Advancing Research in GIS Education

A team of authors from the GIS Education Research Workgroup (http://edgis.org/research) have published a “Call for an Agenda and Center for GIS Education”. This open, peer-reviewed academic manuscript outlines the importance of GIS education and a rationale for concerted efforts to guide educational research in a systematic manner. The paper outlines recent, supporting research in learning, teacher training, and educational GIS technical development. With a particular eye toward pre-collegiate GIS in education teaching and learning, the paper proposes the creation of a robust and dynamic agenda while also proposing the establishment of a virtual organization to promote and shepherd work in the area.

Educational research supports every aspect of GIS in instruction. While there are many gaps in the research body, the use of GIS in pre-collegiate instruction is a reasonably well documented phenomenon, compared to many popular educational technologies. This document will substantially contribute to the catalyzing efforts to move research on GIS in education forward. The authors and the GIS Education Research Workgroup invite your comments and feedback.

Access the open article online at RIGEO, the Review of International Geographical Education Online athttp://rigeo.org/component/content/article/82-vol2-no3-winter-2012.html

Tech in Education: Microsoft Surface

Tech in Education: Microsoft Surface

by Esri Education Programs on November 20, 2012

Take-away: The new Microsoft Surface with Windows 8 makes an interesting choice for educational organizations engaging GIS in instruction.

Two weeks ago, I had the good fortune to attend EduCause, an educational organization focusing on higher education IT.  Among the many interesting technology and pedagogy conversations occurring there, one technology stood out: the new Microsoft Surface withWindows 8.  The Surface is a touch-tablet device recently released by Microsoft and runs either 1.) a new operating system, Windows 8 RTor 2.) Windows 8 Pro (compare RT versus Pro).  While Windows 8 RT isn’t backwards compatible with your old software, new applications are available in the Windows Store.  C-Net has reported that websites running Flash must pass a safety check of sorts, before Windows RT will properly display the websites with Flash content.

Microsoft Surface devices running Windows 8 Pro are to be released in the January 2013, also according to C-Net.  The Surface with Windows 8 Pro runs on an Intel chip (rather than an ARM-based processor found in Surface devices with Windows 8 RT) and should run traditional desktop software.  Esri has already released the ArcGIS preview app, available in the Windows Store. “The ArcGIS app provides a preview of features that integrate the new touch-centric view of Windows 8 and Windows RT with the ArcGIS Online mapping platform” (Esri blog).

As a long-time  iPad user, I find the Surface interesting as it combines the capabilities of both a touch-tablet and traditional laptop.  While an iPad puts me in a wonderful place to consume content and rich media, the Surface seems to bridge the need between content creation and content consumption – a fine balance that educators and students must constantly mind. Perhaps this ability is largely due to Surface running Windows 8 Pro, a descendent from a long-line of very popular Microsoft desktop operating systems, rather than a smartphone OS.  In either event, with keyboard, USB, micro SDXC, and Wi-Fi the Surface certainly has the ability to feel more like a laptop, when it needs to.

With holidays just around the corner, it might be time to take a closer look.  Should you decide to take the leap, let us know how touch-tablets change the way you teach or learn with GIS.  We’d really like to hear from you.

Seven Ideas: GIS for Geocaching with Scouts, Youth, or Anyone

For the last several years now, every spring and fall, I volunteer to help the local Girl Scout council, not unlike many you GeoMentors. We plan and implement a large geocaching event. The event, now called “The Geocache Party” typically has 100 to 300 Girl Scouts involved. If you have ever planned a sizablegeocaching (or Open Caching) event with several activities, you know placing, tracking, and  reclaiming your caches can be a real nightmare. For a single event last year, we placed nearly 100 caches across 175 wooded acres. Just try to remember where all those caches are when you pick them up, at the end of an event!

Like many outdoor geo-activities, geocaching can be enhanced by using GIS. To support individual (traditional) geocaching or large geocaching events, I have assembled my seven ideas for leveraging GIS – to plan, manage, or even evaluate your caches and performance.

  1. Map your geocache coordinates before you leave home with the ArcGIS Online map viewer. Explore the geographic features, hazards, and public lands wherever you are headed. You can even add real-time weather to your map.
  2. Track and record your geocache finds in your own map at ArcGIS.com. This allows you to tell your geocaching stories, your way.
  3. Preparing a geocaching event? Use a GIS to map and manage your caches. Cache type, location, activity or purpose fields help explain where and why a cache is placed. (image below)
  4. Print out your GIS map and take it with you for reference while geocaching. Selecting the best base map can often lend helpful data to your hunt!
  5. Report out! Add your GPS track, routes, and waypoints to your geocache coordinate map to see how well you did finding caches – in ArcGIS Online. (first image)
  6. Report out! Take all the photos and video you want while geocaching. You can place media in “notes” and geotag to document your trip.
  7. Learn GIS career skills while enjoying a great geo-hobby!

By the way, both the Boy Scouts of America and the Girl Scouts now offer Geocaching badges, each at certain age levels.

Happy Geocaching!

- Tom Baker, Esri Education Manager