A Platform and Its Applied Modes for Geography Fieldwork in Higher Education Based on Location Services

Abstract

Fieldwork is an important aspect of geography learning in higher educational institutions. Under the support of mobile technologies, the process and method of fieldwork in geography education have significantly been changed. However, the in-depth combination of Location-Based Services (LBSs) and geography fieldwork is still in the initial exploration stage. This paper designed and implemented a professional geography fieldwork platform based on Lushan, a famous geography fieldwork education station in Jiangxi, China. The platform includes the student-side mobile application, teacher-side mobile application, and a web back-end management system. Three specific technologically-enhanced applied modes were put forward based on the platform, which contains teacher-centered, semi-supervised, and student-independent modes. Students’ views on the three applied modes and usage in the fieldwork platform were collected through a questionnaire. The result shows that the LBS fieldwork platform has significant support for geography fieldwork. It meets the needs of students and reduces the burden for teachers. The teacher-centered is the most popular mode for students. Due to the unguaranteed fieldwork safety, inconvenient dynamic adjustment, and the habit of relying on the teacher’s explanation, the student-independent mode based on the LBS platform has apparent limitations. Nevertheless, students can recognize its potential in improving their practical, cooperative, and autonomous abilities. They are willing to try independent fieldwork supported by the platform in several days.

Keywords

• fieldwork
• geography education
• fieldwork teaching
• fieldwork platform
• LBSs