Even as service-learning has become more prevalent in higher education as a high-impact teaching methodology, barriers still exist to its implementation by some instructors. One concern is the perception of these types of activities infringing upon course content. This article outlines an example of an introductory service-learning project for an…

Environmental change is ideally taught through field observations; however, leaving the classroom is often unrealistic due to financial and logistical constraints. The Internet offers several feasible alternatives using webcams that instructors can use to illustrate a variety of geographic examples and exercises for students. This article explores…

The 1996 blockbuster "Twister" both entertained and exasperated geographers. Misrepresentations and unsafe field practices resonated deeply; still, the film possesses relevance for educators. Science-based reviews illuminating on-screen inconsistencies and pseudoscience might surprise students accepting movies at face value. This article uses a…

This study investigates critical thinking in a Physical Geography course and illustrates how students can understand physical geography in the context of their world. As a general education science course, most students are in non-science disciplines and feel disconnected from the material. By using exercises that challenge learning and concept…

This article presents a field technique that exposes students to the indirect effects of habitat fragmentation on plant distributions through studying edge effects. This assignment, suited for students in an introductory biogeography or resource geography class, increases students' knowledge of basic biogeographic concepts such as environmental…

The Caribbean has long afforded U.S. and Canadian geographers with a rich venue of study-abroad opportunities. Physical and human geography classes are particularly well-suited to the myriad political, social, and environmental landscapes of the region. This article summarizes a few key experiences that have emerged in forging study-abroad venues…

After fifteen years of geographic education efforts, a baseline geography skills test was repeated in Indiana. In 2002, 2,278 students in college freshman geography courses were tested with a revision of the National Council for Geographic Education Competency-Based Geography Test, Secondary Level Form II. The test measured geographic ability in…

Collaborative international research projects represent excellent opportunities for students to obtain unique and life-altering educational experiences. Dynamic interactions with people from a variety of countries, institutions, and departments, in diverse situations, provides students with new perspectives, encourages them to operate in a…

Films are often used in schools to illustrate geography, but doing so may favor mainly passive learning. An experiment with twenty-eight pupils aged thirteen years (a whole class) had the aim of using cinema to promote active geographical learning. First, it was ascertained what the dominant geographical stereotypes were among the pupils and the…

Greenways are prominent features of many urban landscapes and synthesize several geographic topics: human-environment interactions, urban ecosystems, and the promotion of sustainability within riverine corridors. Greenways are easily accessible and provide an opportunity for students at various grade levels to study interactions across physical…

Learning enhanced by visual examples and remotely sensed imagery is a valuable classroom resource for teaching students geographic concepts in a meaningful context. Barriers to the use of imagery include difficulty finding appropriate imagery and the cost of moderate resolution satellite imagery. A program in Wyoming called WyomingView and…

Service-learning courses within a university setting help students to better understand their roles as members of civil society. This article examines the evolution of an urban stream cleanup project that has been part of a world regions geography course for six years. After connecting course goals with the current best practice literature on…

Students frequently struggle when scientific instruction seems divorced from personal experience, especially in the physical sub-disciplines, like climatology, where exercise books often present historical or abstracted case studies. In contrast I present a three-phase project involving student input on experimental design, data collection, and…

A field and laboratory exercise for an undergraduate geomorphology class is described that focuses on the beach. The project requires one day of fieldwork and two laboratory sessions. In the field, students measure water surface fluctuations (waves) with a pressure sensor, survey beach profiles, collect sediment samples, and observe the beach…

Appalachia's New River was labeled "the second oldest river in the world" during the 1970s as part of a campaign to save the river from being dammed. Despite the absence of geomorphic evidence, the promotion of the superlative age of the river was so successful that they mythical label became reality in the minds of the region's populace. The…