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标题：Developing an Evaluation Framework of Spatial Understanding through GIS Analysis of Volunteered Geographic Information (VGI)
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作者：Bing Sheng WU
期刊名称：Review of International Geographical Education Online
电子版ISSN：2146-0353
出版年度：2013
卷号：3
期号：2
出版社：Review of International Geographical Education Online
摘要：This study integrates volunteered geographic information (VGI) into GIS and contextual analyses,and develops a framework to evaluate students' understanding of "locations and places in order to set national and international events within a geographical framework and to understand basic spatial relationships" as proposed by the Commission on Geo graphical Education (CGE). A web-based VGIwasdeveloped to allow students to shareevents taking place in the locations and places around the world. Three approaches are conducted to analyze all VGI records.First, GIS analysis sho ws the spatial pattern of VGI records and revealed students' mind map. Second, contextual analyses show students'preferences in certain geographic issues. Third, tag-cloud technology reflects students' spatial literacy based on the frequency of spatial-related terms. The results conclude that this study brings to the reader the exciting possibility ofVGI and tag-cloud technology in allowingeducators to evaluate students' spatial understanding and, ultimatel y,contributes to the future developmentof geography education
关键词：spatial understanding; volunteer geographic information; g;eography education; GIS; var currentpos;timer; function initialize() { timer=setInterval("scrollwindow()";10);} function sc(){clearInterval(timer); }function scrollwindow() { currentpos=document.body.scrollTop; window.scroll(0;++currentpos); if (currentpos != document.body.scrollTop) sc();} document.onmousedown=scdocument.ondblclick=initializeReview of International Geographical Education Online . RIGEO Volume 3; Number 2; Summer 2013;153 ;to examine students' learning performances and inform instructional decisions ;(Wertheim and Edelson 2013). Among these modes of assessment; the design of ;marking systems is a traditional approach to evaluate students' knowledge of certain ;issues (Bednarz 2002). Furthermore; surveys and pre/post-tests are also prevalently used ;to highlight students' understanding of certain concepts (e.g.; Huynh and Sharpe 2012; ;Lee and Bednarz 2009; 2011; Yin 2010). In addition to leaning the fundamentals of ;geography; it is essential to explore how individuals become aware of the space around ;people and the impacts on individuals' spatial understanding (Sui and Bednarz 1999; ;Bednarz and Bednarz 2004). Nonetheless; current assessments are designed for testing ;specific learning outcomes. While there is a need to present broad knowledge of space ;and place; it is hardly tested through the thematic treatment. Consequently; a new ;assessment without any subjective guidance should be developed to evaluate students' ;broad understanding of space. ;Due to the innovation of computer technologies and the rapid growth of the Internet; ;web-based applications have played vital roles in allowing participation and sharing. ;The emergence of Web 2.0 is best described by the change from expert-centered ;information flow to a new way that collects information from collective intelligence and ;turning the web into a kind of global brain (O'Reilly 2007). The concept of Web 2.0 ;soon influences various research fields in general; and geography in particular. Inspired ;by the spirit of Web 2.0; for instance; Tuner (2006) coins the term Neogeography as a ;new branch of GIS. Goodchild (2007) proposes the concept of "Volunteered ;Geographic Information (VGI)" and emphasizes the importance of individuals in ;sharing geographical information and knowledge. Although some researchers criticize ;the credibility and accuracy of VGI (Tüzün et al. 2009; Gorman 2010); the user-;generated context approach still plays a role in helping researchers explore users' ;awareness and comments of certain issues. For instance; Bartoschek and Ke.ler (2013) ;developed a web-based VGI platform and ask students to collect data for specific topics ;in geography classes. Their research shows that students benefit through the process of ;sharing VGI data; and implicitly show how they build up their domain knowledge. As a ;result; the use of participatory VGI applications will help teachers know what students ;know and what they are missing so teachers may determine which topics or issues they ;should emphasize. ;It is also important to examine if students are capable to use their contextual ;knowledge and describe spatial relationships of certain events. Since writing offers a ;way to construct and preserve complex and abstract human thoughts (Sui and Bednarz ;1999); it is essential to analyze spatial understanding through contexts associated with ;geography. Textual analysis has been adopted in evaluating learning performance and ;assessments of science literacy (e.g.; Novak et al. 1984; Chang et al. 2001; Tseng et al. ;2010). This approach adopts a text-mining technique that extracts participants' ;knowledge based on key terms they use to describe specific topics. The frequency of ;these terms is visualized as a concept map to reflect if participants understand certain ;issues by choosing the right terms. The evaluation has potential for assessment of ;geographical knowledge due to the nature of spatial representation on textual analyses ;and geographical locations that are aligned to the concept of spatial understanding. The