“…we knew that the digital assignments we developed offered students a powerful approach to study history.”
This quotes explanation is fairly obvious based on how it reads. This article shares a central purpose with this course as a whole. While the subject of this piece is just one aspect of using digital tools to learn, In this case maps, it serves overall as a whole to showcase the diversity in which these tools are applicable. At a surface level maps, while apart of many fields ranging from math to history, are mostly used as additional information rather than the foundation of a medium in which they are the tool used. This article discusses how under the right circumstances using interactive maps can create a context in which other information can either be extracted or discovered. This context paints a more full picture of events or the setting of a given topic that allows for easier digestion of information by the student interacting with it. The idea behind it is that rather than just looking at a series of facts interacting with a map forces a deeper understanding due to associations created to a visual image. This connects to the theme of this week in that this is just one example of the many uses and effects that digital learning tools of all kinds can have on those who use or employ them.
“Looking at maps in textbooks or lectures is a fundamentally different experience from creating a map yourself…when I was making my first mapping project, I had to really wrestle with the map.“
This quote is direct from a student describing his view and option on his experience with a digital mapping tool. While this quote tackles and addresses the fundamental idea behind the article it does inspire some questions. It doesn’t directly address the exact scenario that this quote came from. I think it would’ve been an interesting addition to see specifically what assignment inspired this quote. With this said I feel like the reason why this quote raises this question is because the implications of what this student says is very powerful. The word “wrestle” Implies a relatively intense and focused interaction with the assignment which is ultimately the goal many.The idea it illustrates makes sense in a general way but I think that describing the exact scenario would have been good.
“Several students expressed that a spatial perspective on history revealed weaknesses in the secondary scholarship with which they worked. As they created their own maps, they noticed that the locations of cities, routes of movement, and natural features described in some scholarship simply did not add up.”
I just found this specific point to be very interesting. At its core it discusses how the need to address ideas in a spatial way requires multiple sources in order to obtain information about the different specific areas of the project. This cross referencing of sources leads to side by side analysis of them and ultimately reveals inconsistencies swell as consistencies between them all, ultimately leading to a more accurate understanding and depiction of the given subject. I found this interesting because while it would be easy to create an assignment where the requirement for a good grade is a mix of sources, it may actually be more effective to design a project where the cross referencing of sources is necessary in the context of the projects nature.
