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Geospatial thinking and reasoning (GSTR) skills are currently not routinely integrated into public health curriculum for undergraduate students in colleges or universities. However, integrating GSTR skills into curriculum has been shown to increase spatial thinking skills, which leads to better cognitive thinking and problem solving skills. An Examining Vector-Borne Disease Transmission (EVBDT) curriculum unit was developed using the geospatial curriculum approach to investigate malaria, dengue fever, and zika disease spread in the environment, using patterns, data, and sociodemographic factors. The purpose of this design-based research study was to understand public health content learning and GSTR skill acquisition through use of the geospatial curriculum approach among students (n = 95) enrolled in undergraduate public health content classes. Data sources included a classroom observation instrument; pretest and posttest measures for the Spatial Habits of the Mind survey; a pretest, Posttest 1, and delayed Posttest 2 EVBDT assessment that included public health content and GSTR skill items; and a postimplementation survey to understand students' perceptions of geographic information systems use in the curriculum. Findings revealed significant mean differences showing growth in public health content learning and GSTR skills. The findings provide support that Web geographic information systems with appropriate curriculum design can engage students and affect both learning outcomes and GSTR skills in public health education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Learning with Web-based geographic information system (Web GIS) can promote geospatial thinking and analysis of georeferenced data. Web GIS can enable learners to analyze rich data sets to understand spatial relationships that are managed in georeferenced data visualizations. We developed a Web GIS plate tectonics simulation as a capstone learning activity in an undergraduate Earth Science course that integrated geological and geophysical data sets to allow students to dynamically reconstruct ancient plate motions. To assess the effectiveness of the Web GIS tectonics simulation, all 12 students in the course submitted three artifacts that were assessed with a reliable, criterion-based rubric. The students also completed a survey to assess the effectiveness of the online interface and its capability to promote geospatial thinking. The students preformed quite well on the assignment. The survey results supported that the students perceived the Web GIS tectonics simulation as having helped them think geospatially. Our Web GIS design and embedded capabilities allowed students to advance and confirm their understandings about the tectonics concepts. Student responses indicated that the Web GIS supported their geospatial analysis for making inferences about space, geospatial patterns, and geospatial relationships among the data that were visualized in the Web GIS. Design features that contributed to the successful implementation are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Geospatially enabled learning technologies may enhance Earth science learning by placing emphasis on geographic space, visualization, scale, representation, and geospatial thinking and reasoning (GTR) skills. This study examined if and how a series of Web geographic information system investigations that the researchers developed improved urban middle-school learners’ GTR skills and their understanding of tectonics concepts. Paired-samplettests for analyses of tectonics content knowledge and GTR achievement measures revealed statistically significant gains from pretest to posttest (p<.001) with large effect sizes. The findings provide support that GTR related to tectonics can be learned with appropriately designed learning activities using Web-based geographic information systems. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]