Understanding higher education students' developing perceptions of geocapabilities through the creation of story maps with geographical information systems
Authors: Tian Jing , Koh Joyce Hwee Ling , Ren Chang , Wang Yiheng 
Published: December 2021

The technical skills of using geographical information systems (GIS) are often taught in different higher education disciplines apart from geocapabilities or geographic disciplinary expertise. Theorised to include capabilities such as spatial thinking, geographical imagination and structured ways to explore places, the concept of geocapabilities has been developed from educator perspectives but student perspectives have yet to be empirically examined. Drawing upon recommendations that students can better acquire geocapabilities through research and authentic problem‐solving, this study examines how 27 higher education students' perceptions of geocapabilities evolved as they learnt technical skills of web mapping through investigating real‐world issues with ArcGIS StoryMaps. Content analyses of students' pre‐ and post‐class reflections suggest that students' perceptions aligned with existing theorisations of geocapabilties in areas such as spatial thinking and geographical imagination. However, students also perceived that geographers need curiosity, interest, enthusiasm, and love for geography, and generic skills for working and living in the world that are not geography‐related. Through making story maps with GIS, students' perceptions of geocapabilities shifted significantly in the areas of geographical practice and application, geographical imagination and interdisciplinarity. The implications of these findings for higher education teaching of GIS and how it informs the theorisation of geocapabilities are discussed.

Practitioner notes

What is already known about this topic

Walkington et al. conceptualized geocapabilities from educator perspectives, characterizing it by geographical imagination, ethical subject‐hood, integrative thinking about society and environment, spatial thinking, and structured exploration of place. This has not been investigated empirically from students' perspectives.

There is preponderant evidence that the use of geographical information systems (GIS) such as ArcGIS Online and other geospatial technologies can improve students' spatial thinking skills and subject knowledge but how it may develop other geocapabilities have not been examined.

What this paper adds

There were shifts in undergraduates' conceptions of geocapabilities as they learnt ArcGIS StoryMaps by researching and producing story maps about real‐world issues through flipped classrooms.

Like Walkington et al., students conceived geocapabilities to include spatial thinking and geographical imagination but they perceived the other geocapabilities as interdisciplinarity and geographical practice and application. Students also perceived geographers as needing curiosity, interest, enthusiasm and love for geography, and generic capabilities to manoeuvre different tools and skills for working, ways of thinking and ways of working.

Implications for practice and/or policy

Students' and educators' view could be synthesized and better defined to create a more comprehensive and inclusive framework of geocapabilties.

Students can better develop insights about different geocapabilities when they learn GIS technologies through researching real‐world issues.

GIS teachers can use flipped classrooms to synthesize teaching and learning about GIS and teaching and learning with GIS.