Abstract

Assessing the Impact of GIS Use on Students' Spatial Thinking Skills
Track: Learning and Research Panel Discussion
Authors: Bob Kolvoord, David Uttal, Adam Green

We have been conducting a detailed study of the impact of the use of GIS on students' spatial thinking skills with participants in the Geospatial Semester in Virginia. Preliminary results show that GIS-using students use more spatial words and exhibit better problem-solving skills than non GIS-using students. In this presentation, we'll talk about the initial findings from a new, NSF-funded project to extend this work and establish the neurological basis for the impact of GIS.