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GIS Software Why should I consider
using GIS in the classroom?
GIS and Schools - Why They're a Good Fit Thornburg (2002) suggests that schools are confronting a dilemma, in that what it means to be "educated" is undergoing rapid change. At one time, the extent of someone's "learning" could be measured by the amount of factual information they had acquired. However, in data-rich environments, simply getting information isn't very useful - you have to know what to look for and what to do with it once you find it. In these contexts, the quality of one's "learning" isn't so much the "answers" they have at their fingertips, but their ability to ask good questions and to see what impact those answers might have on people, communities, nations, and the natural world. Those skills will be essential for what Thornburg terms the "knowledge/value workers," for whom there are increasing demands worldwide (and who will also enjoy unprecedented opportunities). How do Geographic Information Systems (GIS) fit into this changing environment? Very neatly and very productively - because they provide a vehicle by which students learn how to ask intelligent questions of real-world data, and use that information to address genuine problems and examine complex issues. They also provide powerful tools by which teachers can address both content and technology standards in ways that transcend conventional boundaries between academic disciplines, such as math, science, and social studies. All three disciplines can use GIS to help students master and understand content in those areas, but in different ways. For example, a science teacher could use satellite data available from NASA and the USGS to help students understand the impact of deforestation on erosion patterns, while a social studies teacher could use U.S. census data to have students explore some of the impacts of suburban growth, patterns of voting preference, and other issues. In these kinds of projects, the GIS technology is a powerful tool for helping students understand content. It also provides them with opportunities to look for patterns, to develop hypotheses and then systematically evaluate them. These are the kinds of skills that have wide applicability outside the classroom and provide the basis for genuine life-long learning. GIS fits nicely into inquiry-based learning and project-based learning environments. Schools have used GIS to have students work on real-world tasks, such as planning parks and providing local fire departments with critical information in forms that they can readily use. These kinds of experiences can have a powerful impact on the ways students think of themselves and what they are capable of doing. At the same time, the complex "messy" nature of these undertakings provide opportunities for integrating information from diverse sources, focusing on what is relevant and prioritizing among alternatives, analyzing tasks into manageable components, setting, managing and refining timelines, developing good communication and collaborations skills, testing and evaluating at critical points along the way, as well as at the end. In short, students learn how to think and solve problems by thinking and solving problems. In particular, it is in integrating information from diverse sources that GIS excells, as it gives a way for students to link data (that's already available) and present it in a visual form that can show how that information is pertinent to a particular community, area, region or nation. That is, these students are learning how to ask important questions and to explore potentially useful answers - capabilities that will increase in value long after specific facts have slipped from memory. In addition to the opportunities to foster minds that are both inquiring and knowledgeable, there are the potential practical benefits to students in learning to use GIS tools. Industries as diverse as market research, forestry, and health care all see the need for understanding the data relevant to their field, and they are turning to GIS to address these requirements. However, the need is consistently greater than the number of individuals who have these skills. Students who can think effectively by using these tools are likely to have a wide range of choices open to them, many of which offer opportunities for growth. Author: Dr. Michael Madden Professor, School of Education October 7th, 2002 |