DEVELOPING A QUALIFICATION

WHICH USES GIS TO HELP

STUDENTS ‘GET THE EDGE’

Kathryn McNair

December 2014

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES

Investigate the potential for enhanced student employability by using Geographical Information Systems as a tool for learning.

• Conduct research to assess the effectiveness of the current Level 3 GIS offering

• Identify a qualification to be used as a basis to both create student awareness of GIS and improve their employability

• Gain commitment from Schools across the curriculum to use GIS within their area as a tool to give students the ‘edge’.

WHAT’S THE PROBLEM? POSITIVE:

Level 3 GIS for Business evening course has been running successfully since 2011

GIS is a growing industry with many employers looking for people with these skills – the need is still there

BUT: Unit 1 of the course is in its 3rd year of being

taught to Level 3 FT Business students Experience of co-ordinating and teaching this has

shown the process to be difficult and students reluctantIs this an effective way to help students ?

RESEARCH

Student Survey

NI Skills Survey 2013

Enterprise Hub

Expertise

Recruitment Agency Interview

Staff Intervie

w

Student Focus Group

GIS Qualificati

on

FINDINGSUnit is overly

technical and difficult for students to learn skill

Some students see the

benefits of studying

GIS

Poor achievemen

t and attendance

GIS is very relevant in

industry today

Stressful to teach

GIS roles are hard to

fill

Very lecturer

dependant due to

student needs

GIS gives students

the ‘edge’

Employers want people

prepared for work

with skills required

OPTIONS Option 1 – Do nothing

Continue with the Level 3 GIS for Business Unit 1Advantage

s• Students learn

new in-depth skills

• STEM funding continues

• Unique qualification

Disadvantages

• Overly technical for this level

• Poor attendance and achievement rates will continue

• Very dependant on lecturer guidance

• Difficult to expand across curriculum areas

OPTIONS Option 2 – Stop teaching GIS to

students

Advantages

• Solves poor achievement issues

• Takes pressure off lecturers to learn about GIS

Disadvantages

• Loss of STEM funding

• Lack of opportunity to Get the Edge

• Shying away from the problem

OPTIONS Option 3 – Develop a Level 2 GIS

unitCity and Guilds Employability Qualification

Advantages

• Students learn GIS skills

• Less technical, more achievable

• Easier for lecturers to grasp

• Applicable to a range of subject areas

Disadvantages

• Lower amount of FLU funding

• Loss of opportunity to learn ArcGIS Desktop skills

• Not 100% GIS focused

CHOSEN OPTION Option 3 - Develop a Level 2 GIS

unit

City and Guilds Level 2 Employability - Unit 505 – Candidate project for learning and work

Aim – Use GIS as a tool to complete a project

FROM THIS…

Great range of GIS skills covered but: Overly technical Lecturer dependant Every student completing

exactly the same Difficult to achieve Full year to complete Outcome does not

illustrate student understanding and GIS skill

TO THIS…

Modern use of ESRI technology

Less technical Independent learning Shorter time to complete

Take control of own project In an area of student interest More achievable

RESOURCES AND COSTS Learning materials development – 3 hours with Geraldine

Boden

Staff training – 20 members of staff attend a 3 hour workshop (£1355.40)

Enable a block-teaching of the unit (inter-semester week) Improve efficiency, motivation and success rates of the

course

If applied to all level 3 full-time students there is a potential of £325,748.80 income for the College – £133 (FLU minus teaching cost and training per student) X

2,455 FT FE L3 students

If we stay with current GIS unit the income would remain the same at £12,440.48

BENEFITS: Cost savings through shorter course Continued source of FLU income Potential to be tailored depending to needs – work

with local businesses for real-life projects and increase student motivation

Applicable to a wide range of curriculums School of Business Tourism School of Engineering Software Development

Could lead onto inclusion in other assignments as students move up through the College

Spread the word of GIS to staff And most importantly it allows students to……