Can young children use maps to navigate?

Freundschuh, Scott M.

doi:10.3138/483m-2n11-t168-7436

Cited by 20 publications

(14 citation statements)

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“…Studies of way nding and navigation abilities of pre-literate children have shown that by the age of 4, young children can kind their ways around familiar neighbourhoods and interpret some aspects of maps and aerial photographs (Hazen et al 1978, Spencer and Blades 1985, Freundschuh 1990, Blaut 1997, Blades et al 1998 ). However, we know of no literature on other aspects of geographical concepts that young children have mastered, especially the development of geospatial object concepts.…”

Section: T He Primary Theory Of the Geographical Domainmentioning

confidence: 96%

Geographical categories: an ontological investigation

Smith¹,

Mark²

2001

International Journal of Geographical Information Science

231

120

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This paper reports the results of a series of experiments designed to establish how non-expert subjects conceptualize geospatial phenomena. Subjects were asked to give examples of geographical categories in response to a series of diOE erently phrased elicitations. The results yield an ontology of geographical categories-a catalogue of the prime geospatial concepts and categories shared in common by human subjects independently of their exposure to scienti c geography. When combined with nouns such as feature and object, the adjective geographic elicited almost exclusively elements of the physical environment of geographical scale or size, such as mountain, lake, and river. The phrase things that could be portrayed on a map, on the other hand, produced many geographical scale artefacts (roads, cities, etc.) and at objects (states, countries, etc.), as well as some physical feature types. These data reveal considerable mismatch as between the meanings assigned to the terms 'geography' and 'geographic' by scienti c geographers and by ordinary subjects, so that scienti c geographers are not in fact studying geographical phenomena as such phenomena are conceptualized by na¨ve subjects. The data suggest, rather, a special role in determining the subject-matter of scienti c geography for the concept of what can be portrayed on a map. This work has implications for work on usability and interoperability in geographical information science, and it throws light also on subtle and hitherto unexplored ways in which ontological terms such as 'object', 'entity', and 'feature' interact with geographical concepts.

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Section: T He Primary Theory Of the Geographical Domainmentioning

confidence: 96%

Geographical categories: an ontological investigation

Smith¹,

Mark²

2001

International Journal of Geographical Information Science

231

120

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

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“…According to the findings of many researchers (Bartz, 1970;Freundschuh, 1990;1981, 1993Matthews, 1984aMatthews, , b, 1992Rushdoony, 1969;Stimpson, 1987;Spencer et al, 1989;Walker, 1980;Wilson, 1980) children demonstrate the ability to conceptualise information from maps at quite an early age. Some studies reveal the difficulties faced by young children from seven to 12 years in of conceptualising map-related knowledge, though there is also evidence that it develops and progresses with age (Dale, 1971;Liben & Downs, 1989;Satterly, 1964;Tierney, 1985).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 95%

Pre-teenage Children's Vernacular Perception and Experience of Maps in Hong Kong

Kwan¹

1999

International Research in Geographical and Environmental Educat

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This paper reports a questionnaire study conducted with a group of 87 pre-teenage children (age 11-12 years) in Hong Kong to show their vernacular perception and experience of maps before they began formal mapwork learning in their first year of secondary education. This study reveals major findings that these pre-teenage children see the main purpose of using maps is to find unfamiliar places and to locate them in most everyday situations. As a result, they like to deal with practical, real maps such as street maps and the MTR (Mass Transit Railway) transport maps where the abovementioned practical map purpose can be achieved. Most of these pre-teenage children are aware of maps available in their surroundings. However, they may not be observant enough to notice or pay attention to reading them carefully. It is rather a matter of map awareness that puts these pre-teenage children into the two broad groups of map and non-map-users. It also revealed that even those pre-teenage children who claimed to be non-map-users demonstrated some intuitive superficial understanding of simple map concepts and elements. Teachers are strongly encouraged to tap into the intuitions and experiences possessed by pre-teenage children in order to develop their map interest further in geography lessons and to make the understanding of maps a practical life skill for them to master.

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“…Children from four to six years o f age are able t o comprehend aerial photographs (Blaut and Stea 1971;replicated by Spencer, Harrison, and Darvizeh 1980), recognize symbols on maps (Blades and Spencer 1987a), retain information about the angle and direction of mapped o bjects (Blades and Spencer 1989;Landau 1986), and understand the relations between world space and map space (Ottosson 1988). Con-trary to Piagetian doctrine, six-year old children are able to use simple maps to navigate obstacle courses (Freundschuh 1990). As Wood (1984) suggests, the cultural schema for map interpretation and use may b e learned prior to the start of formal schooling.…”

Section: General Map Knowledgementioning

confidence: 99%