What is embodiment?

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Understanding, and Improving, How Children Use
Maps Kim A. Kastens Lamont-Doherty Earth
Observatory of Columbia University Teachers
College 19 September 2005
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from Kastens, K. A., Bonatti, E., Caress, D.,
Carrara, G., Dauteuil, O., Frueh-Green, G., Ligi,
M. and Tartarotti, P., 2000. The Vema Transverse
Ridge (Central Atlantic). Marine Geophysical
Research.
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Knowing how to use a map is important for many
jobs and careers.
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Knowing how to use a map is important for
everyone who wants to be able to travel to new
places.
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But for many people, including many adults, using
a map to figure out where they are is very
hard. Why is this so hard? And what can we
do to help people learn this skill?
Cartoon from http//www.toothpastefordinner.com
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Todays talk

• Where are We? software curriculum
• Generalized case translation from reality to
  representation
• Curriculum analysis whats not being taught
• Field-based map skills project what errors do
  children make with maps?

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A Tool for Understanding and Improving how
Children Learn to Use Maps
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Generalization a powerful use of learning
technology
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Representation on paper (or screen)
Information received with senses
Translation
Map-using is one case of a broader class of
skills that involve translating from some
perceived aspect of reality to a paper
representation.
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Heard music Musical notation
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Perceived situation Mathematical
representation
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Technologys Roles set up numerous occasions
where translation is required, numerous occasions
to learn by trying. Monitor and evaluate
learners tries. Provide feedback about quality
of the learners tries. Provide hints and
suggestions when requested or needed.
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Curriculum AnalysisWhat is and is not being
taught in elementary schools with respect to
map skills?
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Frontispiece from Geography for Life The
National Geography Standards Whats wrong with
this picture?
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Frontispiece from Geography for Life The
National Geography Standards Whats wrong with
this picture?
There is no school or classroom or teacher in
this picture!
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Method for studying childrens understanding of
spatial representation of place (after Liben,
1997)
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ProductionMethod
(after Frazee and Guardia, 1994)
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Method for studying childrens understanding of
spatial representation of place (after Liben,
1997)
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Comprehension Method
Line Orienteering
Line Orienteering
The student must follow a line drawn on her map.
The location of the markers is not shown on the
map, but if the line is followed correctly, the
student will successfully intercept them. The
markers may be small collectible items which the
student can gather as she follows the line on the
map, or the markers can present pieces of
information which must be combined in a certain
way to solve a puzzle or riddle.
(after Garrett, 1996)
(after Garrett, 1996)
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Method for studying childrens understanding of
spatial representation of place (after Liben,
1997)
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Representational Correspondencemethod(words-map
)
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Method for studying childrens understanding of
spatial representation of place (after Liben,
1997)
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Number of student products in each
categoryThe vast majority of activities in
elementary school map skills materials are of one
type Representational Correspondence
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Representational correspondence exercises are
necessary but not sufficient to learn to use a
map .. because they lack the crucial
connection with reality, the represented space.
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Field-based investigations of childrens map
skills
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The Baseline Group
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The Baseline Group
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The Baseline Group
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The Baseline Group
Put the blue sticker on the map to show where
you think the blue flag is located.
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The Baseline Group
Put the blue sticker on the map to show where
you think the blue flag is located.
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2001-2002 and 2002-2003 classes (now 6th 7th
graders) The Baseline Group
The Baseline Group
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Category 1 Error Sticker is centered on a map
object that resembles sticker in shape and size
Type 1 Error
Correct Answer
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Category 2 Error Sticker is placed on symbol for
grass, trees, or bushes not on or adjacent to
any built object
Type 2 Error
Correct Answer
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Category 3b Error Sticker should have been
adjacent to a road or path placed instead on or
adjacent to a structure
Correct Answer
Type 3b Error
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Category 4a Error Sticker should have been on
structure placed on or adjacent to the wrong
structure
Correct Answer
Type 4a Error
Type 4a Error
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Category 5a Error Sticker should be on
structure placed on correct structure but
outside of correct ring
Type 5a Errors
Correct Answers
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Category 5b Error Sticker should be adjacent to
a road or path placed on correct path or road
segment, but outside the correct ring
Correct Answer
5b Errors
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2001-2002 and 2002-2003 classes (now 6th 7th
graders) The Baseline Group
The Baseline Group
Correct location is on a wall.
Student stickers on the wrong building.
Student sticker on the grass.
Student sticker on trees or shrubs.
Good student stickers.
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2001-2002 and 2002-2003 classes (now 6th 7th
graders) The Baseline Group
The Baseline Group
Result 1 Without instruction, many 4th graders
(and some adults) find it difficult to accurately
locate a real-world object onto a map.
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The Explaining Group
Same as Baseline
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The Explaining Group
Same as Baseline
Different
After you put one of the stickers on the map,
write down what clues you used to decide where to
put the sticker
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The Explaining Group
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The Explaining Group
Result 2 Children who explained their
reasoning did better than those who did not.
Baseline
Explaining
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Result 3 Among the explaining students, we
see the explanation are accurate descriptions
of reality, there are many explanations that
are insufficient to pinpoint the sticker,
there are many sticker placements that are wrong,
but wrong in a way that is consistent with the
corresponding explanation.
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Working hypothesis the hard part about using a
map in the real world lies in gathering the
relevant information from the environment.
Difficult Not so difficult
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The Verbal Description Group
Same as Baseline and Explaining
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The Verbal Description Group
Same as Baseline and Explaining
Different
Verbal description read aloud in the classroom.
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2004-2005 class (now 4th graders) The Verbal
Description Group

• Verbal description
• The orange sticker is on the mansion.
• Its on a corner of the mansion.
• Its on the corner closest to the path that
  leads to the pond.

Exactly sufficient information, No more, no less.
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Result 4 The children who acquired information
about the sticker position from a verbal
description placed the stickers very accurately
onto the map.
Baseline
Verbal Description
Explaining
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This supports our working hypothesis the map
itself is not that hard for children to work
with the hard part is identifying, gathering,
and combining the relevant information from the
environment.
Difficult Not so difficult
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Representational Correspondencemethod Being
able to translate from words to map and vice
versa doesntmean a child can use a map
competently within the represented space.
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Recap

• Where are We? curriculum software are
  designed to help children learn to translate
  from reality to map and vice versa.
• Translating from perceived reality to a
  representation and vice versa is a powerful
  application of instructional technology.
• Most map-skills curriculum materials
  under-emphasize making connections between maps
  and real world
• Many children have difficulty locating themselves
  or a real world object on a realistically-complex
  map.
• Metacognition improves childrens performance on
  a real world map-skills task.
• The difficulty in map use lies in gathering
  task-relevant information from the represented
  space, not in positioning information from ones
  mental model onto the map.
• Ability to translate from a verbal representation
  to a map does not mean the child can use a map in
  the real world.

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