Geography in a Digital Age: It’s Not Just for

Social Studies Any More!

Geography in a Digital Age: It’s Not Just for

Social Studies Any More!

Brian Housand East Carolina Universitybrianhousand@gmail.com

http://brianhousand.googlepages.com

Brian Housand East Carolina Universitybrianhousand@gmail.com

http://brianhousand.googlepages.com

“Despite the daily bombardment of news from the Middle East, Central Asia, and other world trouble spots, roughly 85 percent of young Americans could not find Afghanistan, Iraq, or Israel on a map.”

http://geosurvey.nationalgeographic.com/geosurvey2002/highlights.html

“Despite the daily bombardment of news from the Middle East, Central Asia, and other world trouble spots, roughly 85 percent of young Americans could not find Afghanistan, Iraq, or Israel on a map.”

http://geosurvey.nationalgeographic.com/geosurvey2002/highlights.html

Americans ages 18 to 24 came in next to last among nine countries in the National Geographic-Roper 2002 Global Geographic Literacy Survey, which quizzed more than 3,000 young adults in Canada, France, Germany, Great Britain, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Sweden, and the United States. Top scorers were young adults in Sweden, Germany, and Italy.

Americans ages 18 to 24 came in next to last among nine countries in the National Geographic-Roper 2002 Global Geographic Literacy Survey, which quizzed more than 3,000 young adults in Canada, France, Germany, Great Britain, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Sweden, and the United States. Top scorers were young adults in Sweden, Germany, and Italy.

Among young Americans’ startling knowledge gaps, the study found that

nearly 30 percent of those surveyed could not find the Pacific Ocean, the world’s largest body of water

more than half—56 percent—were unable to locate India, home to 17 percent of people on Earth

Among young Americans’ startling knowledge gaps, the study found that

nearly 30 percent of those surveyed could not find the Pacific Ocean, the world’s largest body of water

more than half—56 percent—were unable to locate India, home to 17 percent of people on Earth

Only 37% of young Americans can find Iraq on a map—though U.S. troops have been there since 2003.Even when quizzed via a multiple choice format, 18% know Mandarin Chinese is the most widely spoken native language in the world; 74% say it is Englishhttp://geosurvey.nationalgeographic.com/roper2006/findings.html

These results suggest that young people in the United States—the most recent graduates of our educational system—are unprepared for an increasingly global future. Far too many lack even the most basic skills for navigating the international economy or understanding the relationships among people and places that provide critical context for world events.

http://geosurvey.nationalgeographic.com/roper2006/findings.html

Several perhaps interrelated factors affected performance—educational experience (including taking a geography course), international travel and language skills, a varied diet of news sources, and Internet use. Americans who reported that they accessed the Internet within the last 30 days scored 65 percent higher than those who did not.

http://geosurvey.nationalgeographic.com/roper2006/findings.html

3.4Average Correct43Ohio50New York52Mississippi63Nevada67Louisiana92Texas92California

% able to IdentifyState

Young adults who have taken a course dedicated to geography in middle or high school are more likely that those who haven’t to say they know “more” than others about geography (34% vs. 22%), and they tend to go online more often (86% vs. 75%).

What do I do?

On a positive note, however, young Americans have access to a potentially important tool for improving geographic knowledge and understanding:

the Internet.

tinyurl.com/brianhousand