The impact of limited exposure to Geographical Information System (in form of IT skills) at high schools can have a negative impact transitioning into higher education.

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The impact of limited exposure to Geographical Information System (in form of IT skills) at high schools can have a negative impact transitioning into higher education..

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Table of content. Purpose of the multimodal assignment (3) Introduction (4) Research questions for the study (5) Structure of the proposed research study ( 6 ) Reasons behind topic selection (7) Short literature review (8-9) Examples of learner interaction with the system (10-11) Identified challenges for school GIS implementation (12) Recommendations (13) Conclusion (14) Reference list (15).

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Purpose of the presentation. This multimodal assignment seek to describe how limited exposure to Information Geographical Information System (in form of IT skills) while at high school can have a negative impact during the transition to higher education. The assignment will be in a PowerPoint presentation and a video will be attached..

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Introduction. Over the past two decades, information technology has seen a significant rise and it is a powerful tool for human development in general. On the same note, even GIS has grown in leaps and bounds. GIS has multiple applications, for example in industries such as transport (navigation), weather services, health, education, local governance etc. Therefore, there have to be a revision of the curriculum content to increase its share in examinations and for it to be practical on computer at high schools..

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Research questions for the study. Can the curriculum be revised to increase GIS percentage contribution during examinations? Which strategies should be utilized to teach GIS at high schools? In the current climate, what form of capacity should teachers be given to effectively teach GIS?.

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Structure of the proposed research study. The intended format of the study will be qualitative. I will utilise structured questionnaire for both educators and learners at different schools. No advanced software analysis will be utilised except for Excel for displaying the some of the important information for easier consumption.

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Reasons for topic selection. The development of the topic, arise from a personal experience after completing my Grade 12 matric certificate and undergoing through the transition to a university environment. At that time, I had only practiced only for three months training a certificate of completion, however, later on at varsity I realized that there were many things that I was not exposed and if time allowed, I would have done things differently..

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Literature review. According to CAPS (2011), for Further Education and Training (FET) Geography, Geographical Information Systems (GIS) accounts for less than 5% during matric exanimations. However, its applications are encouraged to be incorporated to lesson plans whenever possible by educators. It is contradictory that one of the general aims of the policy statement encourages the promotion of new technologies such as ICT and GIS, Yet majority of the schools providing Geography as a subject do not have computer laboratory to ensure learners are empowered on such front (CAPS, 2011: 8)..

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Literature review. Instead, the concepts or sections on GIS are being taught or transferred to learners without any practical format. As such, learners become containers or recipients of information regarding GIS from a knowledgeable educator as highlighted by a classical book of Critical Pedagogies of the Oppressed (Freire, 1970). There is little interaction and such many learners do not entirely like the topic because of lack of physical interaction (practical), unaware of abundance of opportunities within that field once at the university and completing the qualification..

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Learners learning on their own. With facilitator to guide only. This is part of problem posing education rather than the banking method of education..

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A picture containing text, person, computer, computer Description automatically generated.

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Common identified challenges to the implementation of interactive GIS classes.

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Recommendations. I suggest that Department of Basic Education should ensure schools are provided with computers for GIS practical's and for revision of Geography curriculum to increase its share of mark percentage during year end examinations. With some form of computer literacy background from high school, I strongly believe it will make their transition to be better ..

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Conclusion. With realization we are in the fourth industrial revolution, and how information technology plays in our daily lives. It is important to task the learners with skills and techniques that will be beneficial in their lives. Therefore, it is critical they are exposed to computer literacy (IT) and GIS while at high so simplify their transition to higher education institutions..

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Reference list. Department of Basic Education, (2011), Curriculum Assessment Policy Statement FET Grade 10-12 Geography , Government Printing Works, Pretoria. [Accessed on: 28 March 2022]. Available at: Website: http://www.education.gov.za Eischens, R. 2019. In the Classroom: Mapping McDonald's and the Maasai tribes at the Governor's School , Accessed on: 31 March 2022. Available at: Governor's School students use GIS in mapping class (newsleader.com) Freire, P. 1970. ‘Chapter 2’ in Pedagogy of the Oppressed . London and New York: Continuum Publishing Group. pp. 70-86. [Accessed on: 28 March 2022]. Available at: https://envs.ucsc.edu/internships/internship-readings/freire-pedagogy-of-the-oppressed.pdf Geographical Association, n.d. Using technology in geography teaching Accessed on [31 March 2022]. Available at: https://www.geography.org.uk/using-technology Johansson, T. 2003. “GIS in Teacher Education - Facilitating GIS Applications in Secondary School Geography”: The 9th Scandinavian Research Conference on Geographical Information Science Journal of Geography , [Accessed on 31 March 2022]. Available at: (PDF) GIS in Teacher Education - Facilitating GIS Applications in Secondary School Geography. (researchgate.net).