training non-gis experts in the use of geospatial tools & technologies at stanford university -...
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Presentation given the JISC Geo Programme Meeting in London on Tuesday 29th November 2011.TRANSCRIPT
Training Non-GIS Expertsin the Use of Geospatial
Tools & Technologies at Stanford University
Patricia Carbajales, Geospatial Manager,
Branner Earth Sciences & Map Collections,Stanford University
Geospatial Information Systems:The evolution of the Geospatial Community
Systems Applications
Source: Joseph Berry, Geoworld Magazine, October 2006
Geospatial Information Systems:Present & Future Directions
• AT PRESENT• GIS development has been evolutionary, then
revolutionary• Contemporary needs• Technical breakthroughs
• From descriptive inventories to prescriptive analysis• GIS technology has changed our perspective of a map:
• Provider of input – Vital ingredient in decision-making• Geotechnology is moving toward commodization
• Undifferentiated product • Characterized by price, not quality
• GIS is “As different as it is similar” to traditional mapping
• FUTURE DIRECTIONS• Social Solution vs. Scientific Solution
The Importance of GIS in Higher Education
• “Geotechnology is one of three mega technologies for the 21st century together with nanotechnology and biotechnology”. U.S. Department of Labor
• Projected to have one of the top ten fastest growth of employment between 2005 and 2015
• More than 350,000 organizations using GIS• Growing demand for working professionals• Overall market size: $50-$60 Billion in total revenue for
acquiring, managing, analyzing map data• Applied in over 100 academic disciplines• Millions of GIS Users (Emergency response, natural resources,
utilities, business, sociology, transportation,…)• Enhances educational goals: creative thinking, problem-based
learning approaches, civic engagement,...• It has saved thousands of millions of dollars through increased
productivity and efficiencies
Stanford’s Libraries Strategy:Centralized Geospatial Center
• Center of excellence in GIS:
+ Forum for exchange of ideas and expertise: intellectual osmosis- Room full of hardware, software, and intimidating GIS experts
+ Faculty oversight in GIS Committee: + No draining costs for traditional programs+ No fights over academic ownership+ Space, hardware, software, and data acquisition are a communal good
- Not just another “techno-science” addition
• GIS technology benefits from its diversity as it does from its oneness:
+ To be embraced into existing courses, it needs to be close to its user’s minds- An isolated building on the other side of campus
+ Grabs a student’s attention by directly relating to his field of interest+ Application-specific GIS, eclectic set of courses - Theoretical bases+ Incorporate unconventional concepts and approaches
Stanford’s Libraries Strategy:Keys to success
PRINCIPAL CAUSES FOR FAILURE:1. Poor planning2. Lack of corporate management support3. Poor project management4. Lack of customer focus and end-user participation
OBJECTIVES:• Awareness• Basic principles• Mapping know-how• Domain expertise• Data delivery• Center of excellence• Learning
environment• Support for all academic disciplines
OBJECTIVES:• Awareness• Basic principles• Mapping know-how• Domain expertise• Data delivery• Center of excellence• Learning
environment• Support for all academic disciplines
SUCCESSFUL SOLUTION:1. Learning environment2. Leadership communicates commitment & sponsorship3. Comprehensive, simple, flexible4. End-users must be proactively involved in all phases
Scope
Expectations
Quality
TimeCost
Branner Library Geospatial Services
Earth Sciences(Fundamentals of GIS)
Anthropology(Spatial Approaches)
Political Sciences(Social Sciences)
Civil & EnvironmentalEngineering(Hydrology)
Branner LibraryGIS Services
Spatial History
Lab
AcademicTechnologySpecialists
Digital HumanitiesSpecialists
Undergrads
Grads & Post-docs
Faculty
Staff
InstructionConsultationData Resource CenterSupport Center
ClassSupport
CollaborationData Resource Center
Technical Support
Outreach
ReviewSessions:
UndergradsGraduates
WhereCamp:GIS Community
Geography Week &
GIS Day:Stanford Univ
GIS Staff:Geospatial Manager
2 GIS Assistants
GIS at Branner Library
MISSION: Support all faculty, students, and staff in their GIS-related activities.
SERVICES• Data Resource Center• Consulting:
• Data gathering• Advanced spatial analysis• Effective cartographic display
• Instruction• Troubleshooting• GIS facility for project development
Stanford’s Libraries Response:GIS Education & Training
GIS AWARENESS & APPLICATIONS
BASIC SPATIAL UNDERSTANDING
USER TRAINING IN BASIC GIS TECHNOLOGY
HIGHERLEVEL
MODELING APPLICATIONS
Pool of potential new users areintroduced to what GIS can do withemphasis on the diverse backgrounds,interests, and objectives
Coordinate systems, datums, projectionsScale & precision, data formats, componentsData capture (GPS, scanners, RS, CADD)
Working with & storing geospatial dataQuery, analysis, display and outputSpatial relationships, topologyExamples applied to different disciplines
Support for high level research analysisCustomized data manipulation & modelingSpecific courses by discipline
• “Thinking with maps”: mapped data spatial information• GIS education: raise awareness + stimulate interest + sound
foundation• Learning environment Vs. teaching environment
Workshops
• Hands-on with instructor• Student participation• “No student left behind”• Following with consultation
1-on-1 (return on investment)
• Tailored to cover most frequent needs:• Compatibility• Analysis• Publishing
• Always evolving: based on feedback from students
• Expanding to non-traditional geospatial software
• Integrated in classrooms
• In one year:• 4 different models
• Intro to ArcGIS• Data Creation &
Management• Advanced GIS Series• Google Mapping
Technologies• 2 coming up soon
• Projections• Spatial Statistics
• Over 80 workshops• More than 340
students• Popularity mostly from
former students• bit.ly/geotraining
Geospatial Software & Users
• ArcGIS Desktop• Compatibility• Requirements in current job market• Capacity for analysis• Campus Site License
• 640 library clusters• Over 2,000 installs• Free training• Tech. Support
• Google Earth, Maps & Fusion Tables• Easy, user- friendly, familiar• Great for collaboration & publication
• R, QGIS (specialized GIS groups)• PostGIS, OpenLayers, ArcSDE,
ArcGISServer (non-utilized)
Spatial AnalysisResearchProjectJob requirementBasic to advancedUser
Publishing &CollaborationResearchProjectBasic userSpecific TasksResearchProjectAdvanced user
Outreach:Geography Awareness Week & GIS
Day
Conclusions
• Main objective: establish geospatial foundation• Responsibility for solid foundation• Limited resources• Specialized groups
• Faculty’s involvement is critical• Often not easy• Enforcement of fundamentals
• “Human resource” as important as infrastructure
• Balance between goals, expectations and resources
• Next steps: expand expertise and support to programming languages such as Python
Thank you
• Websites:gis.stanford.edubit.ly/geotraining
• Contact information:[email protected]
Thank you for listening!