EFFECTS OF GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SYSTEM (GIS) MAP LAYERS ON MENTAL MODELS OF CAUSALITY AND COMPUTER-BASED INQUIRY IN 7TH GRADE SCIENTISTS

The goal of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) in education, specifically whether providing visualization of system components in Geographic Information System (GIS) map layers encourages understanding that more than one factor can contribute to the same outcome (additive effect mental model), leading to an understanding of the need to hold variables of a system constant in inquiry.

Participants were 103 7th and 8th grade students in science classes at a public urban middle school. All students interacted with the Flood Predictor software, a multimedia program, created with the Macromedia Director authoring tool, which supports the investigation of causal relationships in the domain of elementary hydrology. Students are placed in the role of a builder working for a construction company, and assigned the job of determining how high to build stilts under houses near a group of lakes. Employees are informed that, to avoid flood damage and minimize expenditure on unnecessary materials, they must determine which factors in the region will cause flooding and which will not. To do this, they compare records of sites with unique combinations of features and predict how high flooding will rise.

A basic Geographic Information System (GIS) presenting environmental system components in map layers in a different domain, was demonstrated to two of the four middle school classes before using the inquiry program, to stimulate development of a mental model of additive effects.

Results suggest providing Geographic Information stimulates development of mental models of additive effect, inducing better inquiry strategies, more accurate prediction and better knowledge acquisition. Those students given the GIS Demonstration had more developed mental models of additive effects and greater prediction accuracy. GIS groups made more controlled comparisons, holding all but variables of interest constant in inquiry, and GIS groups had more correct theories after making inquiries, than No GIS groups. More students in GIS groups than No GIS groups identified the controlled comparison, holding all but factors of interest constant, as the best strategy for determining causality.