Abstract
Abstract. A wide range of geographic information science (GIScience) educational programs currently exist, the oldest now over 25 years. Offerings vary from those specifically focussed on geographic information science, to those that utilise geographic information systems in various applications and disciplines. Over the past two decades, there have been a number of initiatives to design curricula for GIScience, including the NCGIA Core Curriculum, GIS&T Body of Knowledge and the Geospatial Technology Competency Model developments. The rapid developments in geospatial technology, applications and organisations have added to the challenges that higher educational institutions face in order to ensure that GIScience education is relevant and responsive to the changing needs of students and industry. This paper discusses some of the challenges being faced in higher education in general, and GIScience education in particular, and outlines a flexible higher education curriculum framework for GIScience.
Highlights
1.1 General OverviewGeographic information science (GIScience) education programs are solidly embedded into educational institutions
This paper identifies some of the challenges being faced by higher education in the teaching and learning environment for GIScience
After more than two decades of offering GIScience education, these programs recently went through a comprehensive course review process which has served to initiate and inspire the curriculum research outlined in this paper
Summary
Geographic information science (GIScience) education programs are solidly embedded into educational institutions. Offerings range from the use and application of geographic information systems (GIS) applied within different disciplines such as geography or geology, to customisation of GIS tools and models for specific tasks such as environmental management or transportation modelling, to the advancement of GIScience concepts and knowledge including web mapping services and geocomputational modelling. GIScience programs have developed over the past two to three decades and have undergone numerous evolutions and changes driven by both technologies and the increasing collaborations among users (Li, Veenendaal & Dragicevic, 2011). The rapid developments in technology, and the application to a diverse range of disciplines and sectors has marked advancements in the geospatial field. The challenge for educators is to maintain the currency and relevance of GIScience curricula to meet the changing needs and demands of industry and government as well as students
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