Innovative Teaching Methods for Using Multimedia Maps to Engage Students at a Distance

Abstract

Advances in geospatial technology, web map interfaces, and other Web 2.0 tools provide new opportunities for educators to engage students in critical thinking, problem-solving, and collaborative skills. Although little attention has been given to learning from maps in higher education, knowledge of space is critical to attitudes and decision making as global citizens. Additionally, the ability to easily create multimedia maps offers new educational affordances for students at a distance and has the potential to link geographic and cultural understanding within the context of a variety of disciplines. We discuss the development of a mapping and blogging interactive learning environment, MapBlog, as a visual platform for representing information spatially. In this chapter, the MapBlog will be discussed as an interactive learning environment and as a visual platform for representing information spatially. We present and discuss four MapBlog categories: external content, student-created content, static content, and thematic.

Citation

Matias, A., Aird, S.M. and Wolf, D.F. (2013), "Innovative Teaching Methods for Using Multimedia Maps to Engage Students at a Distance", Wankel, L.A. and Blessinger, P. (Ed.) Increasing Student Engagement and Retention using Multimedia Technologies: Video Annotation, Multimedia Applications, Videoconferencing and Transmedia Storytelling (Cutting-Edge Technologies in Higher Education, Vol. 6 Part F), Emerald Group Publishing Limited, Leeds, pp. 215-234. https://doi.org/10.1108/S2044-9968(2013)000006F011