Teaching Spatial Analysis in Business: An Examination of the Use of Geographic Information Systems in a Decision Support Systems Course

Abstract

Geographic information systems (GIS) are increasing in importance as a resource for collecting, managing, and analyzing data pertaining to a variety of business problems. Yet, the number of business schools that have incorporated GIS as a significant part of even one of their core business courses is quite small. Thus, little is known about how to teach GIS in business courses and how business students respond to being taught about this subject. To examine these issues, GIS training was included as a significant part of a decision support systems course offered within a traditional business school curriculum. Attitudes and opinions of students concerning the role of GIS in business were collected both prior to and after students were given training in the course. In addition, perceptions about the topic of GIS were captured one year after students graduated. Results indicate that students' attitudes about the effectiveness of GIS as a decision support tool and its role in business courses improved after their exposure to the technology and these attitudes did not significantly decline one year later. However, the results also showed that students did not develop more positive perceptions about the benefits to their careers of GIS training. The paper also discusses some of the instructor's observations related to teaching GSI in business school courses.