Panek, J., & Perkins, C. (2018). Flying a kite: Playful mapping in a multidisciplinary field course. Journal of Geography Higher Education, 42(3), 317鈥�336.
Building upon published work about the potential of the technique, this article explores the possibilities of implementing kite-mapping during an interdisciplinary field course. The authors are from the Department of Development and Environmental Studies and the Department of Geoinformatics, Palacky虂 University, and the Department of Computer Science and Applied Mathematics, Moravian University College, Olomouc, Czech Republic; and the School of Environment, Education and Development, University of Manchester, U.K. Kite-mapping is situated as a low cost, high quality, participatory approach, in relation to field use of maps. Practical issues in making the mapping work in two day-long workshops on the Maltese island of Gozo are described in three phases: building the mapping kit, mapping in the field, and data post-processing. A multi-method evaluation of staff and student reactions and experiences were used to explore the pedagogic aspects of kite mapping. Results (both strengths and weaknesses) suggest that the practices of kite mapping significantly impact upon the value of the mapping technique. Creative and playful mapping processes implicit in the technique might be usefully deployed in other field contexts.