There is a growing body of work in geography and sociology on the impact of drones on warfare, surveillance and civil protest. This paper assesses the challenges of using drones for teaching human geography and spatial social sciences. Affordable and expensive drones are now available in the market place; however, there has been next to no…

This article explores some of the synergetic relationships between research and teaching which can help shape geography undergraduate students' understandings of research. Through the experience of investigating students' attitudes towards, and engagement with, satellite navigation technologies, it considers ways in which learning can be…

Research into virtual field trips (VFTs) started in the 1990s but, only recently, the maturing technology of devices and networks has made them viable options for educational settings. By considering an experiment, the learning benefits of logging the movement of students within a VFT are shown. The data are visualized by two techniques:…

Geographic information science (GIS) features a wide range of disciplines and has broad applicability. Challenges associated with rapidly developing GIS technology and the currently limited teaching and practice materials hinder universities from cultivating highly skilled GIS graduates. Based on the idea of "small core, big network," a…

Geography graduates face an uncertain future. To help students think and practice as a geographer, we must teach disciplinary knowledge--particularly threshold concepts--as well as skills and attributes. We must role model and articulate our geographical reasoning using signature pedagogies and promote high-impact and signature learning…

Although graduate programs typically prepare university students well for research activity, many have been less successful in educating for other aspects of academic careers. This article discusses Iain Hay's "Letter to a New University Teacher," which has been used internationally to help new lecturers beginning their career.…

There is strong evidence that all students can gain significant learning benefit when their courses include opportunities for engagement with real-world problems, beyond the walls of their higher education institution (HEI). Internationally, cross-disciplinary discussions are increasing around the value of student learning that involves community…

Within Australia most Departments of Geography have been merged with programmes in Environmental Studies or Earth Sciences, and have been cast as multidisciplinary contributors to the increasingly vocational concerns of universities. One outcome is that named Geography programmes for postgraduates are not growing in institutional prominence in…

This paper presents the results of an online survey administered to chairs of American departments of geography to ascertain current trends and perceived value of international faculty-led field courses within their departments. The majority of reporting chairs indicated increased field course offerings over the past decade most often resulting…

The dynamism of Environmental Management in the 21st century has predicted the need for students to emerge from tertiary programmes with a set of skills that are functional and more widely applicable in the contemporary workplace. To foster the development of such tools and skill sets, there has been an increasing trend amongst teaching…

This paper focuses on strategies for enhancing the preparation of geographers moving into academic careers. Based on research and experience gained from the Geography Faculty Development Alliance and Enhancing Departments and Graduate Education in geography projects, several suggestions for improved practice are detailed. These move beyond…

Much geographical scholarship on teaching and learning details the intellectual, technical and personal benefits stemming from residential field course offerings, reflecting characteristics of constructivist active learning. With the sustainability of these offerings in question given logistical and political issues, there is greater demand for…

Postgraduate education in geography, especially at the Master's level, is undergoing significant changes in the developed world. There is an expansion of vocationally oriented degree programmes, increasing recruitment of international students, integration of workplace skills, and the engagement of non-traditional postgraduate students as…

China is one of the largest countries in terms of geography student enrolment in higher education. This study draws on an extensive collection of data as well as the authors' own surveys of 20 geography schools/departments, to elaborate on the development features of China's geography in higher education (GHE) against its unique background since…

A web conference "adds value by generating discussion among a diverse student group" (Skinner, 2004a, p. 12). Or does it? A significant concern is the extent to which learners construct knowledge and develop a learning community through online discussion. Critics argue that genuine knowledge construction is difficult to achieve. This study…