Navigating Narratives

The Student Perspective in Using Google Earth to Explore the Intersections of Story and Spatiality

Datos Bibliográficos

ID19488809
AutoresRachel V Smydra (Oakland University), Rachel Smydra (0000-0001-7336-5228, Oakland University, autor de correspondencia)
Año2026
Páginas1-14
Fecha de publicación2026-06-02
Peer ReviewedSí
Open AccessNo
TipoARTICLE
RevistaGeoHumanities (JOURNAL)
Identificadores de la revistaISSN: 2373-5678 • E-ISSN: 2373-566X
EditorialInforma UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/2373566x.2026.2625034
OpenAlexW7163184507
IdiomaEN
Referencias citadas55

Geographic information systems (GIS) offer students powerful tools to visualize and explore narrative spaces. While GIS use is well established in geography and STEM courses, its pedagogical potential in literary studies remains underexplored, particularly in supporting students’ ability to navigate the tensions between real and imagined spaces within narratives. This study explores how integrating a spatial lens using Google Earth facilitates student engagement with both measurable and imaginative dimensions in literary works. Study participants completed a qualitative survey reflecting on their experiences using Google Earth while reading Kafka’s The Metamorphosis. Students suggested that visualizing the narrative’s spatial references revealed connections between setting and thematic meaning, sharpening their interpretations. Findings also suggest that GIS activities can enhance close reading, helping students navigate and transform tensions between real and imagined spaces into opportunities for curiosity, critical thinking, and deeper interpretive engagement

Earth (classical element) · Ethnography · Key (lock) · Perspective (graphical) · Geography Education and Pedagogy · Indigenous and Place-Based Education · Spatial Cognition and Navigation