Overview

Mapping Self in Society (MaSelfS) is a teaching and learning framework that helps people explore the connections between their daily movements and the communities they’re part of. Using free, open-source tools, learners collect and map their own movement data to better understand how people, places, and social life intersect in neighborhoods and cities.

Originally developed with educators in fields like social studies, ethics, and computer science, MaSelfS invites students to explore questions such as:

• Where do I spend my time, and why?

• What does my movement say about my connection to community?

• How can reflecting on personal data help us think about fairness, privacy, and how neighborhoods are shaped?

The framework also supports researchers interested in using location-based technologies in ethical, socially aware ways—whether for studying community histories, analyzing mobility patterns, or designing learning experiences on the move.

Each activity focuses on a different aspect of mapping personal experience and understanding shared spaces. You can explore summaries of all five activities below to see how they build on each other—or choose the ones most relevant to your interests or teaching.

This project is a collaboration between educators and researchers at Georgia State University and Vanderbilt University, with support from the Spencer Foundation and the National Science Foundation.