Teaching Resources
Author: EAA Editorial Office
Understanding geography, especially physical geography, is not easy for me. A deceased relative once described this ineptness as “not having even a bump of locality.” This handicap notwithstanding, my advocacy for geographic literacy in general, and geographic understanding of Asia in particular, as essential foundations of liberal and international education becomes stronger each year. Despite enormous digital advances in pedagogy, the apparent persistence of widespread geographic illiteracy demands effective, content-rich, and innovative instruction, as well as careful reflection, and high expectations of students. Hopefully, the following entries from the EAA archives assist readers interested in improving both student and one’s own levels of geographic literacy.
Keywords: Asia General, China, East Asia, Education, Geography, History, Japan, Pedagogy, Southeast Asia
How to Cite: Editorial Office, E. (2021) “Teaching Asian Geographies: Overcoming Pedagogical Barriers”, Education About Asia. doi: https://doi.org/10.65959/eaa.1744
Teaching Asian Geographies: Overcoming Pedagogical Barriers Understanding geography, especially physical geography, is not easy for me. A deceased relative once described this ineptness as “not having even a bump of locality.” This handicap notwithstanding, my advocacy for geographic literacy in general, and geographic understanding of Asia in particular, as essential foundations of liberal and international education becomes stronger each year. Despite enormous digital advances in pedagogy, the apparent persistence of widespread geographic illiteracy demands effective, content-rich, and innovative instruction, as well as careful reflection, and high expectations of students. Hopefully, the following entries from the EAA archives assist readers interested in improving both student and one’s own levels of geographic literacy. In “The Selden Map and the Archipelagos of East and Southeast Asia,” (volume 19, number 2, fall 2014) historian Robert Batchelor uses one of the earliest (seventeenth century) Chinese maps made by merchants to expand readers’ knowledge of the regional and international scope of traders’ maritime world. The author also created a simulation titled “Fujian Trader” suitable for middle school, high school, and undergraduate classes that includes digital video resources. Information about the game is available online and included in the article. Secondary school instructor Tanya Roth, in “Teaching East Asia with GIS” (volume 23, number 3, winter 2018) uses Geographic Information Systems (GIS) digital interactive maps to teach about East Asia-related topics at the high school level, ranging from the two Koreas to the “Black Death.” History instructor Patrick Grant and geographer David Nemeth in, respectively, “Geography’s Importance to Japan’s History” and “Geographic Gateways to Seeing and Understanding Korea” (volume 3, number 1, spring 1998) skillfully utilize geography in innovative ways to assist students to better understand key ideas in Japanese and Korean history. Note that both articles were published in spring 1998 but are for the most part (if not entirely) just as relevant for students as when they were published.
