Designing inclusive community-based geography research experiences across the spectrum of ability

Abstract

Through the voices of both faculty and student authors, we discuss the intentional integration of neurodiversity in an undergraduate, community geography research program. This exploratory case study takes conversations about diversity, equity, and inclusion from theory to practice presenting the development of an inclusive learning community through the lens of education and geoscience education frameworks. Through multiple perspectives advocating for systemic change for inclusive community geography, this paper presents actionable recommendations others in geography can draw from in their own efforts to broaden participation within geography field programs. © 2021 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.

Keywords

Author Keywords

Undergraduate research neurodiversity access community geography inclusive learning communities

Index Keywords

learning educational development student Design accessibility geographical research

Author Affiliations

School of Education and Department of Geology, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, United States

Department of Sociology, University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL, United States

Center for Resilient and Sustainable Communities, Fairfax, VA, United States

Department of Geosciences, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA, United States

School of Public and International Affairs, Wright State University, Dayton, OH, United States

Department of Political Science, The University of Vermont, Burlington, VT, United States

Department of Early Childhood Education, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA, United States

Funding & Acknowledgements

National Science Foundation, NSF

Grant: 1560015

This work was supported by the U.S. National Science Foundation Directorate for Social, Behavioral and Economic Sciences Award #1560015 and through the University of Central Florida College of Sciences. The authors are grateful for the helpful feedback from the associate editor and anonymous reviewers. The authors would like to thank all community partners in Belize that supported the fieldwork using applications of GIS and drones in international research. The authors would also like to thank drone team collaborators: Michael Campos, Lucas Farmer and Nicholas Altizer for their fieldwork support and partnership in this research. This article is part of the broader research of the NSF REU and RET Site hosted by Citizen Science GIS at University of Central Florida and was completed in partnership with Georgia State University and the International Association for Geoscience Diversity.

National Science Foundation, NSF

This work was supported by the U.S. National Science Foundation Directorate for Social, Behavioral and Economic Sciences Award #1560015 and through the University of Central Florida College of Sciences. The authors are grateful for the helpful feedback from the associate editor and anonymous reviewers. The authors would like to thank all community partners in Belize that supported the fieldwork using applications of GIS and drones in international research. The authors would also like to thank drone team collaborators: Michael Campos, Lucas Farmer and Nicholas Altizer for their fieldwork support and partnership in this research. This article is part of the broader research of the NSF REU and RET Site hosted by Citizen Science GIS at University of Central Florida and was completed in partnership with Georgia State University and the International Association for Geoscience Diversity.

University of Central Florida, UCF

This work was supported by the U.S. National Science Foundation Directorate for Social, Behavioral and Economic Sciences Award #1560015 and through the University of Central Florida College of Sciences. The authors are grateful for the helpful feedback from the associate editor and anonymous reviewers. The authors would like to thank all community partners in Belize that supported the fieldwork using applications of GIS and drones in international research. The authors would also like to thank drone team collaborators: Michael Campos, Lucas Farmer and Nicholas Altizer for their fieldwork support and partnership in this research. This article is part of the broader research of the NSF REU and RET Site hosted by Citizen Science GIS at University of Central Florida and was completed in partnership with Georgia State University and the International Association for Geoscience Diversity.

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Designing inclusive community-based geography research experiences across the spectrum of ability

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