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2026-2027 / ZENS4115-1

Geography didactics: relationships to space

Duration

12h Th

Number of credits

 Master of Education, Section 1 (HECh)2 crédits 
 Master of Education, Section 1 (HELMO)2 crédits 
 Master of Education, Section 1 (HERS)2 crédits 
 Master of Education, Section 1 (HEL)2 crédits 

Lecturer

Fabrice Argounès

Coordinator

Alix Dassargues

Language(s) of instruction

French language

Organisation and examination

Teaching in the first semester, review in January

Schedule

Schedule online

Units courses prerequisite and corequisite

Prerequisite or corequisite units are presented within each program

Learning unit contents

This course starts from a simple, fruitful question: how does the young child build their relationship to space, and how can the teacher support that construction?

It aims to give future teachers a solid grasp of the epistemological, historical and didactic foundations of geography, while translating them straight away into accessible professional practices suited to the children's age. Spatiality is approached as a way of looking ... a way of thinking about space, location and the way phenomena relate to one another ... rather than as technical content. Particular attention is given to the crossovers between geography and other fields (the arts, children's literature, storytelling, everyday objects) and to the sensory experience of fieldwork.

- Spatiality as a geographical way of looking: what does it mean to "think about space"?

- Epistemological and historical background: how geography has built and transformed its relationship to space.

- Stages in the young child's construction of their relationship to space: locating, orienting, representing.

- Fruitful crossovers: geography and the arts, children's literature, stories and objects.

- Fieldwork, the body and the senses: outings, itineraries and hands-on activities to build a sense of space.

- A critical perspective on the relevance and limits of geospatial technologies with young children.

Learning outcomes of the learning unit

By the end of this course, students will be able to:

design devices that develop children's skills in structuring space;

integrate the epistemological and didactic foundations of geographical knowledge;

take a critical view of the relevance of using geospatial technologies.

 

These outcomes contribute in particular to developing the following competence:

Mastering disciplinary content, its epistemological foundations, its scientific and technological development, its didactics and the methodology for teaching it (3a).

Prerequisite knowledge and skills

Planned learning activities and teaching methods

The course favours active, embodied learning, in keeping with what it prepares students to implement with young children: theoretical input is tested against concrete examples and leads to the design of classroom devices.

Short lectures setting out the epistemological, historical and didactic foundations;

Analysis of varied examples and materials (children's picture books, artworks, objects, stories, itineraries);

Possible experimentation in the field, with reflective follow-up.

 

The specific arrangements for each session may be adjusted to suit the group and will be communicated as the course progresses on eCampus or MyUliège.

Mode of delivery (face to face, distance learning, hybrid learning)

Face-to-face course


Further information:

Face-to-face.

The embodied nature of the course ; analysing materials, design workshops, field experience ; does not lend itself well to distance learning.

Presentation materials will nonetheless be posted on eCampus or MyUliège.

Course materials and recommended or required readings

Platform(s) used for course materials:
- eCampus
- MyULiège


Further information:

The presentations and resources will be posted on eCampus or MyUliège. Any readings, distinguished according to whether they are recommended or required, will be specified during the course.

Other : Detailed instructions will be given during a session.


Further information:

An assignment ideally linked to the design of a device.

Detailed instructions will be given during a session.

Depending on the number of students, the arrangements may be adapted and will be communicated on eCampus or Uliège. 

Work placement(s)

Organisational remarks and main changes to the course

Contacts

Fabrice Argounès : fabriceargounes@uliege.be

Association of one or more MOOCs