Sequencing spatial concepts in problem-based GIS instruction

AbstractIn this paper, we sketch a general framework to help educators sequence problem-based GIS instruction. This framework weaves together: (1) problem based learning with GIS, (2) cognitive load theory in problem solving, (3) the structural view of spatial knowledge, where higher-level concepts are constructed in part from lower-level concepts, (4) how the form of representation used to solve problems influences the development of spatial thinking skills

The use of ecological principles for riparian zone management in four forest planning documents

The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the extent to which ecological principles were used in four documents of differing scope and intent, that address management of forest resources and riparian zones in three National Forests of the Pacific Northwest. We use the phrase "ecological principles" in a very broad sense, as it has been used in recent judicial interpretations of the forest planning process. Recent court cases, summarized in Figure 1, have challenged management activities in several National Forests, citing them for inadequate consideration of ecological principles in their planning. In a study of three recent court cases testing forest plans and associated Environmental Impact Statements (ElS's) involving fish and watershed management, Craig (1987) found that the court's decisions had hinged on ecological principles governing relationships between cumulative clearcutting, road construction, landsliding and debris flows, stream sedimentation, fish habitat, water quality, and fish populations. Similarly, in the case of Seattle Audubon Society, et al, v. James R. Moseley, et al, which affected logging sales in spotted owl habitat, (U. S. District Court, 1992), Judge Dwyer found that the requirement "to maintain viable populations of existing native and desired non-native species in the planning area" further required "planning for the entire biological community, not for one species [spotted owl] alone." He found that the EIS was inadequate because it failed to address the consequences of the plan for species, other than the spotted owl, that live in the old growth forests. This wording implies that a future decision on the revised EIS could hinge upon ecological principles describing interdependence among species, including fish, and how they are affected by forest management actions. In summary, recent judicial actions suggest that in the future, management plans will be judged on the strength of the ecological ideas which underlie them. The significance of this research is that it attempts to identify the ecologica

Mapping the Digital Humanities

Curatorial note from Digital Pedagogy in the Humanities: This course was the product of a collaboration between two graduate students at the University of Washington, Jentery Sayers (English) and Matt Wilson (Geography), supported to develop the course through a teaching fellowship. As the product of those two instructors, who had the luxury of additional time for development, it stands as an exemplar of an interdisciplinary, humanities-focused mapping course. The parallelism of having students work on “mapping” a geographical location as well as “mapping” a text is a novel structure that the collaboration affords. The modules and prompts have extensive and interesting commentary and suggestions for readings and ideas about mapping topics (cartographic generalization, data structure and organization, critical cartography, etc.). The course also provides an understanding of “geography” itself and doesn’t limit the geographical emphasis to only maps as a tool and outcome

Historical Map Analysis

Curatorial note from Digital Pedagogy in the Humanities: This assignment prompts students with a series of questions that guide them through a structured critique of a historical map. The questions cover themes of genre, author and probable audience, historical context of the map, and the map as a source for historical geography. This activity prepares students for a subsequent assignment of researching, designing, and constructing a page for a collaboratively produced atlas. The questions are drafted with a historical map in mind, but they could also be modified for application to any map. They structure lines of inquiry about cartography, cartographers, and cartographic products that many students have never systematically thought through before

Visualizing Flow and Movement for the Humanities

The University of Redlands proposes to host an interdisciplinary specialist's workshop on Visualizing Flow and Movement for the Humanities, an emerging research area at the intersection of digital humanities, geography, and information technology. NEH funds are requested for participant stipends and travel, technology and event support staff time and minimal travel. This workshop will engage humanities faculty, computer programmers, and geographers in dialogue and mini-design sessions. Participants will articulate the intellectual and pedagogic questions on the nature and visualization of flow and movement, critique currently available tools, and identify the barriers and user requirements for creating an integrated and innovative technology solution. We will produce a report that describes the key issues and presents a conceptual design for a digital tool for visualizing flow and movement. The requested project start date is April 1, 2011 and end date is March 31, 2012

Spatial and temporal patterns of windthrow in the Bull Run Watershed, Oregon

Throughout the 20th century, windthrow has affected forests in the Bull Run watershed, a 26,500 ha basin that is the principal water source for the city of Portland, Oregon. Windthrow from storms in 1973 and 1983 was mapped into a geographic information system (GIS) and compared to a 1931 windthrow pattern that had been determined through field work and photo interpretation. By relating the windthrow patterns to vegetation, topography, soils, and edges created by forest canopy openings such as lakes and clearcuts, the degree to which these factors influence the patterns was tested with a logistic regression. Distanced sampling was used to compensate for spatial autocorrelation among the data. The results showed that topographic exposure most strongly affected the 1931 windthrow patterns, while a greater number of 1973 and 1983 windthrow patches were associated with clearcut edges than other edges, and those edges were more likely to be affected when located on shallow soils with a high hazard for windthrow. All three storms were characterized by northeasterly winds, a common occurrence during winter months in the vicinity of the Columbia River Gorge. However, the particular combination of at least two-consecutive days of severe east winds, and sub-freezing temperatures, had only occurred four times between 1948 and 1994, including both the 1973 and 1983 windthrow events. Multiple approaches were taken to estimate future windthrow risk in the Bull Run that incorporated both spatial and temporal variables. Probabilistic windthrow maps showing zones of low, medium, and high risk were generated for current forest conditions, as well as conditions projected-to the years 2010 and 2075. Because variables such as vegetation height and clearcut edges are ephemeral, the prediction of future risk incorporates assumptions of vegetation succession. However, a mean return interval calculated for predicted windthrow-generating storms suggests that such events could occur as frequently as once every three years. While no model can predict the precise location of a disturbance as variable as windthrow, an understanding of the relative spatial and temporal probability of windthrow provides useful information for forest planners and managers

Extreme winds and windthrow in the Western Columbia River Gorge

Severe windthrow in the Bull Run watershed of the Oregon Cascade Range has occurred infrequently over the last 50 yr, yet individual storm events have generated extensive windthrow. In this case study, we consider two storm events known to have caused windthrow in the Bull Run. Using long-term meteorological records, we characterize the events and use the Gumbel extreme value distribution to analyze the wind speeds, estimating return intervals for the two storms. When all annual maximum wind speeds are considered for the 47-yr period of data, the 1973 and 1983 storm wind speeds may occur as frequently as every 5 yr or less, but this increases to a 10-15 yr interval when we analyze only east wind events. Extremely low air temperatures, characteristic of the storms, may have increased the likelihood of windthrow, though on at least one occasion a seemingly similar storm event failed to generate any windthrow. This exercise illustrates the complexity of natural disturbances such as windthrow and the inadequacy of simplistic, meteorologically-based models to predict a stochastic event accurately, particularly when natural patterns of windthrow are regularly altered by forest cutting

GIS Historical Atlas Assignment

Curatorial note from Digital Pedagogy in the Humanities: Students delve into historical census data to produce a small atlas that addresses questions about race and slavery in mid-nineteenth-century America. They produce not only maps but also tables and charts, consistent with the census’s emphasis on quantitative data. Students begin with a question that they wish to answer, comparing variables across different geographies, across time, or exploring possible correlations. This models a good practice for census data: to have a specific question that data will help address. Otherwise, census data can readily become overwhelming in its specificity and abundance. The GIS “codebook” facilitates the use of the “real” data, which is necessarily obtuse and confusing in its authenticity. Rael chose to do extensive out-of-class work to prepare supporting instructional materials so that students focus on the analysis while minimizing time spent grappling with data. This assignment could be adapted for census data from any time period

Provenance Project for Museum Studies

Curatorial note from Digital Pedagogy in the Humanities: In her Introduction to Museum Studies course, Leah Niederstadt has students conduct research on the provenance of items held in the Wheaton College Permanent Collection. The assignment involves students compiling detailed research on the objects themselves and on their previous owners before they each create a “StoryMap” that chronicles the “provenance narrative” for their assigned object. For the Fall 2015 iteration of the course, students used StoryMap JS for their projects. The application is simple enough that minimal student training was necessary. Earlier iterations of the assignment in this course and in a first-year seminar used Google Earth or Omeka, but StoryMap JS was a more desirable option for its functionality and design options