Discovering Geography through Doing Geography: Project-Based Learning in an Introductory Undergraduate World Geography Course

Abstract

This paper details the process and results of redesigning an introductory undergraduate World Geography course, from a survey of world regions to a project-based course. Through two student projects, one tracing commodities and another eliciting migration experiences, the course renders the world not as the sum of discrete regions but as the social and material interrelations of world locales. Student feedback from 12 iterations of the course shows that as students employ geographical research skills, they discover geography as a dynamic social research practice. Students build empathy and community while grappling with their positionalities and ethical responsibilities in the world.

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