GIS Maps as Powerful Curriculum Artefacts

Abstract. Maps have always been central to high quality geography education. Recent developments in web GIS have opened up new potential for teachers using GIS maps as powerful curriculum artefacts. Curriculum artefacts are resources that have signature meaning for teaching and learning. This paper argues that the use of GIS maps as curriculum artefacts can significantly enhance geography teaching and learning in schools. To illustrate this line of argument, a GIS curriculum artefact constructed in ESRI ArcGIS Online is critically evaluated using Maude’s typology of powerful geography knowledge as an analytical framework. The analysis identifies a number of educational benefits of using GIS maps as curriculum artefacts in school geography via a GeoCapabilities approach. The paper concludes with recommendations for the future geography curriculum development with GIS map artefacts in schools.