Concept of Space – Module 1

Introduction: Aim of the Module
The aim of this module is to provide the learner with a comprehensive engagement with absolute and relative spatial concepts and representations. Related to the mature appropriation of space, which is one of the main cornerstones of the SPACIT approach, this module focuses on the awareness of relational spatial conceptions and its consequences for societal power relations and (social) action within the physical environment. Relative concepts of space involve the social construction of spaces by the attachment of meaning to physical matter. Following the Spatial Thinking approach (NRC 2006) physical space is referred to with absolute concepts of space, tools of representation and processes of reasoning.
The Learner will understand the connection between citizenship, space and society.

 Learning Outcomes

 This module allows teachers to:

• review how spaces are created
• understand how action & communication shape spaces
• learn that spaces can be contested
• get to know how GM contribute to the creation of space

Download – Module 1 Unit 1.1 Unit 1.2 Unit 1.3

GM Technology & Methodology – Module 2

The aim of this module is to enable the learners to make creative and meaningful use of Web 2.0-based digital geo-media (GM) as powerful instruments of everyday social action. Therefore, related to the domain of Geographic Information Science & Technology, this module provides basic technical as well as methodological knowledge and skills necessary for the mature handling of geo-spatial data in the form of GM information processing. This concerns the consumption, production and prosumption of GM, the analysis carried out using GM as well as aspects of technical communication mainly in the form of social networking.

After completing this Unit, the trainees should be able to support their own students to:

• Recognise and illustrate the digital earth concept and its tools
• Explain the conceptual foundations of the GIScience and Technology Domain (GIS&T), especially those of geographic information (i.e. space, time, relationships between space and time and their properties) and the elements of geographic information (i.e. discrete entities, events and processes, and fields in space in time)
• Apply the fundamental principles of cartography and visualisation related to data consideration (i.e. source materials for mapping, and data abstraction: classification, selection, and generalization), map design (i.e. map design fundamentals, symbolization, colour, typography), and map use and evaluation (e.g. reading, interpretation, analysis, evaluation of maps, impact of uncertainty)
• Compare and contrast the potential of different GM for expressing spatially intended ideas, opinions and visions.
• Debate ways of maintaining and building own geo-information knowledge and skills in the sense of lifelong learning

Learning Outcomes

By the end of this module, the following learning outcomes will have been addressed:

Consumption

• Identify sources of public geo-information, e.g. open data on (web-)GIS applications, PPGIS, geo-data browsers, databases, metadata catalogues
• Exemplify different types of GM in daily life and in society
• Use different types of GM in daily life to retrieve knowledge and information
• Find one’s place and identify a destination while reading, orientating and navigating with online maps, virtual globes as well as (web-)GIS applications
• Handle general directional and topographic orientation, move across scales, control perspectives and swap themes

Analysis

• Execute basic analytical operations which are commonly applied to solve a broad range of spatial problems and to perform GIS-based spatial data analysis, i.e. attribute and spatial query operations, buffers, overlays, geometric measures like distance and lengths, direction, shape, area, and proximity
• Apply and organise the various GM tools’ functionality appropriately to answer simple questions and fulfill single-step analytical tasks related to spatial phenomena
• Evaluate the results of an analytical task carried out

Prosumption

• Modify data selection and visualisation as part of the options within collaborative GM environments
• Set up and change feature labels as well as markings and ratings of places or features of interest within collaborative GM environments
• Create comments on alternative spatial scenarios within collaborative GM environments

Production

• Demonstrate how to acquire, manage, and present geographic information, i.e. map drawing, handling geo-data within GI-based systems
• Carry out basic data capture in daily life using mobile devices (e.g. GPS- or Wi-Fi-based) or map drawing online tools
• Contribute one’s own geo-data like GPS-recorded tracks, geo-coded photographs or draft proposal maps within collaborative GM environments

Download – Module 2 Unit 2.1 Unit 2.2 Unit 2.3

Concepts of Citizenship Education – Module 3

Introduction: Aim of the Module

The aim of the module Concepts of Citizenship Education is to introduce the learner to the ideas that are essential to understand the pivotal values for Spatial Citizenship, i.e. democratic principles and fundamental human rights.

The Concepts of Citizenship Education module pays special attention to the role of fluent institutions and (new media) communities as well as power relations in society. The learner will be acquainted with the knowledge, skills and abilities necessary for (spatial) participation and decision making in society against the background of considering societal rules as fundamentally negotiable.

This module consists of three units:

• Introduction to Citizenship Education
• Participation and Spatial Action
• Negotiation and Decision-Making with Geo-media

Learning Outcomes

By the end of this module, the following learning outcomes will have been addressed:

Meta-level

• Exemplify that societal rules are fundamentally negotiable
• Discuss her/his own role as emancipated citizen, willing to advocate one’s own and collective interests
• Rethink societal rules against the background of alternative ones
• Show how to challenge dominant discourses while sharing alternative perspectives and opinions in the role as emancipated citizens
• Express her/his own world views in the sense of democratically negotiated interests for participation through various types of geomedia (GM) available
• Apply principles of SPACIT to life world environments and spatial problems on the local, regional, national and global scale

Concepts of citizenship

Values and attitudes

• Recall democratic principles and fundamental human rights (FK 1)
• Practice democracy and human rights as fundamental principle of living together
• Apply democratic principles and human rights as basis of negotiation and construction of space

Information

• Exemplify new ways of communication and discourse production through the Web 2.0
• Apply new ways of getting information through the Web 2.0
• Debate the relation between discourses and societal rules
• Question dominant societal rules and discourses or accept them maturely/consciously
• Share alternative discourses with others, also within online environments

Participation

• Debate the own role as empowered citizen/ actualized citizen
• Discuss the importance of GM for participation in the context of the Web 2.0
• Contribute ideas and opinions in decision making processes through collaboration using digital GM
• Use possibilities of current digital GM to express, discuss, and negotiate ideas and opinions with others
• Make decisions for and against certain spatial constructions while being aware of their consequences

Institutional/ membership

• Contrast the characteristics of spatial versus social communities
• Compare and contrast the role of different stakeholders regarding the construction of space and the construction of dominant discourses
• Debate the importance of fluent communities (e.g. on the web) as areas of participation
• Question institutional rules and dominancy
• Illustrate the role and power of political institutions for the construction of space
• Navigate in fluent communities, and communicate with political institutions

Download – Module 3 Unit 3.1 Unit 3.2 Unit 3.3

GM Communication & Reflection – Module 4

The aim of this module is to introduce the opportunities and challenges of how to express, communicate and critically interpret (alternative) spatial visions and constructions within digital geo-media (GM). On the one hand, this involves the creation of our own spatial representations, as regards content, with the help of different GM like maps, texts, photographs etc., primarily based on the tradition of counter mapping. On the other hand, this module supports reflection on the consumption of GM and its influence on one’s own everyday actions and those of other people. Therefore, traditional map reading skills will be adjusted in order to create awareness of: (a) the translation between social and absolute space; (b) geo-media as social constructions with limited representation of the world that need to be deconstructed and whose meaning has to be reflected critically in order to extend insights and perspectives; (c) the user, who needs to be reflexive towards her/his own GM consumption by being conscious of her/his own hypothesis construction.

Each unit is designed in order to understand, practice and reflect on the application of spatial representations within GM in everyday life, as well as to learn to think in alternatives of spatial constructions. Depending on the existing individual knowledge and competences within the field of “Geo-media Communication and Reflection”, the learner is free to select the number of units to work through. If all learning units are selected in this module, a consecutive process is recommended.

Learning Outcomes

This module allows teachers to…

• Review and experience geo-media as powerful communication instruments
• Explain why civic practices require the traditional skills of reading, writing and speaking, but also digital literacy and competent use of the Internet, i.e. digital competence
• Compare and contrast ways to express constructions of meanings and alternative, non-mainstream spatial scenarios convincingly
• Explore strategies how to question and critically reflect on the use of geo-media
• Learn about applications of communication strategies with geo-media in society
• Do exercises in argumentation, interaction, mediation, and negotiation with geo-media
• Debate the consequences of geoinformation technology applications for everyday practices
• Demonstrate how to share ideas and meanings with the intention that others adopt them
• Reveal the construction process of GM (i.e. deconstruction)
• Identify real-world situations and develop strategies to apply GM communication and reflection in teaching

Download – Module 4 Unit 4.1 Unit 4.2 Unit 4.3