Here is a really good article titled “Spatial Orientation and the Brain: The Effects of Map Reading and Navigation”. Alan Padgett shared it on one of the SAR mailing lists.
Don’t let the title scare you away. It supports our team focus on traditional land navigation skills using maps and compasses. We augment that now with technology (GPS).
Here were a few sentences that should peek your curiosity.
“Map reading and orienteering are becoming lost arts in the world of global positioning systems and other geospatial technologies. As a result, more and more people are losing the ability to navigate and find their way in unfamiliar terrain.”
“After their walks, the GPS users also exhibited a poorer knowledge of the terrain, topography, and the routes they took when asked to draw a map. ”
“Researchers, academics, and even hike leaders are becoming concerned that technology is decreasing our mental capacity and observation skills. Then, if technology fails, people will be incapable of determining where they are.”
Enjoy and let me know what you think.
Here is the link to the article :
http://www.gislounge.com/spatial-orientation-and-the-brain-the-effects-of-map-re\
ading-and-navigation/?modpagespeed=noscript