Using Paintings for Problem-solving and Teaching Physical Geography: Examples from a Course in Coastal Management

Abstract

courses is discussed to show their value in interpreting landscapes from the viewpoint of the physical sciences. Issues of realism and ways to distinguish evocative value from information value are evaluated. Paintings are used to (1) enliven lecture material, (2) test student knowledge and preconceptions, and (3) form the basis of term projects. Paintings reveal historic uses of coastal resources and changing cultural preferences and human values, and they reveal alterations that are of such small scale or local significance that they would be difficult to find in narrative accounts. Student projects evaluate landscape alterations revealed in works by the same artist or the artist's contemporaries or trace differences in alterations through time.Use of paintings in undergraduate

Localisation of the painter’s canvas: landscape paintings from the Iron Mountains (Czech Republic)

“…However, this is a map-based analysis where the relief surface is 'artificially' classified into several land use categories. Landscape paintings allow us to go beyond this perspective, and in combination with current photographs we can capture even minor changes that are difficult to find in other sources (Nordstrom & Jackson, 2001). Comparing the image of A. Chittusi's 'Drowned man pond' with the present situation (see main map, painting B), we find changes in the landscape structure, as in the mid-twentieth century the original mosaic of small fields and meadows held by peasants was converted to large-scale collective openfield agriculture as part of the transition to the Soviettype system of farming (Skaloš, Molnárová, & Kottová, 2012).…”

“…In the past, geosciences were positively inclined towards landscape painting, as can be seen in the mutual inspiration of art and geology in the second half of the nineteenth century (Wagner & Ruskin, 1988). This relationship was rather weakened with the rise of critical positivistic science, which was followed by a more intense and fruitful period leading up to recent decades, and which was reflected in the manner of education in geosciences (Nordstrom & Jackson, 2001;Pestrong, 1994;Romey, 2000).…”

“…(2) as forms of expression of the relationship between humans and nature; or (3) as determinants of our perception and understanding of the environment. Various applications of such approaches can be found in the studies of Prince (1988), Rees (1982), Smout (1996), Ewald (2001), Nordstrom and Jackson (2001), Lacina and Halas (2015), Bainbridge (2017), Lavery (2017) and Ray (2017). However, the issues of scale and purpose are very important.…”

Coğrafya Bölümü Öğrenci̇leri̇ni̇n Üç Boyutlu Görsel Materyal Geli̇şti̇rmeleri̇ne Yöneli̇k Deneyi̇mleri̇: Karabük Üni̇versi̇tesi̇ Örneği̇

“…Lisans düzeyinde Fiziki Coğrafya ve özellikle Jeomorfoloji öğretiminde materyal tasarımı, geliştirilmesi, kullanımının öğrenciler üzerine etkileri hakkında bazı araştırmalar mevcuttur. Nordstrom ve Jackson (2001) resimlerin; Ellis ve Rindfleisch (2006) laboratuar etkinliklerinin; Edsall ve Wentz (2007) bilgisayar animasyonlarının; Kemp, J. vd. (2011) internet ve mobil sunucular üzerinden ses kayıtlarının (podcasting); Reusser, L. J. vd.…”

Une géoclimatologie culturelle

“…L'objet d'étude analysé ici sera un corpus de peintures de paysage, objet déjà travaillé par les géographes non-climatologues (par exemple Piveteau, 1965, Wallach, 1997, Grison, 2002, Staszak, 2003et Courtot, 2012. Certains travaux de géomorphologues donnent également à la peinture de paysage une place de choix (Nordstrom et Jackson, 2001, thèse en cours d'Edwige Motte).…”