The development and evaluation of a computer-based resource for use in geography teaching in the secondary school.

Abstract

The emergence of the Microelectronics in Education Programme led to the funding of a number of computer- related curriculum development projects in England and Wales. This thesis describes one such project in detailing the development and evaluation of a microcomputer system for use as an aid for teaching and learning geography in the secondary school. The research is approached in three stages. The first stage evaluates the current situation of computer assisted learning in geography in terms of both hardware and software. This leads to the identification of a need for an interactive spatial database system that can enrich the teaching of geography and the fostering of geographical concepts. In the second stage, a database system is developed with due regard to both technical and educational considerations. As a result of this stage, a prototype system is implemented together with substantial documentation. A final consolidation stage considers the methods of evaluation in computer assisted learning and suggests ways in which the performance of microcomputer-based resources, and the responses of teachers and pupils to the introduction of such resources, might be analysed. The techniques of evaluation are then applied to the spatial database system, and the results are discussed in terms of the system's efficiency and its validity and effectiveness as a teaching aid and as a learning tool.

Date of Award	1985
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	University of Bath