Changing Horizons in Geography Education - HERODOT Network ...

1. Fundamental to understanding GIS is the recognition that the GIS model is not onlya specialized computer model like conventional databases. It is an interpretationof geographical space, and therefore the modelled objects and phenomena needto be as close as possible to the real world.2. GIS is ‘as different as it is similar’ to traditional geographical analysis andmapping, meaning that the GIS education should be organized in close relationshipwith the core Geography program of the department or faculty.3. Taking into account the above principle, we have to point that there are differenttypes of GIS specialists, these might include:• GIS users• GIS developers and• GIS “architects” and managers.The level of geographic competence needs to be different for each type of specialist.A GIS teaching program should be designed to serve either a specific level of GISspecialist or to gradually build knowledge through each specialism, from GISuser to GIS “architect”. In this case, the “GIS architect” should be familiar withall geographical concepts that GIS technology is built upon.4. The didactic, two-stage educational approach (introduction, followed by anadvanced course) is simply not efficient in GIS education. A case study approachwith extensive hands-on experience provides better focus, but also puts a greaterburden on individual instructors and facilities.5. GIS is no longer a camera-based discipline – modern GIS and geoinformation aremobile and thus a significant part of GIS education might be organized on thefield.Considering the above principles, we think that GIS teaching programs must bedesigned in four mutually penetrating and interacting stages, which have to be tightlyconnected to the fundamentals of geography as an academic discipline:1. GIS fundamental module: This module must give the necessary theoretical knowledgeabout the geographical concepts behind GIS technology, Geographical (Spatial)modelling, traditional and computer based mapping, Principles of GIS, etc.2. GIS attributive module: Here students need to receive the necessary computerliteracy, as well as knowledge and skills in Remote sensing, Geodesy, Photogrammetry,Statistics, and all other related disciplines.3. GIS application module: the leading approach here must be so-called “problembasedlearning”. A case study approach is foreseen so that students will get toknow how real-world problems are solved through GIS.4. GIS practicum, including field work thanks to the so-called “mobile GIS” applicationsThe organizational time line of the programme needs to be slightly different fromthe standard ‘two stage’ approach: introduction and an advanced level, includingapplications. This approach more or less produces only GIS technicians, insteadof GIS specialists with competences to design more reliable and representativecomputer-based geographical representations. Therefore the fundamentals must beformed on geographical concepts and courses, developing spatial thinking amongstudents.130