What should we be What should we be teaching in teaching in introductory GIS & introductory GIS & remote sensing courses? remote sensing courses? Barbara Tewksbury Barbara Tewksbury Hamilton College Hamilton College [email protected][email protected]Views from the Views from the Cutting Edge Cutting Edge workshop workshop Using GIS and Remote Sensing to Using GIS and Remote Sensing to Teach Geoscience in the 21 Teach Geoscience in the 21 st st Century Century
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What should we be teaching in introductory GIS & remote sensing courses? Barbara Tewksbury Hamilton College [email protected] Views from the Cutting.
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What should we be teaching in What should we be teaching in introductory GIS & remote introductory GIS & remote
sensing courses? sensing courses?
Barbara TewksburyBarbara TewksburyHamilton CollegeHamilton [email protected]@hamilton.edu
Views from the Views from the Cutting EdgeCutting Edge workshop workshopUsing GIS and Remote Sensing toUsing GIS and Remote Sensing to
Teach Geoscience in the 21Teach Geoscience in the 21stst Century Century
Summer 2010 workshopSummer 2010 workshop
Using GIS & Remote Sensing to Using GIS & Remote Sensing to Teach Geoscience in the 21Teach Geoscience in the 21stst CenturyCentury
53 participants (½ geoscientists, ½ 53 participants (½ geoscientists, ½ GIS/remote sensing professionals)GIS/remote sensing professionals)
Emphasis on how to use GIS & Emphasis on how to use GIS & remote sensing to teach remote sensing to teach geosciencegeoscience
Especially how to do a better job Especially how to do a better job by geoscience studentsby geoscience students
Workshop kickoffWorkshop kickoff
Panel from government agencies Panel from government agencies & consulting industry& consulting industry
Asked to develop profile of the Asked to develop profile of the ideal student coming out of an ideal student coming out of an introductory GIS or remote introductory GIS or remote sensing coursesensing course
The list of competenciesThe list of competencies
All lists included basic software All lists included basic software competence & functional competence & functional knowledge of fundamentalsknowledge of fundamentals
All lists emphasized All lists emphasized competences competences beyond beyond nuts and nuts and bolts & basic knowledgebolts & basic knowledgeIndependenceIndependenceCritical thinkingCritical thinkingCommunicationCommunication
IndependenceIndependence
Students should becomeStudents should becomeindependent independent self-sufficientself-sufficientdoggedly persistentdoggedly persistent
Components of independenceComponents of independence
Find/obtain/download/prep datasetsFind/obtain/download/prep datasetsFind and interpret metadata; deal with Find and interpret metadata; deal with
missing metadatamissing metadataTroubleshoot coordinate system issuesTroubleshoot coordinate system issuesFigure things out on their own using Figure things out on their own using
Help menus, books, online forums, etc.Help menus, books, online forums, etc.Collect data in the field and integrate it Collect data in the field and integrate it
with a GIS.with a GIS.Design and carry out or manage an Design and carry out or manage an
independent project.independent project.
Teaching independenceTeaching independence
Give students “The List”; refer to it Give students “The List”; refer to it oftenoften
Always have students download & Always have students download & prep own data prep own data from original from original sourcessources; teaches them how to:; teaches them how to:Find data on their ownFind data on their ownDeal with data format and metadata Deal with data format and metadata
issuesissuesRecognize and deal with CS issuesRecognize and deal with CS issues
Teaching independenceTeaching independence
Give students experience in Give students experience in figuring things out for themselvesfiguring things out for themselvesIntegrate use of Search, Help tools, Integrate use of Search, Help tools,
Google search, online forums into Google search, online forums into exercises so that self-help becomes exercises so that self-help becomes part of how students expect to workpart of how students expect to work
Don’t let students give up easilyDon’t let students give up easilyCaveat: remember that the software Caveat: remember that the software
is complicated – can’t just toss is complicated – can’t just toss students in and say “figure it out”students in and say “figure it out”
Teaching independenceTeaching independence
Require students to develop a Require students to develop a personal GIS portfoliopersonal GIS portfolioNot just a collection of course Not just a collection of course
annotated, indexed to be a useful annotated, indexed to be a useful resourceresource for the future for the future
Critical thinkingCritical thinking
Students should becomeStudents should becomeMore than map makersMore than map makersMore than button-pushersMore than button-pushers
Components of critical thinkingComponents of critical thinking
Evaluate limitations of dataEvaluate limitations of dataSchematically diagram an analysis & Schematically diagram an analysis &
analyze impact on interpretationsanalyze impact on interpretationsCarry out hypothesis-driven analyses, Carry out hypothesis-driven analyses,
interpret results, marshal evidence, interpret results, marshal evidence, and analyze uncertainties and and analyze uncertainties and limitations of interpretationslimitations of interpretations
Work out how a technique could be Work out how a technique could be used in other analyses with other dataused in other analyses with other data
Get beyond the nuts & boltsGet beyond the nuts & boltsEmphasize critical analysis from Emphasize critical analysis from
the beginning of a coursethe beginning of a courseHave students extend and apply Have students extend and apply
in thought problems to give them in thought problems to give them practice in coming up with their practice in coming up with their own analysesown analyses
CommunicationCommunication
Identify the audienceIdentify the audienceStructure an appropriately Structure an appropriately
targeted presentationtargeted presentationBe able to present to a variety Be able to present to a variety
clear, and cartographically correct clear, and cartographically correct maps.maps.
Teaching communicationTeaching communication
Have students write/present for Have students write/present for audiences other than instructoraudiences other than instructor
Have students critically evaluate Have students critically evaluate other people’s written and oral other people’s written and oral presentation presentation and reflect on how it and reflect on how it will change their own.will change their own.
Role of an original projectRole of an original project
Addresses components of all Addresses components of all three parts of the list three parts of the list (independence, critical thinking, (independence, critical thinking, and communication)and communication)
Most valuable if students have Most valuable if students have already practiced independence, already practiced independence, critical thinking, communicationcritical thinking, communication
Doing X and then expecting Y is Doing X and then expecting Y is not a recipe for success!not a recipe for success!
Does it work?Does it work?
My own class last springMy own class last springStudent who initially had low Student who initially had low
tolerance for frustration taught tolerance for frustration taught himself HEC-RAS.himself HEC-RAS.
Two students taught themselves Two students taught themselves Network AnalystNetwork Analyst
One summer research student One summer research student taught another using his portfoliotaught another using his portfolio