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2 Education and Curriculum Needs in GIS/GIScience
Pages 27-42

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From page 27... ... Education in new specialties cannot be separated from the research that underlies it, and as is true of any new intellectual enterprise, geographic information systems and geographic information science present new challenges across the pedagogical spectrum from applications to fundamental geographic and cartographic theory. GIS/GISCIENCE TRAINING AND EDUCATION NEEDS Maps play critical roles in any discipline that investigates phenomena dispersed over Earth's surface. Read the entire page →
From page 28... ... With widespread adoption of GIS as a tool for environmental management, planning, and spatial decision support, GIS courses are now routinely offered as service courses on many campuses, and are increasingly required in programs in Earth science disciplines. Looking toward the future, informed citizens will need to use and understand the outputs of geographic information systems and the rudiments of geographic information science. Read the entire page →
From page 29... ... . Some GIS courses are too focused on software at the expense of the critical concepts and habits of mind required for the effective practice of evolving mapping science. Read the entire page →
From page 30... ... Meanwhile, workforce development specialists have attempted to identify the roles that geospatial technology professionals are expected to play, and the competences required for success in those roles. The National Science Foundation's 1987 solicitation for a National Center for Geographic Information and Analysis (NCGIA) Read the entire page →
From page 31... ... is the latest in a series of national attempts to identify the knowledge and skills needed for success in geospatial technology professions. The related UCGIS Body of Knowledge provides a detailed taxonomy of topics that should be included in any comprehensive GIScience curriculum (Table 2-3) Read the entire page →
From page 32... ... GIS competence, however, is not a component of teacher training in most colleges and universities; the few elementary and secondary school teachers who offer GIS instruction typically have taken ESRI courses (NRC, 2006a) Read the entire page →
From page 33... ... EDUCATION AND CURRICULUM NEEDS IN GIS/GISCIENCE 33 TABLE 2-2 Thirty-Nine Competences Required for Success in Geospatial Technology Professions as Identified by GWDC TECHNICAL COMPETENCES � Ability to assess relationships among geospatial technologies � Cartography � Computer programming skills � Environmental applications � GIS theory and applications � Geological applications � Geospatial data processing tools � Photogrammetry � Remote sensing theory and applications � Spatial information processing � Technical writing � Technological literacy � Topology BUSINESS COMPETENCES � Ability to see the "big picture" � Business understanding � Buy-in/advocacy � Change management � Cost-benefit analysis and ROI � Ethics modeling � Industry understanding � Legal understanding � Organizational understanding � Performance analysis and evaluation � Visioning ANALYTICAL COMPETENCES � Creative thinking � Knowledge management � Model-building skills � Problem-solving skills � Research skill � Systems thinking INTERPERSONAL COMPETENCES � Coaching � Communication � Conflict management � Feedback skills � Group process understanding � Leadership skills � Questioning � Relationship building skills � Self-knowledge/self-management NOTES: Each professional role listed in Table 2-1 requires a subset of the technical, analytical, business, and interpersonal competences listed here; Boldface type indicates competences identified as core competences by GWDC; GI S&T = geographic information science and technology; GWDC = Geospatial Workforce Development Center. SOURCE: Gaudet et al., 2003. Read the entire page →
From page 34... ... 34 BEYOND MAPPING TABLE 2-3 Knowledge Areas and Units from the UCGIS GI S&T Body of Knowledge 2006 Knowledge Area AM, Analytical Methods Unit AM1 Academic and analytical origins Unit AM2 Query operations and query languages Unit AM3 Geometric measures Unit AM4 Basic analytical operations Unit AM5 Basic analytical methods Unit AM6 Analysis of surfaces Unit AM7 Spatial statistics Unit AM8 Geostatistics Unit AM9 Spatial regression and econometrics Unit AM10 Data mining Unit AM11 Network analysis Unit AM12 Optimization and location-allocation modeling Knowledge Area CF, Conceptual Foundations Unit CF1 Philosophical foundations Unit CF2 Cognitive and social foundations Unit CF3 Domains of geographic information Unit CF4 Elements of geographic information Unit CF5 Relationships Unit CF6 Imperfections in geographic information Knowledge Area CV, Cartography and Visualization Unit CV1 History and trends Unit CV2 Data considerations Unit CV3 Principles of map design Unit CV4 Graphic representation techniques Unit CV5 Map production Unit CV6 Map use and evaluation Knowledge Area DA, Design Aspects Unit DA1 The scope of GI S&T system design Unit DA2 Project definition Unit DA3 Resource planning Unit DA4 Database design Unit DA5 Analysis design Unit DA6 Application design Unit DA7 System implementation Knowledge Area DM, Data Modeling Unit DM1 Basic storage and retrieval structures Unit DM2 Database management systems Unit DM3 Tessellation data models Unit DM4 Vector and object data models Unit DM5 Modeling 3D, temporal, and uncertain phenomena Knowledge Area DN, Data Manipulation Unit DN1 Representation transformation Unit DN2 Generalization and aggregation Unit DN3 Transaction management of geospatial data Read the entire page →
From page 35... ... Reprinted with permission from the Association of American Geographers. Read the entire page →
From page 36... ... that aid cognitive objectification; � Compare and contrast differing epistemological and metaphysical viewpoints on the "reality" of geographic entities; � Identify the types of features that need to be modeled in a particular GIS application or procedure; � Identify phenomena that are difficult or impossible to conceptual ize in terms of entities; � Describe the difficulties in modeling entities with ill-defined edges; � Describe the difficulties inherent in extending the tabletop meta phor of objects to the geographic environment: - Evaluate the effectiveness of GIS data models for representing the identity, existence, and lifespan of entities; - Justify or refute the conception of fields (e.g., temperature, den sity) as spatially intensive attributes of (sometimes amorphous and anonymous) Read the entire page →
From page 37... ... ; - Illustrate major integrated models of geographic information, such as Peuquet's Triad, Mennis' Pyramid, and Yuan's Three-Domain; - Determine whether phenomena or applications exist that are not adequately represented in an existing comprehensive model; - Discuss the degree to which these models can be implemented using current technologies; and - Design data models for specific applications based on these comprehensive general models. SOURCE: DiBiase et al., 2006. Read the entire page →
From page 38... ... While most states do not license GIScience professionals, South Carolina recently initiated a category of GIS surveyor. It remains to be seen whether other states will adopt similar requirements. Read the entire page →
From page 39... ... In general, GIS/GIScience was inherently and intuitively attractive to any specialty focused on geographically dispersed resources, and demand for GIS software and professionals who could use it grew rapidly in the public and private sectors. Because of its intrinsic reliance on computer technology and because it presented some novel intellectual and practical challenges, the computer science (and by extension electrical engineering) Read the entire page →
From page 40... ... Reprinted with permission from the Association of American Geographers. The effectiveness of such varying arrangements in meeting internal college and university needs and the demand for GIS/GIScience professionals varies from place to place. Read the entire page →
From page 41... ... EDUCATION AND CURRICULUM NEEDS IN GIS/GISCIENCE 41 private education moving to meet market needs was the two-day workshop on "Unleashing the Power of GIS and GPS" offered at the 2006 annual meeting of the Association of American Geographers by Informa Learning (formerly TFI Learning) , an international provider of specialist information and services for the academic, professional and business communities. Read the entire page →

From page 27...

... Education in new specialties cannot be separated from the research that underlies it, and as is true of any new intellectual enterprise, geographic information systems and geographic information science present new challenges across the pedagogical spectrum from applications to fundamental geographic and cartographic theory. GIS/GISCIENCE TRAINING AND EDUCATION NEEDS Maps play critical roles in any discipline that investigates phenomena dispersed over Earth's surface.

2 Education and Curriculum Needs in GIS/GIScience Pages 27-42

2 Education and Curriculum Needs in GIS/GIScience
Pages 27-42