Contemporary surveying education changing with the times

Abstract

The role of the surveyor remains relevant to the modern world, but there are notable changes in how surveyors carry out their work and in the nature of that work. This paper argues that such changes in the professional arena demand changes in the associated educational programmes. The discussions are primarily based on findings from a study of a wide cross-section of university-based surveying courses from diverse countries. Issues of curriculum and pedagogy and the relationship between education and the surveying industry are explored. As it relates to curriculum, contemporary surveying education is viewed vis-à-vis educational models. The comparison is conducted at two levels: in relation to content delivery strategies and in relation to their philosophical bases. Other issues considered to be relevant to contemporary surveying education are discussed. These include shifts in how surveying is perceived in industry and in academia, pedagogical approaches employed in surveying courses and the relevance of theories of learning to pedagogical and curricular development. This paper ends with a discussion on the nature of the relationship between university-based surveying education and the wider world of professional surveying practice.