Tapping Geography's Potential for Synergy with Creative Instructional Approaches

Abstract

We define synergy, explain its importance within the context of rapidly changing academia, and provide examples of how geographic educators have used creative instructional approaches to create synergies. Both the content of geography and some of the instructional approaches used by geographic educators support the discipline's ability to deliver what we describe as ‘socially relevant pedagogy’ and generate synergies that create deep and transformative learning experiences and new knowledge. Synergistic activities need a supportive structure, but also the freedom to grow in fruitful directions. While many challenges exist, and the outcome is not guaranteed, possibilities exist to produce deep and transformative learning.