Teaching and Learning about Economics and Business Using Web GIS Tools

Routledge. Available from: Taylor & Francis, Ltd. 530 Walnut Street Suite 850, Philadelphia, PA 19106. Tel: 800-354-1420; Tel: 215-625-8900; Fax: 215-207-0050; Web site: http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals

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7

Economics Education; Geography; Business; Geographic Information Systems; Educational Technology; Technology Uses in Education; Internet; Teaching Methods; Maps

10.1080/19338341.2017.1336457

1933-8341

Teaching about economics and business has a long tradition in geography. Planning the optimal site for a business or service in a community; examining the demographics and behavior of a certain target market; studying supply chain management to build a specific product such as a mobile phone or a piece of furniture; and examining median income by neighborhood, state, or country are all inherently geographic problems and tasks. They all involve considerations of location, scale, and patterns over space and time. These geographic tasks can be understood and solved through the use of today's web-based maps, data, and tools. In the hands of geography educators and students, these maps, data, and tools can engage learners in central issues of economics and business using the geographic perspective in tandem with a problem-based approach. Web geographic information systems (GIS) provides the ability to examine the above issues from local to global scale, using any device, using only a web browser and an Internet connection. Exploring these topics with web mapping tools builds content knowledge, skills, and the geographic perspective; it also fosters numeric competencies and computer fluency. This article provides some practical resources and approaches to teach economics and business themes in geography.

ERIC

6

2017

EJ1150376