Digital (Urban) Geography: Student-led research methodology training using smartphone apps

dc.contributor.authorHolloway, Paul
dc.contributor.authorO'Connor, Ray
dc.contributor.authorLinehan, Denis
dc.contributor.authorKenna, Therese
dc.contributor.editorSupple, Brionyen
dc.contributor.editorDelahunty, Tomen
dc.date.accessioned2020-11-05T09:47:05Z
dc.date.available2020-11-05T09:47:05Z
dc.date.issued2019
dc.description.abstractIn the last decade, opportunities have emerged to deploy new digital technologies to research agendas and research-led teaching at third level. For instance, research methods such as surveys and questionnaires are shifting into the digital environment, while at the same time there is increasing evidence to support the view that people who have grown up with technology have acquired distinctive new ways of learning, and that traditional methodologies fail to maximise student engagement (Lafuente 2018). Thompson (2013) suggests that these ‘new learners’ are constantly using technology, multi-tasking in interactive environments, and collaborating online, yet research shows that many students are unaware of the potential of their smartphone to support learning (Woodcock et al, 2012). Despite a widespread interest in mobile devices facilitating teaching and learning in third-level education geography departments (Welsh et al. 2013), many research techniques are still taught using traditional ‘pen-and-paper’ methodologies. The ESRI Collector for ArcGIS is a mobile application (app) that can be used with iOS, Android, and Windows smartphones. Collector for ArcGIS is beginning to emerge as a technology to support spatial thinking in geography at second-level education and third-level education (Pánek and Glass 2018). Here we report on our strategy of integrating mobile technology in GG1015 Applied Geography, a large (250+) class introducing first year BA Arts Geography programme students to a number of techniques that we use in Geography. This module sits between GG1013 Environmental Geography and GG1014 Society and Space in the first-year programme. Both of these modules are a block of 24 1-hour lectures, with multiple choice quizzes (MCQs) and essay-based exams. Subsequently, GG1015 was developed to compliment these modules and introduce different teaching styles that facilitate learning across a range of diversities. Throughout this module, students engage directly in fieldwork, photographic activities, essay writing, presentations, and small group work. As such, this module offers an excellent case study to explore new techniques to engage students in learning, particularly in geographic research.en
dc.description.statusNot peer revieweden
dc.description.versionPublished Versionen
dc.format.mimetypeapplication/pdfen
dc.identifier.citationHolloway, P., O'Connor, R., Linehan, D. and Kenna, T. (2019) 'Digital (Urban) Geography: Student-led research methodology training using smartphone apps', Learning Connections 2019: Spaces, People, Practice, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland, 5-6 December, pp. 155-160. doi: 10.33178/LC.2019.30en
dc.identifier.doi10.33178/LC.2019.30
dc.identifier.endpage160
dc.identifier.startpage155
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/10468/10705
dc.language.isoenen
dc.publisherUniversity College Corken
dc.publisherNational Forum for the Enhancement of Teaching and Learning in Higher Educationen
dc.rights© 2019, the Author(s). This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.en
dc.rights.urihttps://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/
dc.subjectNew digital technologiesen
dc.subjectResearchen
dc.subjectSurveysen
dc.subjectQuestionnairesen
dc.subjectStudent engagementen
dc.subjectNew learnersen
dc.subjectSmartphoneen
dc.subjectCollector for ArcGISen
dc.subjectMobile technologyen
dc.subjectGeographic researchen
dc.titleDigital (Urban) Geography: Student-led research methodology training using smartphone appsen
dc.typeConference itemen
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