UW Geography Learning Objectives
describe the assumptions underlying the key components of a geographic perspective: context, scale, spatial distribution
describe the causes and implications of spatial variability (for example, in housing, law enforcement, immigrant incorporation into US society, regional economic growth, etc.)
analyze the social and economic causes and implications of spatial interaction & movement patterns
apply the concept of scale to analyze the ways in which localized, regional, national, and global processes interact
think relationally about such key intertwined concepts as community and economy, society and environment, and citizenship and globalization
seek relationships among historical development, economic development, & globalization
apply the concept of sustainability to regional economy, health, and well-being
analyze patterns of economic and social inequality in terms of geographical location, historical development, power structures, global capital flows, race, class, and gender
pose important geographic research questions, appreciate what makes those questions important, and design reasonable research approaches to them
Keywords
* sustainability
* globalization
* well-being
* inequality
* citizenship
* representation
* movement
* scale
Common thematic threads emerging from surveys of current majors
* social differences
* spatial interactions
* power relationships
* scale and location
* importance of the context of local environment
* linkages between nature and society in health, food sustainability, etc.
* social justice and inequalities
* regional economic impacts and differences
* how public policies affect local populations
* health care and inequality
* globalization and hybridization
General, social science concepts and skills
ability to foster awareness of cross-national and cross-cultural perspectives and realities, and developing trans-disciplinary ways of understanding
ability to identify and evaluate information sources and prior research relevant to a research topic for contextualizing research questions
ability to assess different and competing worldviews
ability to identify and describe significant research questions; identify the audience most interested in the answers to these research questions, and identify and describe an appropriate research strategy to answer a particular research question
ability to understand the benefits of qualitative and quantitative approaches, including understanding of nominal/ordinal/interval ratio measurement levels; plus understanding of “categorical” and “statistically significant” in relation to research questions
ability to understand the inter-play between data gathering and analysis methods
ability to understand and evaluate environmental impacts
ability to effectively critique materials, including an understanding of the difference between expressing an argument from evidence versus opinion
ability to construct and defend an argument based on interpretation of research findings, including interpretations of data that lead to an ecological fallacy
ability to develop holistic explanations
ability to report results in multiple media, including reporting in verbal and written form
ability to exercise collaboration skills in the form of working in groups; and understanding and negotiating differences
ability to develop a perspective about and practice active citizenship (local and global)
