Download - Model of Geo/Spatial Information Literacy (MG/SIL): an innovative model for geospatial information education and research

Maryam Nazari, University of Sheffield

Model of Geo/Spatial Information Literacy (MG/SIL):

an innovative model for geospatial information education and research

Maryam Nazari

giCentre, Department of Information Science, City University, London, October 2008


What is MG/SIL?• A model constructed on the properties of conceptions of

geospatial information (GI) emerged from a qualitative, exploratory case study

• It provides GIS (Geographic Information Science/Systems) learners, educators, curriculum designers, and other stakeholders with approaches that facilitate transferring learning in GI/S education

• It also provides GI researchers with a framework and methodological approach to research GI and the needs of GI users


Information literacy in online distance learning GIS programmes

Real information andlearning needs

Perceptions, and teaching and learning experiences of,

GIS and geo/spatial information

Real skill and knowledge-

needs

An exploratory An exploratory

case studycase study

Identify

Explore

- Academics and students

- 23 GIS modules

- 3 ODL programs

- semi-structured interview

- questionnaire

- students’ reflection

- document study

- To identify competencies GIS students need: a) to be able to find, evaluate, and use geospatial information; b) to solve problems geo/spatially

Explore


Information literacy

“Knowing when and why you need information, where to find it, and how to evaluate, use, and communicate it in an ethical manner”.

(CILIP 2007)




to diagnose their information and learning needs when dealing with

a task

to find, evaluate and use appropriate information to meet

their needs


Overall outcomes of this study

• Conceptions of GIS• Conceptions of Geo/spatial information • A five-phase process of problem-solving

geo/spatially• Model of Geo/Spatial Information Literacy


Why to you?

• Department of information science

• Master course on Geographic information

• Interested in interactive methods of teaching and learning

• Research on understanding GI and needs of GI users is one of the core aims of the giCentre


In this presentation:

• Why MG/SIL is needed?• How was it developed?• How does it work?• How can it be used in GI

education and research?


Rationale

Purpose of GI/S education

To enable people use GI/S in different disciplines and

application areas for various purposes

Calls for transferable education


Barriers to transferable learning in GI/S education

GIS education

Diversity in the GIS learners’

backgrounds, abilities, and

ambitions

Wide application

areas

Technology-oriented nature of the information and learning in the GIS

discipline

Tight schedule, instruction-led

Involves using wide range of tools, techniques, and operations

Self-contained modules and tasks to deliver wide range of instructions and skill-sets

Need for application and subject-relevant principles, knowledge and terminology, etc

Wide range of knowledge-base and value systems

Need to match various knowledge-base and value systems


Rationale

Diversity in the

applications of GI/S

GI/S is technology-

oriented

Diversity in the knowledge of

application areas


backgrounds

Diversity in their knowledge-base

Diversity in their value system

Diversity in the GIS learners’ goals of

learning GI/S

Involves using wide range of GIS and non-

GIS tools and techniques

Diversity in their way of viewing and using GI/S

Diversity in their ability to deal with a GI/S task

Require doing various operations

Require wide range of skill-sets

Tight schedule GIS

courses


knowledge and skill-needs

Diversity in the underpinnings of

the tools and techniques

Instruction-ledSelf-contained

tasksTransferring

education


Fixed GIS curricula

Year 1

Year 2

Year 3


Key models of GIS curricula

Community-centred

The UCGIS Model Curricula Project

The Body of Knowledge (BoK)

NCGIA Core Curriculum


Some initiativesThe Body of Knowledge

Using current models of IL

Pedagogical approaches

The BoK- providing learners with multiple pathways to select their destination from ten areas of knowledge

Jablonski (2004) uses the Big6: problem-solving process to develop GIS learning objectives that increase independent task accomplishment in undergraduate learners

Xgrain, e-MapScholar, and EDINA use learning materials and resources to enable IL and research skills in undergraduate and graduate students, adopting the SCONUL model (Massey 2002)

To engage learners in some IL activities in some GIS introductory courses (DiBiase 1996; Rahn and Zygo 2004)


Transferable education

Year 1

Year 2

Year 3

Year 1

Year 2

Year 3


Understanding ways in which information is

perceived and used in the process of teaching

and learning


Exploration of GI conceptions and construction of the

MG/SIL

Data collection– In-depth, semi-structured interviews with 20 academics within

the context of 23 different GIS ODL modules– In-depth, semi-structured interviews with 7 students who had

learning experiences of various GIS modules, and some workplace-oriented tasks

Questions- How would you describe geospatial information (GI) and what

makes it unique?- How would you describe the physical format of GI?- What competencies are needed to make sense of, and use GI

in each GI conception? What are the implications of the conceptions for the MG/SIL?

Data analysis- Grounded theory methods conceptions of GI- Further analysis on the properties of the conceptions to

construct the MG/SIL


Conceptions of GI

Geo/spatial Temporal

Geo/spatiallyTechnology-mediated

Geo/spatially contextualised

Geo/spatial Geo/spatial informationinformation


Conceptions of GI - 1

Geo/spatial

Location

Attributes

Locational (e.g. name of streets, postal codes)

Non-locational (e.g. diseases, pollution, sand, water etc)

Represents the earth feature

Information about the location

Information about the target phenomenon in the location

Defines in the corresponding context of application or subject area



Temporal

It represents features of the earth in certain point(s) of time

It is about a dynamic-temporal phenomenon i.e. the earth

It has a life span e.g. census data



Geo/spatially contextualised

needs to be spatially conceptualised and contextualised

socially and geographically constructed phenomenon



Geo/spatially technology-mediated

GI is readable and usable by GIS

It needs to be formed and transformed

- x,y,z coordinates;- latitude-longitude;- spatial identifier

GI is originally in any format

- Text; e.g. names of streets, lakes etc- Number; e.g. table of census data, columns of spreadsheet etc- Visual formats; e.g. maps, graphs, digital maps and images, scanned aerial photographs etc.


The multi-dimensional nature

of and characteristics of GI

The multi-dimensional context of GI

Need for various

operations & skill-

sets

Various forms of

user input

GI conception

s

The GI conceptions as foundations of the MG/SIL

Informative framework of GI conceptions


Various user inputs

• Spatial way of thinking• Spatial and temporal

way of thinking• To geo/spatially form

and transform GI• To geo/spatially

construct GI





Need for various

operations & skill-

sets

Various forms of

user input

GI conception

s



Time Location

Attributes

SubjectApplicatio

n

Task/ query

Constructive framework of GI conceptions





Need for various

operations & skill-

sets

Various forms of

user input

GI conceptions



Time Location

Attributes

SubjectApplicatio

n

Task/ query

Constructive framework of GI conceptions

Task/ problem

Informed thinking &

questioning

To diagnose and perform appropriate To diagnose and perform appropriate geo/spatial geo/spatial information behaviourinformation behaviour, and acquire their needed , and acquire their needed skill and knowledge to make sense of, and use GI, skill and knowledge to make sense of, and use GI, geo/spatiallygeo/spatially


Learners in charge …

• To understand the features and characteristics of GI as described in the four conceptions

• Combining this understanding with their understanding of the task to determine their way of viewing and using GI

• To think and question • 1- To question the skills and competencies needed to make

sense of, and use GI in the way they wanted• 2- To question their KB and VS; to see in what part of the

competencies they are good and where they need to improve themselves

• To diagnose and catch up• To diagnose appropriate geo/spatial information behaviour

and gain their needed competencies, using resources inside and outside of the course materials

• To recall and transform• To connect the new knowledge and competencies to their

KB and VS


Implications for teaching and research GI

• Curriculum design• Pedagogy • Learning environment and materials


… curriculum design

• To inform the GI/S curricula design, content, and pedagogy (to develop and evaluate)

• To develop GI/S curricula around the conceptions• To evaluate the coverage of the GI/S curricula in

terms of the conceptions: to identify their way of viewing GI/S and the extent to which they cover competencies needed relevant to each conception

• To develop an introductory course on the GI• To develop an introductory course on the MG/SIL• To integrate the MG/SIL model in the GI/S

courses


… pedagogy

• To engage students in inquiry-base tasks that involve them in the G/SIL competencies, e.g. tasks that:

• - a) require them construct their meaning of GI and identify their input(s) into it – reflection

• - b) inquire their knowledge base (KB) and value system (VS) in terms of the conceptions and competencies you need to make sense of, and use GI to accomplish their tasks

• - c) inquire their KB and VS to see how the competencies would relate to their KB and VS

• - d) require them to recall their earned knowledge• - e) facilitate connective and transformative learning,

e.g. to develop their awareness of the GI conceptions as that helps them to understand the “why” behind instructions they may be given to operate GI -ATTITUDE


… learning environment and materials

• To design learning environment and materials in a way that facilitate learning and practicing the G/SIL competencies, e.g. that facilitate learners:

• - a) to navigate their needed information and learning materials and feed their possible inquires both terms of their skill and knowledge-needs

• - b) to map the components of the curriculum and courses onto their KB and VS

• - c) connect different pieces of learning to their KB and VS


… to research GI

• To investigate people’s perceptions of, and ways of, using information, using the current methodological approach

• To investigate students’ ways of viewing and using GI, using and/or building upon the GI conceptions

“Understanding GI is fundamental to decisions wherever geography is important, for example, in the prediction of natural hazards, planning transportation options or analysing crime patterns”.


… to research GI

• To develop semantics of GI in various subjects and application areas

• Semantics of GI may vary in different discipline and application areas- need to be constructed

• To involve individuals and organizations in constructing their own semantics of GI geo/spatially – meaning of location, time, … in the context of the applications

“We are focused on the use of digital geographic information to achieve new insights into society and the environment, and to enable access to geographic information in ways that are both beneficial and effective”.


- Ms. Sheila Webber (my supervisor in Sheffield)- Dr. Robin S. Smith (my GIS advisor in the ICOSS)- Mr. David DiBiase (my advisor in Penn State)- Worldwide Universities Network (WUN) - Global

exchange program award- The John Campbell Trust – CILIP- GIS instructors and students in the Universities

of Leeds and Southampton, and Pennsylvania State University

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