Landscape Representation in Popular Culture to Promote Geographical Pedagogy

Examination of scenes in film, video, and multimedia provides a compelling means of improving student interest and retention of geographical themes and concepts in undergraduate geography courses. Students pursue critical geographical inquiry, by having exploring and deconstructing the elements of landscape as presented in familiar visual media. Visual popular culture becomes a medium for inducing students to overcome preconceptions about geography as a field of academic study, leading to greater success in self-directed research. Many of these students develop more amenable perspectives of introductory geography courses, leading to more advanced study after these successful research projects.