym30 percent of themworldmpopulationmlivedminmurban settings, themfraction raised tom55%mbym2018. This led to about roughly 60% of the ecosystem services are being destroyed or used in unsustainable ways worldwide. Population expansion, change of technology, high land value, corruption, lack of awareness, migration of people and political pressure are among major driving force of land cover changes. Geo-informatics technology specially GIS and Remote Sensing is found to be an excellent tool for study of land cover change that enables observation across large area of earth's surface with low cost, better efficient and high accuracy. Therefore monitoring, analyzing and evaluation of land cover dynamics with the help of geo-informatics is decisive for improved management & characterizing land cover alteration processes, and determining its environmental consequences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Amid the shift to virtual teaching and learning during the COVID-19 pandemic, educators across disciplines were faced with developing new teaching strategies for active learning and significant learning experiences. This paper discusses findings from a case study of integrating ArcGIS Online and StoryMaps for assignments and semester projects in systematic geography courses - health, population, and urban geography. The study assesses the process of incorporating the use of this technology into these upper-division undergraduate courses, with a mix of both geography and non-geography majors, and student perspectives on their learning of and engagement with this technology. With broader applications to different course, discipline, and education contexts, findings suggest increased student engagement, enhanced understanding of course topics and their practical applications, and an appreciation for the opportunity to learn within and work with geospatial technology.

Geospatial technologies have revolutionised the field of hazard research as well as geography field-courses, providing powerful tools to analyse and visualise geospatial data for decision-making purposes. This paper presents a case study of Paper2GIS, an application for field data collection tested during an international field course in Seyðisfjörður, East Iceland. The field course was designed to expose students to the practical application of interdisciplinary geospatial technologies in hazard research. Students experienced geological/physical geography field mapping as well as data collection using Paper2GIS. The results demonstrate the effectiveness of Paper2GIS in facilitating hazard research with a participatory component, as well as the simplification of data collection during geography field courses. Paper2GIS proved to be an effective tool for enhancing collaboration, data visualisation, and decision-making. The findings provide valuable insights for researchers, practitioners, and educators looking to incorporate low-tech geospatial technologies into their work.

Early years education is offered free to all three-year-olds in Northern Ireland, prior to starting primary school, and most parents take advantage of this offer for their children. An experience of early years education has been shown to considerably improve life chances and to be important in starting the process of building a shared society, particularly important in a divided society emerging from conflict such as Northern Ireland. This paper will examine the degree to which that provision is segregated using GIS analysis and explore the factors which influence those divisions within the wider context of a deeply segregated system of education. Pre-school education in Northern Ireland is found to be highly segregated by community background, and there is a tendency for pre-schools to be more segregated than the areas in which they are located. This may exacerbate existing divisions within education and adding a further year of segregated education may provide a further impediment to building a shared future for communities in Northern Ireland.

Advances in online geospatial technologies (GST) have expanded access to K-12 classrooms which has implications for the support teachers require to effectively integrate GSTs to promote learning. Previous studies have shown the impact of GST-integrated lessons on student engagement, spatial thinking skills, and/or content knowledge; however, most of these studies have been small in scope and scale and frequently focus on the affordances of the technology, without addressing the context of the implementation and student characteristics for whom GST is most impactful. We attempt to address some of these gaps. Our program scaled an effective GST-focused professional learning and development program to a national audience through a facilitator development model. This paper explores the student characteristics and lesson factors that resulted in student interest in science and technology and careers in those fields. After teaching a Geospatial Inquiry lesson created during a teacher workshop, teachers (n = 82) submitted the lessons and surveys on the implementation of Geospatial Inquiry lessons. The implementation surveys and lessons were scored for alignment to the principles of high-quality Geospatial Inquiry. Students (n = 1924) completed a post-lesson retrospective survey and indicated the extent to which their perceptions and attitudes toward science and technology changed because of the lesson. Results indicate that teacher GST performance is associated with increases in student outcomes. Students with previous exposure to science activities were more likely to have increased interest and excitement in science and careers in science but decreased interest in technology careers. Students who had previous exposure to technology activities had increased interest and excitement in technology and careers in technology but decreased interest in science careers. Geospatial Inquiry lessons also had a significant impact on students who are traditionally underrepresented in STEM fields. After participating in the lessons, students who identify as female reported higher engagement and interest in science and higher interest in science careers. Students who identified as Black or Hispanic also reported higher interest and excitement in science and technology, and students who identified as Black reported marginally higher interest in science careers.

Over the past decade, geospatial technologies have emerged as a tool for developing spatial reasoning and cognitive processes. While the foundational Learning to Think Spatially report from the National Research Center (2006) launched research into the use of geospatial technologies in isolation, more recently, cloud-based simulation software have begun to partner with geographic information system (GIS) databases to aid instructional designers in creating simulations in fields such as geology and geography. Both of these use cases -- traditional geography instruction and immersive simulations -- undervalue the potential of GIS to address larger issues within the Instructional Design and Technology (IDT) field. This conceptual paper seeks to present the potential of GIS systems as a designerly tool which can be used to reduce the cognitive load of communicating with very complex data sets and effectively show how information dynamically changes over time. Provisioning contextual analysis as a central skill of the designer may lead to more inclusive designs than a focus on adding steps to process-based models or focusing only on tools.

While Web GIS has been supposed as a useful tool in improving the spatial thinking abilities of students, most existing empirical studies were seldom undertaken in an educational programme providing rather limited geo-technological training to students. This study focuses on tutorial sessions of a tourism geography course in a Singaporean university, in which students usually engaged with very few GIS and other geospatial technologies. Combining a standardised assessment, that is Spatial Thinking Abilities Test, and semi-structured interviews, the study suggests that the implementation of Web GIS, collaborating with students' major background and pre-existing GIS experience, efficiently enhanced their performance in spatial thinking abilities test; moreover, the exposure to GIS practices during tutorial sessions also stimulated students' interest in using GIS and enhanced self-efficacy, which further equipped students with stronger motivation to continue learning geography. The paper contributes to existing debates around (Web) GIS as a pedagogical tool through incorporating qualitative interview materials into the discussion.

This paper reports on how the concept and technologies of GIS are included in the telecommunications engineering curriculum at the undergraduate level. The course of Fundamentals of GIS is described in detail. The usage of GIS software is necessary part of GIS technology education. In order to evaluate available GIS software, several criteria are defined. For this purpose, the authors used Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) methodology according to the goal to find the most appropriate GIS software in education of telecommunications engineers. The following software tools are considered: GRASS, uDig, SAGA, Prune and OpenJUMP. Each proposed criterion was given relative importance through pair-wise comparison. Taking into account proposed criteria, uDig software tools showed the most promising results to be used for education of future telecommunications engineers.

This paper investigates the role of teacher agency for those who were trained in using an innovative Geographic Information Systems (GIS) approach and incorporated GIS into their teaching. While national curricula increasingly emphasise STEM and sustainability approaches, there has been limited analysis of how teachers can bring new software, including GIS, and new approaches into the classroom. Through an evaluation of a teaching initiative "5*S: Space, Surveyors and Students -- STEM and the Sustainable Development Goals" designed to bring GIS technology, satellite data, and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) into classrooms as activities and resources for teachers and students in Ireland, we examine how teachers can introduce new teaching strategies and platforms into their classrooms. In interviews and a focus group, teachers expressed eagerness for GIS teaching resources for the classroom and identified effective ways they were able to draw on their own teaching philosophy in introducing new concepts around sustainability and STEM education in the classroom. We argue that teacher agency and autonomy play an important role in the ability and development of teachers, departments, and schools to bring new approaches and GIS into the classroom, and we identify key learnings from teachers who were able to utilise the 5*S resources.

His current research focuses on emerging neural network methods for performing implicit 3D modeling of geological structures. He has significant experience with algorithm development and the application of mathematical techniques for solving difficult earth science problems. His expertise in 3D geological analysis is coupled with a strong background in the integration of geoscience data using geographic information systems (GIS) and remote sensing technologies. [Extracted from the article]

The Yearbook of the Association of Pacific Coast Geographers has announced the winners of the 2022 APCG Student Paper Awards. The winners include Daniel Grafton from San Diego State University and University of California, Santa Barbara for his paper on sustainable tourism and global climate change in polar regions, Clara Atwell and Sadie Calhoun from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo for their study on modeling forest transition in Taucamarca, Peru, and Andrew Wallace from California State University, Fullerton for his research on organizational challenges in municipal GIS implementations. Other winners include Danielle Gerger from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo for her paper on forest plantation transitions in the Peruvian Andes, Frida Timan from the London School of Economics for her study on the political lives of 'maintenance' in San Francisco's parklets, and Olivia Cameron from Oregon State University for her research on social identity and agricultural decision making. The Association congratulates all the winners for their outstanding work. [Extracted from the article]

In this paper, we introduce a new feminist methodology, "storyworlding." "Storyworlding" is a feminist, participatory methodology to engage in culturally informed and ethnographically rich stories through which we establish our being together. The paper explores crucial onto-epistemological shifts in two important concepts--world and story as the basis for how we engaged "storyworlding" while also advancing the Marxist idea of "praxis" in order to propose a social just orientation of collective doing and becoming. Our methodological contribution includes identifying four key momentums we affiliate with "storyworlding" practices. We conclude with a conceptualization of "Storyworlding as Collective Self-Agency" and the methodological implications of that conceptualization.

This paper argues for increased attention to quantitative literacy in undergraduate critical human geography curriculum. The rationale is twofold: On the one hand, it is increasingly easy to integrate quantitative material into curriculum, given the widespread availability of open-source or low-cost platforms for interpreting data. On the other hand, it is increasingly important to develop quantitative literacy informed by critical theory in a political era of anti-science rhetoric and resurgent propaganda. The paper reviews recent scholarship on quantitative methods in critical human geography, highlighting a shift toward methodological pluralism in both research and pedagogy. This creates opportunities for enhancing human geography curriculum, for instance, by applying technical skills while thinking critically about the social construction of data. This is explored with a case study on quantitative exercises in introductory Human Geography curriculum at a public university in the United States, evaluating strategies for integrating critical spatial theory with quantitative data analysis, and tools for assessing the educational value added by their integration.

The purpose of the present study is to determine geography teachers' opinions about how often, for what reasons and for what subjects the geographic information systems (GIS) are used in geography lessons. This qualitative study was carried out based on phenomenological design. The study was conducted with 15 geography teachers servicing at different schools in a city of Turkey. The teachers' opinions were obtained via the semi-structured interview form developed by the researcher and the series of obtained data were analysed via the content analysis method. The study results showed that a great majority of the teachers did not use the GIS in their lessons and the reason for this was that they are not having sufficient knowledge about how to use them. Also, the teachers emphasised the insufficiency of possibilities, infrastructure, software and hardware. However, it was observed that all the teachers agreed on the necessity of using the GIS in geography lessons. [This paper was presented as an oral presentation in the International Symposium on Social Studies Education VI (May 4-6, 2017) in Eskisehir, Turkey.]

This paper examines a 12th-century Virupaksha temple through the reconstruction and exploration of space, movement, devotee corporeal experiences, and the use of natural landscape microtopographic features in monument design. The Mula Virupaksha Temple presents a dramatic change in the previously non-imperial sacred landscape in the Hemakuta Hill area at Hampi (Bellary District, Karnataka). With its construction, Hampi transitioned from a local Shaiva pilgrimage center dedicated to the river goddess Pampa and her counterpart Bhairava to a popular Shaiva pilgrimage and cult center of the newly imported god, Virupaksha. The Mula Virupaksha Temple presents a design thoroughly novel to the area that ushered in a period of sophisticated and unprecedented architectural planning at the site which incorporated natural landscape features for the management and cultivation of devotee ritual corporeal experiences. Virupaksha, his patrons, and associated artisans brought significant cultic change and architectural innovation that took root and persisted into the imperial Vijayanagara period, from the mid-14th to late 16th centuries. The present paper relies on a digital methodology developed to identify ritual changes in early medieval South Asian sacred spaces, focusing on time-sensitive maps created through a geographic information system (GIS), and coupled with the immersive panoramic capabilities of Google Street View (GSV) for a ground-based investigation of the non-ephemeral pilgrimage landscape features. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Along with sea-level rise, one of the most detrimental effects of climate change, is salinity leakage, which significantly affects agricultural activities throughout most of the world. This occurrence is becoming increasingly dangerous. The purpose of this study was to use Geographical Information Systems (GIS) to assess the current situation of agricultural lands in the province of Al-Diwaniyah, by employing GIS to document the salt-affected sites and arrive at the most important criteria affecting those lands as well as build an application model for suitability to clarify the affected sites and come up with paper and digital maps. To accomplish this, the study relied on the available data by extrapolating and analyzing remote sensing images using salt equations to analyze the Landsat 8 satellite images, after which these data were subjected to spatial statistical treatment in ArcGIS software. Moreover, 20 samples were taken from ground sampling points and subjected to laboratory analysis to compare and document the results. The research resulted in the creation of an up-to-date database for the locations of salt ratio growth or decrease in the province of Al-Diwaniyah, which can be relied on, starting from and expanding in the future. Land maps, both paper and digital, have been created and can be used and inferred. The findings demonstrated the model's ability to steadily discriminate among all salinity groups while maintaining consistency with the ground truth data. Each of the four major salinity categories was highlighted. The best-performing indicators were used to build the MLR model, which was then used to anticipate soil salinity. The salt levels may be determined by the MLR combining NDVI and SI-5 with a high correlation value (R2 = 75.29%). Finally, it is shown that by combining spectral indicators with field measurements, it is possible to chart and forecast soil salinity on a large scale. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article deals with a methodology for the design of routes for the “bin to bin” (BTB) collection of paper and cardboard waste (PCB) from small businesses, as well as with the new location and calculation of the number of containers needed in the streets for both commercial and non-commercial use due to the large amount of PCB deposited in them. This study was carried out in five shopping areas of the city of Leganés (Community of Madrid, Spain). One of the characteristics of the area is a high density of population and urban traffic. The tool used is the Geographical Information System (GIS-Arc-View). With it we can generate PCB points of high population density in commercial streets based on territorial analysis. We placed the special routes and the new container locations within a distance of 60m of these collection points (CPT). The system calculates and optimizes six routes according to different urban restrictions. Finally, we provided service to 59% of the shops, which generate almost 82% of the PCB waste, using 160min per day to collect 1027kg of high quality PCB. If we compare the system with the system in place previously, we can conclude that the “bin to bin” (BTB) system improves the quality of the PCB in the containers, avoiding overflow and reducing the percentage of rejected material. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Paper has been the format of choice for disseminating geographic information for millennia; however the arrival of the internet and mobile technologies has created new modes of map consumption. This paper investigates the future role of paper mapping in a society where access to online digital mapping is freely available. The research consists of an online survey to investigate how people use and view online/digital and paper maps, together with a task-based user study to investigate the suitability of each map format for a variety of given tasks. Similar to previous research, we categorize participants into two groups (experts and non-experts/novices) based on their level of geographic skill. Results demonstrate that geographic knowledge and the context of use clearly relate to preference of map format. As geographic skill increases, there is a greater preference for paper maps; non-experts prefer online/digital maps. Also, paper is the preferred medium for planning and executing navigation on foot across all groups. Overall, results suggest that paper maps are here to stay for the foreseeable future and remain the preferred choice for some in the digital age. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The paper presents empirical findings on the potential benefits and challenges associated with collaborative postgraduate programs between African universities. It reflects the empirical benefits and challenges towards a collaborative master in the fields of Earth Observation, Geographical Information Science (GIS) and Remote Sensing. The research applied a combination of approaches that include desktop study, consultative meetings and round table meetings with experts in universities operating partnership. Positive and negative effects of collaborative degree programs were equally collected and the results were verified. The research established that although collaborative degree programs are more favorable around the world, a number of administrative issues hamper the system. These are lack of funding and inconsistent accreditations among country universities. Key recommendations include inclusive administration, proper funding for higher institutions and consistent accreditations among universities. This paper presents a glimpse of the challenges and benefits associated with collaborative postgraduate programs between African universities.

Geographic Information System (GIS) continue to play very important role in improving spatial thinking skills of graduates from higher educational institutions. However, teaching and learning of GIS at the technical university level in Ghana remains very limited due to some implementation challenges. This paper reviews the implementation of GIS in higher education in Ghana and also highlights the major implementation challenges of teaching and learning of GIS at the technical universities in Ghana. The status of GIS education in the technical universities in Ghana is also highlighted. An exploratory and descriptive research approach was adopted for the study focusing on the implementation challenges of teaching and learning of GIS in technical universities in Ghana. The findings of the study reveal the wide acceptance and the need for GIS education in engineering and built environment departments in the technical universities in Ghana. The paper then concludes with some recommendations that would help to improve teaching and learning of GIS technology at the technical universities in particular and higher education in Ghana in general.