Document Type
Article
Publication Date
2-12-2026
Abstract
This article presents an instructional module that uses Tableau to teach spatial thinking and policy geography through an analysis of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) participation. Tableau’s ability to integrate custom spatial files with demographic and health data makes it an accessible platform for introducing geographic inquiry without requiring specialized GIS expertise. The lesson guides instructors through building maps, bullet charts, and scatterplots that highlight gaps between eligibility and enrolment, while connecting food insecurity to health outcomes. By lowering technical barriers, Tableau provides a pedagogical bridge that helps educators foster spatial literacy in diverse classroom contexts.
This article was published Open Access through the CCU Libraries Open Access Publishing Fund. The article was first published in the journal The Geography Teacher: https://doi.org/10.1080/19338341.2026.2614084
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Recommended Citation
Borders, S. (2026). Beyond “Place Matters”: Making Spatial Analysis Accessible with Dashboard-Driven Geography. The Geography Teacher, 1–11. https://doi.org/10.1080/19338341.2026.2614084. Available at https://digitalcommons.coastal.edu/public-health/7/
Comments
Data to accompany this article is available on Figshare: https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.30067117