The massive open online course (MOOC) is a new approach for teaching online. MOOCs stand apart from traditional online classes in that they support thousands of learners through content and assessment mechanisms that can scale. A reason for their size is that MOOCs are free for anyone to take. Here we describe the design, development, and teaching…

We take a fresh look at geography curricula and their appropriateness to the demands of the 21st century. We reflect on the purpose, content and relevance of undergraduate geography curricula in an age of "supercomplexity". Geography curricula, by their nature, are varied and multiple, with different countries often privileging different types of…

How can we find ways of training PhD students in academic practices, while reflexively analysing how academic practices are performed? The paper's answer to this question is based on evaluations from a British-Nordic master class. The paper discusses how master classes can be used to train the discursive skills required for academic discussion,…

Narrative inquiry is an innovative means of encouraging students to internalize concepts, reflect on experiences or create applications for theoretical ideas. The use of first-person creative writing in a second-year cultural geography course prompted initial scepticism from students but eventually highlighted their constructivist engagement with…

This article discusses attempts to revive gender in the context of the geography curriculum at the University of Groningen in the Netherlands. The reluctance of Dutch geography/-ers to embrace gender geography is related to the way in which the discipline has been understood and practised in the past and by whom as well as to the neglect of gender…

Teaching economic geography is not a matter of replicating textbook models. It requires engagement with the ever-changing global economy, which often puts the lie to existing theory. It demands that the teacher break down the economy into its major parts, in a way that students can grasp. This does not mean abandoning theory; on the contrary, it…

Describes what is meant by border pedagogy stating that it focuses on the politics of difference, a central part of human geographical research. Discusses how this pedagogy and an alternative classroom culture were used when teaching a multicultural historical geography course, "Histories and Cultures of the Transatlantic." (CMK)

Discusses the value of communications skills in geographical education. Describes the use of realistic interviews that were a part of small-group project work. Explains that students wrote job specifications, a curriculum vitae, a cover letter, and conducted interview panels. (CMK)

Describes a workshop designed to communicate to students the idea of appropriate technology in soil conservation enabling them to experience concepts in the geography of development. Explains that the workshop was evaluated by students using open and closed style questions. Includes references. (CMK)

Describes the course unit, "Global Environmental Crises," that encompasses four environmental issues and involves a variety of information technology (IT) based components. Discusses the five rationales for the development of this course, summarizes formative and summative evaluations, and analyses the implications of this unit. (CMK)

Describes and evaluates whether students could be more motivated to learn, acquire more skills, and exhibit higher course satisfaction by assessing students in two sections of a weather and climate course where only one section used real-time weather data. Reveals that inclusion of the real-time weather data positively affected learning and…

Introduces the symposium, "International Perspectives on Learning and Teaching in Geography in Higher Education," presented in this journal issue. Discusses the background on how this symposium was created and highlights each of the papers included. (CMK)

Considers the context of internationalism for the enhancement of fieldwork practices. Discusses whether fieldcourses are valuable experiences. Addresses specific issues affecting internationalisation of fieldcourses, such as financial considerations, sharing courses (staff and resources), overseas fieldtrips and expeditions, safety, and student…

Discusses the design development, and use of a multimedia classroom for the instruction of undergraduate courses in Geographic Information Systems (GIS) at the University of Waterloo (Ontario, Canada). Addresses issues involved in using multimedia technologies for GIS instruction, outlining how the room is used for live computer-based…

Argues that fieldwork develops student understanding of various concerns in social and cultural geography. Recommends using a new approach that focuses on the role of fieldwork in the research process and illustrates this approach by describing an account of a residential field class to Los Angeles (California) and Las Vegas (Nevada). (CMK)