Evaluating individual cartographic skills using mental sketches

ABSTRACT The paper deals with a problem of assessing of individual progress of students’ cartographic skills. For teacher it is important to evaluate it not only in a form of tests and semester works, but also in a less formal, score-oriented manner. The author uses mental sketches to observe results of a teaching process. The research is based on previously described author’s method with modification to trace individual, anonymized changes. The identical cartographic survey (map drawing task) was conducted and repeated among students five times during the entire study cycle. Results were analyzed with cartographic methodology in mind, to assess the skills of students, their progress and used methods of presentation. Students’ approach to using point, line and areal features were tested as well as design abilities in case of symbols. Information on progress and skills were used not only to observe statistical changes. The outcomes were applied in a process of evaluating the teaching effectiveness. The survey was conducted in a relation to real courses, hence the results are of great value in increasing the quality of studies and teaching methods. Some of ideas have already been introduced in cartography and GIS classes taught by the author. Key policy highlights Sketches allow assessing of different aspects of spatial knowledge and skills. Sketches could be applied as an element of knowledge evaluation and to trace individual progress in anonymous way without being oriented on students’ grades. Proposed model gives a teacher information on quality and efficiency of teaching. It can be applied to update map-making courses content. The approach can be used in other, drawing-based, courses.