Geography Education Online
Lead Participant:
THE GEOGRAPHICAL ASSOCIATION
Abstract
COVID-19 is disrupting UK education in significant ways. The sudden shift to home learning creates unique challenges for geography teachers and students, since an integral part of the discipline involves fieldwork and first-hand investigation. Over the coming year, large numbers of GCSE and A level students will need to prepare for their qualifications and for further study in new and novel ways.
At times of change and uncertainty, teachers of geography have traditionally looked to their professional subject association, the Geographical Association, for support and leadership. The GA's Geography Education Online (GEO) project will extend support for geographical knowledge and understanding directly to young people. It will create a free, dedicated website, providing:
\* online guidance and tutoring for A level and GCSE geography students to conduct high-quality geography fieldwork safely, independently and in their own locality;
\* a 'virtual GA Branch' connecting university academics with geography students aged 14-19, enabling online lectures, engagement with up-to-date academic knowledge and dialogue between students and academics;
\* online material and activities for students preparing for further study;
\* an online forum, to connect students with their peers to discuss geographical ideas and research;
\* online and mobile quizzes and activities to build locational and spatial knowledge, as part of the foundation of geographical capability.
GEO will go live by the summer of 2020\. Over the following few months, GEO will grow to provide invaluable support to many of the 285,000 UK students, due to take geography examinations in 2021, whose experience of learning is being adversely affected by COVID-19\.
The project will be supported by Innovate UK, part of UK Research and Innovation, and will be delivered by the GA, the subject community for teachers of geography. The GA's purpose is to further geographical knowledge and understanding through education. Its journals, publications, professional events, website and local and online networks support teachers and share their ideas and practice. The GA represents the views of geography teachers and plays a leading role in public debate relating to geography and education.
---ADDITIONAL INFORMATION---
The GEO project extension, supported by Innovate UK, allows the GA to engage with schools to review and revise our ongoing offering in line with their feedback, following the successful launch of GEO in September 2020. During the project extension, GEO will add further high-quality content to its website, to cover more areas of the curriculum, and will increase the range of popular online lectures, tutorials and downloadable educational materials for students. By further developing the website functionality and reaching out directly to a student audience, the levels of engagement with GEO will also be significantly ramped up and prepare the way for GEO to become a self-sustaining service for the future.
At times of change and uncertainty, teachers of geography have traditionally looked to their professional subject association, the Geographical Association, for support and leadership. The GA's Geography Education Online (GEO) project will extend support for geographical knowledge and understanding directly to young people. It will create a free, dedicated website, providing:
\* online guidance and tutoring for A level and GCSE geography students to conduct high-quality geography fieldwork safely, independently and in their own locality;
\* a 'virtual GA Branch' connecting university academics with geography students aged 14-19, enabling online lectures, engagement with up-to-date academic knowledge and dialogue between students and academics;
\* online material and activities for students preparing for further study;
\* an online forum, to connect students with their peers to discuss geographical ideas and research;
\* online and mobile quizzes and activities to build locational and spatial knowledge, as part of the foundation of geographical capability.
GEO will go live by the summer of 2020\. Over the following few months, GEO will grow to provide invaluable support to many of the 285,000 UK students, due to take geography examinations in 2021, whose experience of learning is being adversely affected by COVID-19\.
The project will be supported by Innovate UK, part of UK Research and Innovation, and will be delivered by the GA, the subject community for teachers of geography. The GA's purpose is to further geographical knowledge and understanding through education. Its journals, publications, professional events, website and local and online networks support teachers and share their ideas and practice. The GA represents the views of geography teachers and plays a leading role in public debate relating to geography and education.
---ADDITIONAL INFORMATION---
The GEO project extension, supported by Innovate UK, allows the GA to engage with schools to review and revise our ongoing offering in line with their feedback, following the successful launch of GEO in September 2020. During the project extension, GEO will add further high-quality content to its website, to cover more areas of the curriculum, and will increase the range of popular online lectures, tutorials and downloadable educational materials for students. By further developing the website functionality and reaching out directly to a student audience, the levels of engagement with GEO will also be significantly ramped up and prepare the way for GEO to become a self-sustaining service for the future.
Lead Participant | Project Cost | Grant Offer |
|---|---|---|
| THE GEOGRAPHICAL ASSOCIATION | £70,944 | £ 70,944 |
People |
ORCID iD |
| Alex Forsyth (Project Manager) |