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 Collegebtewksbu@hamilton.edubtewksbu@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

materialsmaterialsCourse materials organized, Course materials organized,

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

Critically analyze existing maps Critically analyze existing maps

Teaching critical thinkingTeaching critical thinking

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

audiences.audiences.Create attractive, informative, Create attractive, informative,

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

http://serc.carleton.edu/http://serc.carleton.edu/NAGTWorkshops/gis/NAGTWorkshops/gis/

outcomes.htmloutcomes.html