The document discusses the educational potential of geotagging and geocaching using handheld devices. It defines geotagging as adding location metadata like coordinates to media like images. Geocaching is described as an outdoor treasure hunting game where people use GPS to hide and find containers around the world. The document proposes some ways these technologies could be used for educational purposes, such as managing fieldwork images, developing geocaching materials to teach others, and assigning travel bugs to follow long distances.

1. Geotagging & Geocaching with your handheld device: The educational potential IS Exec – Nov 2007 Andy Ramsden LTSS [email_address]

2. The turning point handsets

3. Pele backs England World Cup bid ! England will definitely be award it Yes they should do, but I’m slightly anxious about Peru Not a chance I really don’t care It was recently announced that Pele has backed Englands bid for the 2018 Football World Cup. Do you think …

4. something about you?

5. Do you own a mobile device which is GPS enabled? Yes No

6. If you own a device with GPS have you used the GPS on your device? Yes No

7. Have you ever (knowingly) geotagged an image? Yes No

8. Have you got any idea what geotagging is? Yes No

9. How confident are you at being able to describe what geocaching is? Very confident I’ll be able to give it a good go I’m not very confident I have absolutely no idea

10. On a scale of 1 to 5 (five indicating you are seriously excited by the thought), if I say, lets talk … “geotagging images using GPS on your handheld device” … what number would you select? 1 no interest at all 2 3 4 5. Seriously excited

11. OK, so what are my aims? Introduce geotagging & geocaching Start to make connections between geotagging / geocahing and their potential use in education Ask questions – no answers Oh yes, also, introduce you to evs 

12. what is geotagging? Geotagging , sometimes referred to as Geocoding , is the process of adding geographical identification metadata to various media such as websites, RSS feeds, or images . This data usually consists of latitude and longitude coordinates, though it can also include altitude and place names. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geotagging http://www.flickr.com/photos/jamesuk/228155771/

13. How might I use this in teaching and learning (safely inside the box)? Fieldwork – managing images Trace where I have been Attach image data to specific points on the trace Share with colleagues

14. A great benefit for field based work http://www.flickr.com/photos/urbanmkr/303890269/ Yes, but … how ? http://www.mobile-learning.blog-city.com/read/locationaware.htm

15. Time to leave the comfort zone: Geocaching Geocaching is an outdoor treasure-hunting game in which the participants use a Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver or other navigational techniques to hide and seek containers (called "geocaches" or "caches") anywhere in the world. A typical cache is a small waterproof container containing a logbook and "treasure," usually toys or trinkets of little value. Today, well over 440,000 geocaches are registered on various websites devoted to the sport. Geocaches are currently placed in 222 countries around the world and on all seven continents, including Antarctica. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geocaching Did you know, there are …1874 caches within 50 miles of BS10 5EJ! http://www.flickr.com/photos/17424601@N00/200196761

16. Let someone else explain it to you Geocaching: From the web to the woods http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AD7SF-Axvyg

17. How might I use this in teaching and learning? (thinking outside the box)? Geocaching at the Institute of Paasikivi – New ways of Teaching GPS Technology & Basics of Orientation in Local Geography. Ihamaki (2007) – ICTA Conference Students developed geocaching material for others Involved a multicache. The cache created by the students also contained exercises “ Great learning activity for students, allowing them to improve their skills in … critical thinking, journalism, photography, media technology and geography.”

18. How might I use this in teaching and learning? (thinking way outside the box)? http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2007/03/10/MNGDGOJ2OR1.DTL School in California, buried keychain (geocache), with a travel bug – Anchorage, Alaska It travelled 4,780 miles, through 21 geocache sites, took over two years. Followed it on the computer Finished up being carried by one of the competitors in Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race in Alaska

19. How confident are you at being able to describe what geocaching is? Very confident Confident Neutral Not very confident I have no idea

20. To conclude and across to the floor … Technologies are becoming more widely available. Application to UK HE still needs significant work – along way from the mainstream.