Course description
Integrating Geographic Information System (GIS) technology into the classroom offers students the opportunity to utilize the same tools employed in high-demand careers to investigate geographic questions, perform analysis, and explore various themes and disciplines related to geospatial technologies. Students can discover relationships, patterns, and trends through maps, spatial analysis, reports, and charts by working with data. These skills are essential across a wide range of disciplines, including science, mathematics, engineering and technical education, and social studies. This e-module allows educators and students to explore the transformative potential of GIS technology in teaching and learning for sustainability and beyond. Teachers will learn how to leverage geospatial information and technologies to engage students by utilizing visualization and spatial analysis to deepen their understanding of historical and contemporary events, while simultaneously enhancing their green, technological, digital, and problem-solving skills. The module also guides accessing ready-made lesson plans across various subject areas and introduces users to the software’s integrated spatial analysis tools. Step-by-step instructions are provided through video lectures and supplemental materials, along with resources for locating and downloading vector and raster data. Additionally, basic GIS terminology and concepts will be covered for interdisciplinary and STEAM education, as well as inquiry, challenge, project, and problem-based teaching approaches.
The overall themes:
- Learn basic GIS terminology;
- Learn what GIS is and how it can be used as a powerful educational tool;
- Learn how GIS is a great tool for STEM projects;
- Introduction of simple GIS analysis tools;
- Learn how to access, download and process vectorised (shapefiles) and rasterized (raster) open-source data;
- Learn how to download spatial data collected from a GNSS device or smartphone app and plot them on a GIS map;
- Learn how GIS spatial analysis can lead to a deeper understanding of content information and its context, especially for addressing different sustainability challenges;
- Analyse and chart data, help make decisions and solve real-world problems;
- Learn how to find ready-made activities and lesson plans for using GIS or incorporating GIS into Education for Sustainable Development (ESD);
- Get ideas to transform your classroom and your school into a GEO-Lab using problem and challenge-based co-design educational approaches.
Course structure:
1: Introduction to Geographic Information Systems (GIS)
- 1.1 GIS in a nutshell
- 1.2 GIS data structures and applications
2: Spatial Data Acquisition and Editing
- 2.1 How to find spatial data and maps online
- 2.2 Download data and use GIS applications to open, visualise and export data
- 2.3 Basic processing capabilities and tools for your project
3: GIS and Spatial Analysis
- 3.1 Vector data processing
- 3.2 Raster data processing
- 3.3 Working with 3D surfaces
- 3.4 Multi-criteria problem solving
4: GIS lesson plans for your classroom
- 4.1 Geo-Inquiries, standard-based inquiry activities
- 4.2 The GOSTEAM Inquiry-based approach
- 4.3 Geo-labs activities – transforming my school into a living lab
