Teaching Beyond the Curriculum
Abstract
The quality of map presentations is determined by the completeness of map content, accuracy, readability, and comprehensibility. This is significant knowledge taught in applied university cartography curriculums. However, the critical examination of these factors and their influence on people’s spatial perception or the visibility of certain groups has not been considered. Our discussion centers on developing core competencies for Geoinformatics Bachelor’s program in cartography and webGIS, utilizing spatial theory (the social construction of space), and promoting self-reflection (students’ perceptions and positioning). This is a discussion to provide students with essential knowledge in cartography (e.g. classification, attribution) and WebGIS (e.g. web technologies). We argue that exercises for clear geographic data display, should take into account social positioning and diverse group knowledge and experiences to allow students to investigate urban spaces and usage conflicts (e.g. pedestrian zones and car oriented planning). Subsequently, they analyze their findings through cartographic generalization using well-established WebGIS applications like Google Maps, OpenStreetMap, or urban GIS-Portals. The primary focus lies in determining which conflicts are replicated in online mapping products and which ones remain concealed. In the final stage, students are required to construct internet-based maps inspired from personal encounters, linking them to educational topics and emphasizing particular locations and disputes from their previous learnings. The aim is to explore how one’s own position and alternative points of view have an impact on new interpretations of spatial perception and consequent cartographic representations.
Kevin Kaminski is a research assistant at the Geoinformatics and Geodesy Institute for Spatial Information and Measurement Technology within the Department of Technology. With a master’s degree in human geography, his research interests lie in exploring the intersection of social science and technology. He is currently working on the funded Rafviniert project, which focuses on rural spaces and infrastructure provision, and teaches an introductory course in geoinformatics. In addition, he is working on his dissertation on participation at the University Graz, Austria.
Markus Schaffert is a teacher and senior researcher at Mainz University of Applied Sciences. His research focuses on the application of geospatial information to support sustainable spatial transformation, e.g. in the areas of “Demographic Change”, “Rural Digitalisation” and “Transdisciplinary Research”. He obtained his diploma in Geography from Ruprecht-Karls-Universität Heidelberg in 2004, followed by the completion of his Ph.D. in 2011 at Technische Universität Darmstadt, focusing on the integration of scenario planning and geospatial information. In 2019, he was promoted to the position of a full professor in Geospatial Informatics at Mainz University of Applied Sciences.