Evaluating the Potential of the GeoWall for Geographic Education

This article discusses modern stereoscopic displays for geographic education, focusing on a large-format display-the GeoWall. To evaluate the potential of the GeoWall, geography instructors were asked to express their reactions to images viewed on the GeoWall during a focus group experiment. Instructors overwhelmingly supported using the GeoWall, stressing the 3-D (three-dimensional) realism provided by stereo images and the excitement these images likely would generate for students. Instructors did, however, note a number of limitations of the GeoWall, including the need to create stereo images (e.g., traditional nonstereo photographs cannot easily be converted to stereo), the need to wear special glasses, and the fact that some people cannot see in stereo. In general, it appeared that the GeoWall would be most useful for complex images and tasks.