Virtual reality (VR) usage is increasing in higher education, yet VR retains significant financial, technological, and time costs. Given these challenges, understanding student perceptions of the legitimacy of educational VR is important. In-class VR was introduced in two semesters with four total face-to-face Geography courses at Arkansas Tech…

The use of alternative teaching methods to lectures is one of the keys to develop a more participatory and effective education. In the teaching of Geography, greater interaction of students with elements of the landscape through the active use of photography could be one of the ways to achieve this efficiency. This article describes an experiment…

Authority is one of the most problematic and ambiguous concepts in social and educational theory. Authority is a relation that is based on disparities of knowledge, expertise or experience. Drawing on teaching observations and interviews with undergraduate students and lecturers about their experiences of large-group teaching, I argue that in…

Geographic technologies and perspectives are important for understanding health issues because places and locations influence human health and diseases. Despite the increasing use of a geographic information system (GIS) in health research, and the explosion of new and emerging technologies, little is known about their potential as educational…

This paper explores the benefits and drawbacks of technology-enhanced learning (TEL) to engage undergraduate students in geography modules at Newcastle University. I consider the efficacy of "student response systems" (hereafter SRS, also known as audience response systems, clickers or personal response systems) in large lectures by…

The flipped classroom approach, a form of blended learning, is currently popular in education praxis. Initial reports on the flipped classroom include that it offers opportunities to increase student engagement and build meaningful learning and teaching experiences. In this article, we analyse teacher and student experiences of a trial flipped…

The "field trip" is a key pedagogical tool within geographical education to encourage deep learning, though they are increasingly difficult to implement due to reduced budgets, safety concerns and increasing class sizes. We incorporated three field-learning activities into a large introductory module. A traditional staff-led trip was the…

This research explores "teaching excellence" by examining the perceptions of geography academics and students at Brunel University as to what makes a lecture "unmissable". The findings from 10 interviews with lecturers and five focus groups with undergraduate students suggest that whilst there is probably no such thing as an…

Interesting teaching techniques that geography teachers at the college and university level can use in their lectures and in their seminars and tutorials are presented. (RM)

Described is a method of lecturing in which the lecture period is divided into a number of segments. Only some segments involve the lecturer talking. In others students discuss topics or complete exercises. An example of such a lecture on aspects of Christaller's central place theory is described. (Author/RM)

Reviews the series of British books entitled "The Geography Discipline Network Guides on Teaching, Learning and Assessment." Believes that the series will inspire teachers to think about educating students in new and positive ways and could sustain a system of higher education based on the values presented in the guides. (CMK)

Comments on the series of British books entitled "The Geography Discipline Network Guides on Teaching, Learning, and Assessment." Stresses that the guides lacks relevant information for geography teachers in New Zealand or Australia, but contends that some of the information can be adapted for educators in these countries. (CMK)

Maintains that philosophical concepts in geography are widely regarded as an important element in geography degrees, yet students have problems understanding them. Describes how a large lecture course was modified to promote understanding by increasing interaction between lecturer and student. (CFR)

How the computer can be used to support and improve the following teaching and study methods in geography is discussed: lectures, reading, tutoring, small group teaching, simulation, educational games, model building, problem solving, field work, written work, and exploratory data analysis. Educational problems involved in each application are…

Describes and evaluates televised lectures that were added to a geography course to accommodate classroom overflow. Comparisons of academic performance between attendees of the live lectures and the broadcast audience revealed no significant difference. Survey questionnaires indicate that students felt the televised method to be valuable. (MJP)