Geography and Geography Education

Module 1: The Geographer and the World, 7.5 ECTS cr The module covers two main strains in the history of ideas in geography from antiquity until today. One main strain concerns geographical perspectives on ways in which people's perceptions of the world have have changed over time. The other main strain problematises how geography as a discipline has been developed and applied in modern times. The content and function of the geography subject as it changes over time are related to political, economic, and social factors, including changing perspectives on gender and diversity. The module also introduces how geographical concepts such as place, space, border, and scale can be applied in teaching in compulsory school, from different geographical perspectives. Module 2: Describing the World, 7.5 ECTS cr The module introduces students to different perspectives on using maps as teaching resources in their future professional practice. The module also offers knowledge on how to handle geographical data using Geographical Information Systems (GIS) and global navigation systems such as GPS. Students learn how to use geographical data available on the Internet in the form of for instance digital maps, Google Earth, and satellite images. Module 3: Physical Geography, Geology, Weather, and Climate, 7.5 ECTS cr The module treats basic knowledge of the formation and structure of the earth as well as plate tectonics processes that affect the formation and disappearance of mountains and oceans. Natural disasters such as volcanism and earthquakes are treated, as well as the processes of formation and erosion that constantly change the surface of the earth. The formation of sediment, soil, and other landforms is covered, as well as the basic parameters and processes in the atmosphere and the oceans that determine weather and climate, alongside the most common main types of weather and climate. Module 4: Human Geography - Places, People, and Societies, 7.5 ECTS cr The module covers basic perspectives on how sociocultural, economic, and political forces impact living conditions and spatial structures in different societies in the world, on the basis of human geography. This includes the organsiation of production and consumption, the location and use of resources, and how the global geographical division of labour shapes trade, investments, and dependencies. These perspectives are related to sustainability issues. The module also treats the distribution of populations both nationally and globally and factors which have an impact on changes in that distribution, with a special focus on urban processes of change and how different spatial construction ideals influence people's lives over time, especially in terms of gender and diversity aspects.