A Canadian Scholar'S Views on Geography in Canada and in the USSR

There has long been controversy over the exact location of the middle segment of the great medieval trade route from the Varangians (Northmen) in the Baltic to the Greeks (Byzantium) in the Black Sea. There is no ambiguity about the northern segment, between Novgorod and the Baltic, or the southern segment, from Smolensk down the Dnieper to the Black Sea, but authors have tended to disagree about the various rivers, lakes and portages used by traders in the Russian heartland between Novgorod and Smolensk. A Russian chronicle describing a campaign led by Aleksandr Nevskiy against a Lithuanian force in 1245 sheds light on the alignment of the middle segment of the trade route. It appears that the route originally passed through Velikiye Luki in the 10th century. As this area became embroiled in clashes between warring Russian principalities, the trade route shifted eastward to the Toropets area, which became dominant by the 13th century. The existence of two additional minor routes is also noted.     

Using Information Technologies for Collaborative Learning in Geography: A case study from Canada

In this paper, we share our experiences in designing, offering and evaluating undergraduate assignments that used information technologies to help undergraduate students from different universities collaborate on resource and environmental management problems in Canada. We focus on conditions of collaborative learning and peer review, especially how our uses of information technology reduced or increased the challenges of creating the conditions necessary for collaboration. In particular, we consider our successes and setbacks regarding five challenges: (1) composing effective groups, (2) providing sufficient time, (3) encouraging individual accountability, (4) enhancing regional perspectives, and (5) incorporating peer review and reducing competitiveness.     

Forecasting in Economic Geography

Economic-geographic forecasting is intended to predict the dynamics of the interplay between nature and society and to serve as the basis for economic development plans. Because of the large number of variables involved, probability analysis may be expected to play an important role in economic-geographic forecasts. One approach suggested is the analysis of chain reactions involved in various energy-and-production cycles, the name given to integrated economic-geographic systems based on the use of a given set of energy and raw-material sources.     

Point Scales in Geography

Point scales evaluating a set of factors for a particular purpose are finding increasing application in geographic research. The basic principles underlying the compilation of such point values are discussed, and recent Soviet publications are examined to determine the extent to which these principles have been properly used or misapplied. Simple and complex point systems are distinguished, and the construction of a point scale is discussed in detail.     

Futurology in Soviet Geography

A review article of recent Soviet futurological articles in the geographical literature, suggesting the increased activity of Soviet geographers in the prognostication of the environmental effects of human activity. Several of the papers under review appeared in Soviet Geography: Review and Translation.