Published 2025-07-09
Abstract
ArcGIS StoryMaps are web-based applications that combine interactive maps with multimedia narrative content, creating immersive educational experiences that integrate spatial thinking with storytelling. These digital tools represent a significant advancement in geographic education, allowing educators to present complex spatial relationships and cultural narratives in accessible, engaging formats.
This paper presents the creation of the Experience Dhaka StoryMap as a pedagogical innovation grounded in experiential learning theory, developed through collaborative work with an undergraduate student researcher. Our approach seeks to address a fundamental challenge in global urban studies education: how can students meaningfully connect with and understand urban contexts they cannot physically experience? By leveraging immersive digital storytelling, we aim to create authentic experiential learning opportunities that bridge geographical distances and cultural differences.
The pedagogical framework underlying this work draws from experiential learning theory, which emphasizes learning through direct experience, reflection, and application. While traditional experiential learning often requires physical presence, digital technologies now offer new possibilities for creating meaningful experiential encounters across global contexts. Our StoryMap represents an exploration of how immersive digital tools can facilitate experiential learning about distant places, enabling students to engage with global urban realities in more authentic and engaging ways.