Developing trainee engagement with GIS

Nicola WalsheUniversity of Cambridge

Developing trainee engagement with GIS: WHY? “a tool which allows us to organise and visualise data in new and highly practical ways. It allows us to place layer upon layer of data over a base map made up of real-world localities. It enables us to calculate and even predict the intricate phenomena that make up our world and make intelligent decisions based on very complex data.” Papadimitriou and Kidman (2012)

All pupils should “interpret a range of sources of geographical information, including ... GIS” ... at Key Stage 3, this specifically refers to using GIS to view, analyse and interpret places and data (2014 National Curriculum for Geography).

Reality in schools???

• September 2014: ArcGIS online training• Autumn 2014: trialling in school, reflecting in

blogs• December 2014: ArcGIS online training• January 2015: StoryMap task

LICENCES ???• Spring – Summer 2015: integrating pedagogy,

reflecting in blogs• June 2015: reflection, evaluation, resource

sharing.

Developing trainee engagement with GIS: The Project

“I think the potential for ArcGIS in the classroom is huge, but I think teachers have a duty to be critical of it and use this criticism for helping young people enquire about the word. What is ESRI? Why should a company providing military mapping have a place in the classroom? Why is that it is their software we use in class? Why is there poor satellite coverage over Namibia vs. UK? Why is it that most layers of data are for the USA and UK?”

Developing trainee engagement with GIS

Cyrus

Story Maps

Story Maps use geography as a means of organizing and presenting information. They tell the story of a place, event, issue, trend, or pattern in a geographic context. They combine interactive maps with other rich content—text, photos, video, and audio—within user experiences that are basic and intuitive.

Cyrus’ Story Map

Cyrus’ Story Map

• “It brings [geography] to life”

• “It has excellent potential for portraying to students that geography is happening all around us, for example recent volcanoes”

• “it develops students’ independent learning – giving them the basic tools and letting them explore what they can do with ArcGIS online”.

Developing trainee engagement with GIS

Sarah

Sarah’s Story Map

Sarah’s Story Map

• Increasing confidence• Increasing usage in school?• Increasingly seeing the relevance:

– Making Geography Relevant– Developing Geographical

Understanding– Developing Geographical Skills

Developing trainee engagement with GIS: The Positives

(Møller Madsen et al, 2014)

• Technical complexity

• Methodical complexity

• Integration into the curriculum

• Teaching staff

• Conditions at own school – comprises all constraints which are determined by the equipment and facilities at the school

Developing trainee engagement with GIS: The Issues

“difficulty in using and understanding the software” “hard finding appropriate data”

“it would be helpful to have step by step guidance to perform certain tasks” “What is the potential for sharing files?”

“worried about the time it would take to explain how to use it”

“it is difficult persuading some other teachers that it is worthwhile”

“can’t guarantee having access to laptops or computers”

Höhnle et al (2013)

• Co-operation with other teachers:– Trainee support– Mentor ‘buy-in’

• Ongoing, good quality training• Technical vs geography

Developing trainee engagement with GIS: The Future?

“GIS should be compulsory in all years” (Mark)

Developing trainee engagement with GIS

1. The theoretical perspective of the course;2. Desiderata based judgements of the

student:1. Shared desiderata (values / norms shared by

the student body);2. Personal desiderata (referring to the

individual students’ values).

(Møller Madsen et al, 2014)

Developing trainee engagement with GIS: The Trainees