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Key elements of an introductory study-unitThe introductory course to GIS is a crucial point in the student’s undergraduate years.Amongst the factors that will influence his/her career decision whether to become aGIS specialist or simply a casual user, is the understanding of the main concepts ofa GI system. Today, there are a number of help tips on the Internet which point anynewcomer to the teaching of GIS in the right direction and since GIS is a relativelynew technology and the industry competition is very fierce a number of study aidsare available. Setting the course structure however is only one element. Other factorscome into play when preparing for the academic year.a) Understanding your audienceWith today’s varying degree of computer skills in class, it is very difficult to gaugeyour audience’s adaptability to understanding and using a GIS. Most studentsoutside the computer and IT studies have background knowledge of Office tools andsome basic computing. Having prepared courses for Geography, Archaeology andBiology students, it is important to understand in the early days of your study-unitthe computer literacy of your class. Ideally students should have a basic knowledgeof databases (tables) and information systems or have been exposed to softwaresuch as Microsoft Access, Microsoft Excel and Computer-Aided Design (CAD) tounderstand the structure of a GIS.In the case of non-geography classes the spatial relationships must be explainedat length before any attempts are made at explaining the concepts of a GIS. It mightbe useful at this stage to explain the importance of geography in certain fields ofstudy. Non-geography classes have difficulties to understand the applicability of GIsystems because of a lack of understanding about spatial relationships and the valueof spatial data.With today’s multi-disciplinary approach to University studies, it is becomingvery difficult to have homogenous groups of students. There will be varying degreesof computer skills and different understanding of what spatial relationships are.The next step is to try and identify the basic concepts and components of a GIS forstudents to start using such systems.b) Main components of an introductory GIS study-unitDuring the course of one semester of an undergraduate course there is an opportunityfor introducing both the theoretical elements of a GIS and the practical sessions onsome software. Over the years, the course structure of the introductory study-unit atthe University of Malta has changed to reflect the needs of the students. Originally, thestudy-unit covered aspects of history and GIS development, map projections, imageprocessing, data collection and storage, applications and digital terrain models. Overtime, this structure was simplified to allow students more time to use the softwareand work on real-world applications of GIS.The most important elements for direct tutoring in class have now been rationalizedto four main topics. There is a good review of these concepts in introductorytextbooks such as Heywood (2002), Clarke (2002) and the GIS Dictionary published98
y Wiley (McDonnell and Kemp, 19995). These elements are structured in a way tocover half of the semester and include:• introducing GIS – definitions, history and development• data concepts – data types, sources and issues of data quality• GIS functionality – data input, structure, management, analysis and visualization• Implementation – methods and applicationsRefining these lecture components is an on-going process. With increasingcomputer literacy and accessibility to internet, some of these topics over time becomeredundant. However, the four main components listed in this section are deemed themost relevant to help the student grasp the basic theory of GIS, understand what thesystem can do and apply it more efficiently.c) Coordination of lectures and practical sessionsDepending on the resources and time available for the study of GIS, it is possible todivide the introductory course into theory and practical sessions. At the Universityof Malta a two ECTS study-unit covers 14 weeks of 2 hour sessions per week. Thisgives a total of 28 contact hours with the students and 40 hours of related study ‘athome’. Within this framework the first part of the study-unit is dedicated to the theorywhere the students get an introduction on the main components of a GIS, in additionto demonstrations of how GIS is applied. During this period the students are requiredto review literature on the subject and think of a mini-project applying GIS.During the second part of the study unit the students prepare a project proposalin which they identify a research question, the study area and the data requirements.These projects are generally carried out between groups of 2−5 students, thus introducingthe students to team work.Once the projects are discussed and approved, the students collect the informationfrom the field (when necessary) and input the data. At the GIS lab, the studentshave the options of using scanners or digitizing tablets for input. Once the systemis populated with information, the students start the process of spatial analysis. Themap outputs and a report are submitted for assessment at the end of the semester.d) Use of teaching aids for higher educationThere are a number of useful teaching aids for GIS study-units in higher education.The fact that GIS is a relatively young technology and most advances in the systemhave been recorded and are available on internet is probably the most useful aid.Conference papers, journal articles and now even books are available for download(see for example Longley et al., 1991).Another invaluable resource is the ESRI Virtual Campus which is an onlinetraining site for using GIS (http://campus.esri.com/index.cfm?CFID=5078887&CFTOKEN=59283972). In this case however the University would require the use ofArcGIS software, and provide access to its students for use of the training sessionsonline. Alternatively students might take the initiative and pay directly for some of thecourses on offer. This site is particularly useful for students who do not find trainingavailable locally. Also this website provides a Library dedicated to GIS literature.99
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Changing Horizons inGeography Educa
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ContributorsAnouk AdangFaculty of G
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Margaret C. KeaneSt Mary’s Univer
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Artur ReligaDepartment of Geography
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Contents1. Exciting Geography......
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Barbara Katharina Mayerhofer, Teach
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How to design and implement excitin
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only increase their motivation to l
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Ministry of Education. Having in mi
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eEurope and the Bologna agendaIn hi
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The main learning approachesencoura
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as a vibrant exciting subject at un
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include ICT as part of the educatio
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19. RICHARDSON J. A. 2001. Collabor
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class using identical instructions
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ability to hold and move a load is
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the range of practical activities.
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Multimedia learning of geographical
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• an organizer and manager of a l
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Geographical fieldwork in forestsJa
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One of these field study laboratori
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Page 49 and 50: egin). It is referred to the inter-
Page 51 and 52: overruled by the judge and some sus
Page 53 and 54: esses or their reciprocal relations
Page 55 and 56: formulated one of key principles in
Page 57 and 58: Dress rehearsalHow should a present
Page 59 and 60: of the world, but multiple maps of
Page 61 and 62: focused on landscape, climate, popu
Page 63 and 64: ments in academic geography, could
Page 65 and 66: Training geography teachers in Pola
Page 67 and 68: a series of intellectual as well as
Page 69 and 70: • optional subject (30 hours) use
Page 71 and 72: of the lower levels of education. H
Page 73 and 74: • the one-subject model: the cont
Page 75 and 76: delivery, and the methods of the pa
Page 77 and 78: • Pathways signal important tasks
Page 79 and 80: Geography competitions as stimuli f
Page 81 and 82: Figure 1. Changes in the structure
Page 83 and 84: Challenges for the futureNowadays t
Page 85 and 86: A perspective from the United State
Page 87 and 88: The process of GIS inquiry - Thinki
Page 89 and 90: Remote Sensing in Geography Educati
Page 91 and 92: IntroductionThe Democratic Republic
Page 93 and 94: images visualise the “tree vegeta
Page 95: PART TWOProfessional Developmentand
Page 100 and 101: Some textbooks also provide self-le
Page 102 and 103: Geography programs and BolognaThere
Page 104 and 105: equirements. In the faculties of Ar
Page 106 and 107: Even though this only is a short an
Page 108 and 109: Background of international student
Page 110 and 111: students in their language skills.
Page 112 and 113: International collaboration in dist
Page 114 and 115: Designing and teaching the distance
Page 116 and 117: audio lectures - one for presenting
Page 118 and 119: enrolled in geography courses at po
Page 120 and 121: development experience. Whilst Craf
Page 122 and 123: Networking and social diffusion of
Page 124 and 125: is mistreated, the culture is a-cul
Page 126 and 127: 3. ABALAR. 2004. “Editorial”, i
Page 128 and 129: to gather process and store spatial
Page 130 and 131: 1. Fundamental to understanding GIS
Page 132 and 133: The Future of Geography and Geograp
Page 134 and 135: of geography. In Singapore Social S
Page 136 and 137: geography should become much more s
Page 138 and 139: the handful of disciplines that has
Page 140 and 141: and respected and the institutional
Page 142 and 143: 3. The strength of school and unive
Page 144 and 145: It is quite clear that Vidal de la
Page 146 and 147: Effective Practices in Distance Edu
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on to the other satellite school. O
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4. Ministry of Education. 1999. The
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schools is the result of the role e
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• A statistically significant dif
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Charles University geography gradua
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Table 1. First job in studied field
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importance in geography study progr
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The Anglo-Saxon model was collectiv
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academic science. I do believe that
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can convene. Details of these modul
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preparation and to some extent, tea
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The assessment must form the basis
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The teaching shall build on the pup
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The Relationship between Geography
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Geography and Territory Planning ha
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we wished, of course we have obtain
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Why Managers from Multinational Com
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able to have training in different
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ContextUtrecht University is a larg
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Typical is the very open atmosphere
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Times of Change for Geography Educa
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where it is divided into specific b
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• traditional versus progressive
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on European Dimension of Teaching g
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With the ongoing development of tel
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Figure 2. Present at Annual Congres
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It is expected that the more active
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An evaluation of geographyand geogr
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The problems of geography and geogr
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Europe in geographical education -
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Then these results were compared to
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Figure 9. Countries mentioned by th
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Internationalizing geography in hig
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nationalize their undergraduate and
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Groups also focus on international
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The Position of Geography Graduates
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have also affected the number ofGeo
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The majority answered that they wou
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In the Primary school curriculum, G
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the efficacy of the teaching and le
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228
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What Europe do we teach?A view from
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The regional approach is used in on
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The syllabi reflect mainly that the
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Geography Forum: Intercultural Lear
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Was Intercultural Competence promot
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of geographical education in our un
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Higher education (University) as a
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This table shows the importance of
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the studies on what exists, to cons
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248taught in the foreign language e
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as K. De Bot calls it, is a variety
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Do you speak European? or: Why even
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Years’ Religious War in the 17 th
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Why geographers should be able to s
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Intercultural education in Italian
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of geography in the process of inte
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9. BRUSA C., ed. 2002. Processi di
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Nowadays, according to the literatu
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In the gymnasium and in high school
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3. Dziennik Ustaw nr 61 z dnia 19 c
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Crick advocates these principles by
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dropping litter. There is circle ti
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and learning. Kerala is an exporter
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The role of geographical education
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ole: they form attitudes, views, pr
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Field lessons can engage the pupil
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to explore regional issues when tea
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Some backgroundFor a number of year
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issues that will shape the future g
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Geography and Environmental Science
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(2000) cautioned an awareness of cu
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Geography and Languages in Intercul
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Table 1. The most widely taught for
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the whole world will, according to
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References1. CALVET L. J. 2002. Le
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Sustainable development: let geogra
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predecessor “green,” or the pre
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8. GUNN A. S., “Professional Ethi
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Much research in Environmental Educ
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Sustainability, Development and Sec
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includes geography. The context is,
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• protected areas8. Landscape sec
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Developing geographical professiona
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tion contributes to the growth of e
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cooperative learning using as theor
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Studyng climate and water resources
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By signing and ratifying the Kyoto
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and political implications of plann
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8. UNITED NATIONS 1997. Kyoto Proto
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Conference Changing Horizons in Geo
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