Google Earth 應用於中學地理教育之研究

Abstract

摘 要 隨著地理課程內涵更迭演進，教學的重點應從讓學生熟練地理知識、技術，進而能夠運用地理知識、科技來解決實際問題；由熟練電腦操作為學習主體到能運用電腦資源解決生活問題，並將地理知識中的空間意涵藉由科技的協助獲得具體而深刻的理解。Google Earth 是Google搜尋引擎公司於2005年推出的網站，透過遙測衛星影像呈現世界各地的地表景觀，並提供多種展現功能，讓讀者可以輕易地以不同角度來瀏覽地景。此一網站在地理教學深具應用價值。 在此時機，本研究希冀利用Web GIS的特性建置教學應用網站，提供互動式教學輔助工具，了解教師實施新的教學方法，其成效與限制為何，並討論學生的使用滿意度與學習成效。本研究進行的教學實驗分為兩部份，第一部份以政大附中GIS的選修課程學生為研究對象，藉由網路科技的便利，以Google Earth為平台，每週兩小時的學習時間，不同於傳統平面的地理教學方法，讓學生自主學習操作與製作地理專題的過程，感知人和空間的互動，並藉由問卷分析比較本研究與傳統教學方法的學習滿意度差異；第二部份則以花蓮縣宜昌國中七年級共四個班級學生為研究對象，以區域地理中國部份為教學實驗單元，兩班為實驗組，另兩班為對照組，了解使用Web GIS(Google Earth軟體)教學與講述式教學對於學生學習成效的差異。 本研究發現數位課程網站可不斷的增加網站內容，資源共享並且可得到多方的檢證。建置網站過程發現以下幾點建議可供日後研究參考： 1. 網站內容可融合各種教科書版本，以核心概念為研發重點。 2. 可開闢專題式討論，配合地理實察。 3. 成立地理教師網路論壇，各方意見獲得交流。 4. 成立師生作品資料庫，累積成果。

學生學習滿意度的部份，由於學生平日皆有上網習慣，已經對網站另開視窗的編排方式習以為常，因此使用超連結的方式補充相關概念，反而讓學生覺得閱讀起來更方便，有疑義的部份馬上獲得理解。並且學生對於Google Earth其呈現的介面顯現高度興趣，因此加入 Web GIS為教學工具，學生普遍接受度都很高，但更深入的應用將會成為教師的另一新挑戰。學生學習成效部份，教學實驗以區域地理的中國為主，實驗組和對照組分別進行不同的教學方式，由學生試題答題的統計結果顯示，教師的確可以利用Web GIS此教學工具與方式，讓學生達到較佳的學習成效。 關鍵字：地理教育、網路教學、Google Earth

Abstract Following the continual development of the contents of the geography curriculum, the teaching emphasis has shifted from familiarizing the student with the knowledge and techniques of geography to enabling the student to be able to apply the knowledge and techniques to solve practical problems. The focus has also shifted from the main subject of learning how to operate the computer to using computer resources to solve issues in life. Therefore, with the assistance of technology, the student is able to obtain a more concrete and deeper understanding of the significance of geographical knowledge. Google Earth is a website that was launched by the Google Search Engine Company in 2005. It makes use of remote sensing satellite images to display the landscapes of various parts of the world, and it also provides various display functions, enabling the viewer to easily look at the landscapes from different perspectives. The website has very high application value in the field of geography education. The present study takes this opportunity to make use of the characteristics of Web GIS to construct a website for teaching applications, which will provide interactive supplementary teaching tools, and enable us to understand the effectiveness and limitations of the new teaching methods that are implemented by the teachers, and the study would further discuss the level of satisfaction and learning effectiveness of the students. The teaching experiments in the present study are divided into 2 sections. In the first section, the students in the GIS elective course of the Affiliated High School of the National Chengchi University are chosen as the target of the research. Based on the convenience of online technology, and using Google Earth as the platform, there are two hours of learning time each week. The method is different from the traditional two-dimensional geography teaching method, and the students are allowed to independently learn the process of handling and coming up with themes related to geography, and thereby appreciate the interaction between man and the space around him. In addition, a questionnaire is used to evaluate the difference in satisfaction between the teaching method introduced in the present research and the traditional teaching method. In the second section, four classes of students from the 7th grade in Yi-Chang Junior High School of Hualien County are chosen as the target of the research. Using the regional geography of China as the teaching unit in the experiment, 2 classes form the experimental groups, while another 2 classes form the control groups, and the experiment seeks to find out the difference in the learning effectiveness of the students using Web GIS (Google Earth software) as the teaching method and using the lecturing method. The present study discovered that the web contents for the digital course website can be continually added, resources can be shared, and can receive certification from various parties. In the process of constructing the website, we would highlight the following points for future reference: 1. The contents of the website can integrate the various editions of the textbooks, and adopt the core concepts as key development areas. 2. Develop thematic discussions, in order to coordinate with the geography fieldwork. 3. Establish an online forum for teachers, in order to facilitate an exchange of ideas among the various parties. 4. Establish a database of teacher-student works, and accumulate the results. For the section of the level of learning satisfaction of the students, due to the fact that the students already have a habit of going online everyday, and are already used to seeing an arrangement of multiple windows that are opened on their screens, it is therefore possible to use the method of hyperlinks to supplement relevant concepts, and it could enable the students feel more convenient about reading the concepts, and immediately get an explanation for areas of doubts. Furthermore the students are highly interested in the interface that is presented by Google Earth, and therefore the incorporation of Web GIs as a teaching tool has been well received by the students. However, deeper applications will present another challenge for the teachers. However, deeper applications will present another challenge for the teachers. For the section of the level of learning effectiveness of the students, the teaching experiments adopted the regional geography of China as the main topic, and different teaching methods are carried out with the experimental groups and the control groups. The consolidated results of question-and-answer tests for the students show that teachers can indeed make use of the Web GIS teaching tools and methods to enable the students to attain a higher level of learning effectiveness. Key words: geography education, online education, Google Earth, digital learning