Training Non-GIS Experts in the Use of Geospatial Tools & Technologies at Stanford University - Patricia Carbajales, Stanford University

Training Non-GIS Expertsin the Use of Geospatial

Tools & Technologies at Stanford University

Patricia Carbajales, Geospatial Manager,

Branner Earth Sciences & Map Collections,Stanford University

Geospatial Information Systems:The evolution of the Geospatial Community

Systems Applications

Source: Joseph Berry, Geoworld Magazine, October 2006

Geospatial Information Systems:Present & Future Directions

• AT PRESENT• GIS development has been evolutionary, then

revolutionary• Contemporary needs• Technical breakthroughs

• From descriptive inventories to prescriptive analysis• GIS technology has changed our perspective of a map:

• Provider of input – Vital ingredient in decision-making• Geotechnology is moving toward commodization

• Undifferentiated product • Characterized by price, not quality

• GIS is “As different as it is similar” to traditional mapping

• FUTURE DIRECTIONS• Social Solution vs. Scientific Solution

The Importance of GIS in Higher Education

• “Geotechnology is one of three mega technologies for the 21st century together with nanotechnology and biotechnology”. U.S. Department of Labor

• Projected to have one of the top ten fastest growth of employment between 2005 and 2015

• More than 350,000 organizations using GIS• Growing demand for working professionals• Overall market size: $50-$60 Billion in total revenue for

acquiring, managing, analyzing map data• Applied in over 100 academic disciplines• Millions of GIS Users (Emergency response, natural resources,

utilities, business, sociology, transportation,…)• Enhances educational goals: creative thinking, problem-based

learning approaches, civic engagement,...• It has saved thousands of millions of dollars through increased

productivity and efficiencies

Stanford’s Libraries Strategy:Centralized Geospatial Center

• Center of excellence in GIS:

+ Forum for exchange of ideas and expertise: intellectual osmosis- Room full of hardware, software, and intimidating GIS experts

+ Faculty oversight in GIS Committee: + No draining costs for traditional programs+ No fights over academic ownership+ Space, hardware, software, and data acquisition are a communal good

- Not just another “techno-science” addition

• GIS technology benefits from its diversity as it does from its oneness:

+ To be embraced into existing courses, it needs to be close to its user’s minds- An isolated building on the other side of campus

+ Grabs a student’s attention by directly relating to his field of interest+ Application-specific GIS, eclectic set of courses - Theoretical bases+ Incorporate unconventional concepts and approaches

Stanford’s Libraries Strategy:Keys to success

PRINCIPAL CAUSES FOR FAILURE:1. Poor planning2. Lack of corporate management support3. Poor project management4. Lack of customer focus and end-user participation

OBJECTIVES:• Awareness• Basic principles• Mapping know-how• Domain expertise• Data delivery• Center of excellence• Learning

environment• Support for all academic disciplines

OBJECTIVES:• Awareness• Basic principles• Mapping know-how• Domain expertise• Data delivery• Center of excellence• Learning

environment• Support for all academic disciplines

SUCCESSFUL SOLUTION:1. Learning environment2. Leadership communicates commitment & sponsorship3. Comprehensive, simple, flexible4. End-users must be proactively involved in all phases

Scope

Expectations

Quality

TimeCost

Branner Library Geospatial Services

Earth Sciences(Fundamentals of GIS)

Anthropology(Spatial Approaches)

Political Sciences(Social Sciences)

Civil & EnvironmentalEngineering(Hydrology)

Branner LibraryGIS Services

Spatial History

Lab

AcademicTechnologySpecialists

Digital HumanitiesSpecialists

Undergrads

Grads & Post-docs

Faculty

Staff

InstructionConsultationData Resource CenterSupport Center

ClassSupport

CollaborationData Resource Center

Technical Support

Outreach

ReviewSessions:

UndergradsGraduates

WhereCamp:GIS Community

Geography Week &

GIS Day:Stanford Univ

GIS Staff:Geospatial Manager

2 GIS Assistants

GIS at Branner Library

MISSION: Support all faculty, students, and staff in their GIS-related activities.

SERVICES• Data Resource Center• Consulting:

• Data gathering• Advanced spatial analysis• Effective cartographic display

• Instruction• Troubleshooting• GIS facility for project development

Stanford’s Libraries Response:GIS Education & Training

GIS AWARENESS & APPLICATIONS

BASIC SPATIAL UNDERSTANDING

USER TRAINING IN BASIC GIS TECHNOLOGY

HIGHERLEVEL

MODELING APPLICATIONS

Pool of potential new users areintroduced to what GIS can do withemphasis on the diverse backgrounds,interests, and objectives

Coordinate systems, datums, projectionsScale & precision, data formats, componentsData capture (GPS, scanners, RS, CADD)

Working with & storing geospatial dataQuery, analysis, display and outputSpatial relationships, topologyExamples applied to different disciplines

Support for high level research analysisCustomized data manipulation & modelingSpecific courses by discipline

• “Thinking with maps”: mapped data spatial information• GIS education: raise awareness + stimulate interest + sound

foundation• Learning environment Vs. teaching environment

Workshops

• Hands-on with instructor• Student participation• “No student left behind”• Following with consultation

1-on-1 (return on investment)

• Tailored to cover most frequent needs:• Compatibility• Analysis• Publishing

• Always evolving: based on feedback from students

• Expanding to non-traditional geospatial software

• Integrated in classrooms

• In one year:• 4 different models

• Intro to ArcGIS• Data Creation &

Management• Advanced GIS Series• Google Mapping

Technologies• 2 coming up soon

• Projections• Spatial Statistics

• Over 80 workshops• More than 340

students• Popularity mostly from

former students• bit.ly/geotraining

Geospatial Software & Users

• ArcGIS Desktop• Compatibility• Requirements in current job market• Capacity for analysis• Campus Site License

• 640 library clusters• Over 2,000 installs• Free training• Tech. Support

• Google Earth, Maps & Fusion Tables• Easy, user- friendly, familiar• Great for collaboration & publication

• R, QGIS (specialized GIS groups)• PostGIS, OpenLayers, ArcSDE,

ArcGISServer (non-utilized)

Spatial AnalysisResearchProjectJob requirementBasic to advancedUser

Publishing &CollaborationResearchProjectBasic userSpecific TasksResearchProjectAdvanced user

Outreach:Geography Awareness Week & GIS

Day

Conclusions

• Main objective: establish geospatial foundation• Responsibility for solid foundation• Limited resources• Specialized groups

• Faculty’s involvement is critical• Often not easy• Enforcement of fundamentals

• “Human resource” as important as infrastructure

• Balance between goals, expectations and resources

• Next steps: expand expertise and support to programming languages such as Python

Thank you

• Websites:gis.stanford.edubit.ly/geotraining

• Contact information:[email protected]

Thank you for listening!