Geospatial Skills Research Articles

ГЕОАҚПАРАТТЫҚ ТЕХНОЛОГИЯЛАР ГЕОКЕҢІСТІКТІК ОЙЛАУ ДАҒДЫЛАРЫН ДАМЫТУ ҚҰРАЛЫ РЕТІНДЕ

The use of geospatial technologies is becoming increasingly important in geography education, enabling activities such as spatial data retrieval, sampling, organised storage and transfer of necessary information. However, this process is very slow due to many obstacles that hinder the implementation of geospatial technologies in secondary education. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to analyse the current status of geospatial technologies in teaching geography in schools in Kazakhstan and to as-sess the potential of these technologies to develop students’ geospatial skills. The state of application of geospatial technologies in secondary education in Kazakhstan was determined by a survey. The survey involved 208 geography teachers from 17 regions and 3 large cities of Kazakhstan. The survey results showed that 96.2% of respondents use geospatial technologies (geographic information systems – GIS, software, mapping services, geoportals, mobile GIS applications). The most common are mobile GIS applications (69.5%) and mapping services (21.4%). It was also found that 24.1% of respondents use ArcGis and 20.7% use QGIS for GIS-based data design. Although the content of typical secondary school programmes and textbooks reflects the problem of practical application of GIS technologies, it was found that teachers face a number of obstacles in using them. Therefore, teachers would benefit from using not only GIS but also geospatial technologies in general when teaching school geography. In the future, geospatial technologies will help students to develop geospatial thinking skills due to their multifunctional capabilities.

Expressions of geographic literacy in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic: the role of geographic education among adults

The global outbreak of COVID-19 brought an unprecedented influx of official and semiofficial geographic information to individuals worldwide, primarily in the form of geospatial and numerical data. Maps specifically played a key role in the conveying of information and guidelines to the public in relation to the pandemic. Yet to fully understand such input, and reach informed decisions, the public needed to possess and utilize geographic literacy. In this paper, the term geographic literacy is defined as the ability to use spatial-geographic knowledge, skills, and reasoning, as a means for understanding and interpreting intertwined spatial phenomena. This study therefore aims at examining geographic literacy among adults, both in general and in relation to geographic education. Online quantitative questionnaires were completed by a representative sample of 456 Hebrew-speaking adults in Israel. Findings indicate low geographic literacy among the public, as seen in tasks that require data extraction and comprehension of visual representations. While the non-cognitive outcomes, such as attitudes toward geography and self-efficacy in geography, were strongly correlated with expressions of geographic literacy in the context of COVID-19, the highest formal instruction in geography and geographic education were not. These findings indicate that low geographic literacy might hinder making pandemic-related informed decisions, thus highlighting the importance of promoting geographic literacy. We conclude with the importance of identifying pedagogical mechanisms that enhance geospatial skills while also addressing non-cognitive outcomes, to better prepare diverse populations for 21st-century challenges.

Building a Proposed Educational Program Based on the Characteristics of the Place and Measuring its Effectiveness in Developing the Skills of Sense and Geographical Imagination among Middle Third Grade Students in the City of Makkah

The study aimed to build an educational program based on the characteristics of the place, and measure its effectiveness in developing the skills of sense and geographical imagination, in addition to measuring the reliability between the amount of growth of the two variables. To achieve this, a random sample of (34) students was selected from one of the middle schools in Makkah City. The study followed a semi-experimental approach-one-group design. The study data were collected using two tools observation card for geosensory skills, and a situational test for geo-imagining skills, and the data was analyzed by statistical methods using a program (SPSS). The results of the study revealed significant differences in the level of significance(α≤0.01) Between the average scores of the study group in the tribal and dimensional applications of the two variables approved in the observation card for the skills of geographical sense, and the test of attitudes for the skills of geographical imagination in favor of the dimensional application. Black's adjusted gain ratio for the two approved variables reached (1.24 and 1.25), respectively. The results also showed a linear predictive relationship (Simple regression) of the beta value reached (.748) at the semantic level(α≤0.01) of respectively. Based on the results of the study, a set of relevant recommendations. Keywords: educational program construction, location characteristics, geospatial skills, geospatial imagination skills, middle third grade students

Pendampingan dan Pelatihan Pengajaran Geomatika Menggunakan Perangkat Simusurveyx dan Stake Out Guide di Program Keahlian Geospasial dan Geologi Pertambangan SMKN 1 Balikpapan

The Geospatial and Mining Geology Expertise Program at SMKN 1 Balikpapan has limitations in terms of facilities and infrastructure, the workshop building uses a former automotive workshop building which is not sufficiently representative as other skill program workshops. In terms of Geomatics practice equipment, two skill programs with resource sharing with very minimal facilities, where the equipment owned are as follows: 3 units of PPD, 1 unit of Digital Theodholite, and 2 units of TS where 1 battery unit is damaged, not proportional to the number of students with geospatial skills as many as 165 people with 6 teachers and 248 skill students with 8 teachers being less than optimal during geomatics practice. The assistance and training of the simulation tool survey and stake out guide carried out by the PkM Poltekba team is an alternative tool for the teaching and learning process in the field of measurement, making it easier for teachers and students to facilitate basic measurements and surveys in the field and reduce the risk of using limited tools so that the teaching and learning process becomes more optimal.

A Risk-Based Approach for Enhancing the Fitness of Use of VGI

Volunteered Geographic Information (VGI) phenomena offer an alternative or supplement to the authoritative mechanism of geospatial data acquisition. It aims to allow people without professional geospatial skills or knowledge to participate in the geospatial data collection. VGI has been boosted by recent advances in geospatial technology and applications. VGI applications have shown great potential in various areas such as disaster management and public health. However, VGI suffers from a lack of quality assurance, because VGI contributors may lack knowledge of the geospatial domain and credibility. Moreover, VGI data may have different levels of detail and precision, and may have been collected for different purposes. Appropriate VGI data for a specific application may be less appropriate for another application. End-users may use VGI data without being aware of its appropriateness to their requirements. This may cause a risk that arises when end-users inappropriately use, or be uncertain about using VGI data in their applications. This risk may undermine the VGI project, in which end-users are involved. This paper proposes an approach that aims to enhance VGI quality assurance by measuring the spatio-semantic similarity between user requirements and provided VGI, and to evaluate the fitness-for-use of VGI. The proposed approach is based on an algorithm to help VGI end-users to deal with the risks related to the quality of VGI data. The approach helps end-user make appropriate decisions about VGI data (e.g., considering or not considering VGI data and being careful when using VGI data).

RESILIENCE ACADEMY STUDENT INTERNSHIP MODEL AS AN INNOVATIVE WAY TO ENHANCE GEOSPATIALLY LITERATE FUTURE WORK FORCE IN AFRICA

Abstract. This paper is based on the experiences from Resilience Academy project in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, where students’ are engaged to a mass-internships for a period of 8-12 weeks. Student internship model of the Resilience Academy is designed to work with the local organisations to conduct geospatial data collection campaigns based on the use of various open-source data and tools combined with community mapping and digital online working. Simultaneously, students’ exposure to practical training during the internship provides them with relevant applied geospatial skills, which increase their future employment opportunities and participation in informed decision-making.

Impact of Land Reclamation on the Vegetal Cover of Bayelsa State, Nigeria

The study examined the impact of land reclamation on vegetal cover in Bayelsa State. For the purpose of this study, both quantitative and qualitative research methods were adopted. Field observations, questionnaire survey and landsat imagery of land cover changes in the year 1986 and 2018 were generated from the global ground cover facility stream. The time series study design and supervised classification of the image processing were adopted to determine the impact of land reclamation on vegetal cover of the study area. It was therefore recommended that recovery of land will make strategic urban planning initiatives sustainable in overcrowded areas and institutions should also put in place laws and strategies to regulate reclamation activities across the region and also geo-spatial skills should be put in place to help quantify the dynamics, trends and rate of reclamation induced land cover change in the environment. Educational institute should inculcate environmental knowledge in the local environment.

An interactive point pattern analysis web application and teaching exercise

ABSTRACTThis paper introduces a web-based, interactive point pattern analysis “game” that allows users to generate quickly and repeatedly a point pattern on screen and immediately learn whether the pattern is statistically different from random. It uses two point pattern analysis methods: quadrat analysis (QA) and nearest neighbor analysis (NNA). Studies have shown that gaming approaches, digital tools, and interactive instruction for teaching spatial thinking complement and enhance students’ geospatial skills. This game challenges students to achieve randomness, demonstrates the differences between QA and NNA, and easily permits in-class use by running in any web browser.

USE OF ESA EARTH OBSERVATION EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES IN VOCATIONAL EDUCATION AND TRAINING - LIFELONG LEARNING: TOWARDS STEM PROMOTION AND DEVELOPMENT OF SKILLS

Vocational Education and Training (VET) and Life-Long Learning (LLL), stand at the forefront of Europe’s strategic policies in Education, in response to the lack of students’ interest in STEM and the emerging needs for new skills in the labour market. Space can be a particularly useful platform for attracting students to STEM, environmental as well as topics related to geospatial information, as many state-of-the-art technologies used in everyday life are space-based, while space seems to also be creating a genuine interest among most learners. This study focuses on the plethora of European Space Agency (ESA) Earth Observation (EO) education material readily accessible, at no cost and available in several languages. Undertaking the effort to optimize/extend the use of these existing EO educational resources also in VET and LLL, for promoting STEM subjects, as well as for the development of green and geospatial skills, would be to the mutual benefit of both ESA and the European Union. Finally, it is proposed that an assessment of the utility and potential for the overall ESA Education resources (other than EO), but also of other Space Agencies and relevant institutions active in space education, in VET and LLL would be of particular interest. Keywords:

In Memorium: Thomas Hilker

Dr. Thomas Hilker left us on 4 September 2016 following a sudden cardiac arrest. Thomas was adevoted husband to Yhasmin, and a brother and son to his family in Germany to whom we expressour deepest sympathies. Friends and colleagues of Thomas in the remote sensing and ecologicalcommunities lament this tragic loss. During his short but stellar science career, Thomas becamea world leader in the field of carbon, water and energy exchange from the land. He pioneeredstudies in the Amazonian forests, using anisotropy information acquired from satellites to describethree-dimensional structures that linked these ecosystems functionally to climatic variation.Thomas had an extreme range of interests—from the engineering of advanced spectrometers toproviding new theories and innovative methods to process remotely sensed data. Dr. Piers Sellers,Acting Director of the Earth Sciences Division at NASA/GSFC, and Deputy Director of the Sciences andExploration Directorate wrote: “Thomas Hilker was something of a renaissance man in Earth Science.He could climb towers, measure tall trees, and calculate spectral indices in his head. Working with himwas like collaborating with two or three normal people. He had some of the best and most originalideas in remote sensing that I’ve come across, but unlike most of us, he could go get the data to provehis point. And he was always the best fun. I remember him coming to a couple of parties of ours—hewas always relaxed, humorous, charming. He could make people laugh and everyone felt so goodaround him.”Thomas obtained a Bachelor of Science degree in Forestry from the University of Applied Sciences,in Goettingen, Germany in 2000, a Master in Photogrammetry and Geoinformatics from the Universityof Applied Sciences in Stuttgart in 2002 and a PhD from the University of British Columbia (UBC) inForestry in 2008. After a three year postdoctoral position at UBC (2008–2011), he worked as a ResearchAssociate at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center (2011–2012). From 2012 to 2016, Thomas held aposition as Assistant Professor at Oregon State University’s College of Forestry, leading the RemoteSensing Laboratory and teaching classes in Remote Sensing and Spatial Data Analysis. In 2015 and2016 he was a visiting researcher at the National Institute for Space Studies in Brazil (Instituto Nacionalde Pesquisas Espaciais, INPE). He looked forward to starting a position as an Associate Professor ofEarth System Science and Remote Sensing at the University of Southampton, UK.Thomas became fascinated by the global carbon cycle following receipt of his Master’s degree andwas keen to utilize his geospatial skills to unlock the details of the cycle. Inspired by the linksbetween canopy reflectance and photosynthesis, Thomas designed an Automated MultiangularSpectroradiometer for Estimation of Canopy reflectance [1] and improved it in subsequentiterations [2,3] to be able to continuously monitor subtle changes in the reflected spectra from

Using open‐ended geographic information system assessments to allow students to construct relevant geographies given the internationalisation of tertiary education in New Zealand

AbstractThe geospatial skills shortage in New Zealand requires the development of more undergraduate geographic information system (GIS) courses. However, the internationalisation of New Zealand's tertiary education system has resulted in an increasingly diverse tertiary student population, which makes it challenging to teach GIS in a way that maximises relevance to all tertiary students. One approach to this challenge is to make use of the recent proliferation of openly available GIS data, and to internationalise GIS curricula by using open‐ended assessments that provide students with the opportunity to learn GIS by constructing their own geographies of relevance.

Development of a web-enabled learning platform for geospatial laboratories: improving the undergraduate learning experience

This paper describes a web-enabled learning platform providing remote access to geospatial software that extends the learning experience outside of the laboratory setting. The platform was piloted in two undergraduate courses, and includes a software server, a data server, and remote student users. The platform was designed to improve the quality of the learning experience and to increase student confidence and proficiency with software-based geospatial skills. Laboratory grades of students using the platform were significantly higher than those of students who did not use the platform, and survey responses reported that students overwhelmingly liked the convenience of the platform, which allowed them to work from any location.

Filling the gap: The geospatial skills shortage in New Zealand

AbstractGeospatial technologies span governmental, academic and private commercial sectors, and their potential for growth is considerable. The USA and Australia have trouble meeting demand for geospatial skills. This paper reports on a national survey of 157 organisations that identified a similar geospatial shortage in New Zealand. The paper also details dimensions of the shortage and the current frameworks for meeting the shortfall of skilled professionals. Arising from this skills gap, key challenges facing both the geography and geospatial communities are identified and discussed: raising student numbers, gaining experience, up‐skilling current professionals and raising awareness of the value of the geospatial skillset.

The Use of Geospatial Technologies Instruction Within a Student/Teacher/Scientist Partnership: Increasing Students' Geospatial Skills and Atmospheric Concept Knowledge

ABSTRACTMany 21st century careers rely on geospatial skills; yet, curricula and professional development lag behind in incorporating these skills. As a result, many teachers have limited experience or preparation for teaching geospatial skills. One strategy for overcoming such problems is the creation of a student/teacher/scientist (STS) partnership within schools. This study investigated the extent to which the use of geospatial technologies (GST) within a STS partnership improved the geospatial skills and atmospheric science concept knowledge of high school and junior high school students who were primarily from high-needs schools. During the course of a 5 d summer institute, scientists who use GST in their research taught teachers how to use the geospatial technologies of remote sensing, geographic information systems, and global positioning systems. This phase was followed by instruction in standards-based activities, taught by a master teacher, which participating teachers could use to integrate GST in their curriculum. During the school year following the summer institute, teachers taught their students the use of the geospatial skills. Students then applied these skills to collect field data, which were shared with scientists. Instruction culminated in the preparation of individual inquiry-based student projects that were presented to scientists, fellow students, and community members at a mini-conference. The research methodology involved testing students before any instruction in GST and then retesting them twice: (1) once during the elaboration phase of instruction, subsequent to formal instruction and field data collection, and (2) again during the evaluation phase of instruction, after student engagement with their individual projects. Substantial gains were found from the pretest to the evaluation phase test in both geospatial skills and atmospheric concept knowledge. No interaction effects of gender and socioeconomic status were found.

Youth GIS Partnerships in Action: Alert, Evacuate, and Shelter

Across the state of Oklahoma, teams of youth and adults have formed to use Geographic Information Systems (GIS) to help prepare their communities for potential emergencies. Oklahoma 4-H teams have selected projects ranging from locating storm sirens to distributing emergency maps. Each of these teams has partnered with a local EMS agency to address a community need while developing their geospatial skills. When conducting 4-H GIS, two goals should be kept in mind: public service and youth development. Partnerships are important to the success of youth and GIS. This program would not be as successful and effective without these partnerships.

Developing Transferrable Geospatial Skills in a Liberal Arts Context

Geology education usually takes place within the context of a broader curriculum, but specific synergies between disciplines have rarely been explored or exploited. Here, we have assessed the spatial visualization skills of undergraduate students in a variety of disciplines to determine which are most compatible with a geology curriculum. Spatial abilities are considered one of the most important cognitive skills in the geosciences but there has been little comparative work among disciplines (and particularly non-Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics disciplines). Our results demonstrate that geology students had the highest average spatial test scores (a mean of 16.4 out of a possible 20) among the 11 disciplines assessed, and this remained true even after correcting for the effects of gender and grade point average. Both physics and fine arts students also performed well on this assessment. A major implication of our study is that geology students can deliberately enhance their spatial abilities by taking courses in other fields, such as the fine arts, which are known to build those same abilities. In this way, geology curricula may be developed to maximize the benefits of a broad education and thus, ultimately, produce higher-performing geologists.

The Campus Mine: An Adaptable Instruction Approach Using Simulated Underground Geology in a Campus Building to Improve Geospatial Reasoning before Fieldwork

Geospatial skills are critical to effective geologic mapping, and many geoscience students experience challenges in developing good geologic interpretation and projection skills. A physical (non-virtual) underground mine mapping simulation in a building on the Adams State College campus in Alamosa, Colorado, provides an excellent cost-effective and efficient learning tool to prepare students for actual field mapping, while improving spatial thinking using a physical hands-on setting. In this simulation students act as mine geologists, completing simulated mine mapping work tasks. Mapping and interpretive skills are enhanced in an adaptable, flexible, and easily implemented simulation that is software independent. The mine simulation is well received by students as an effective training and learning tool.

Geography Undergraduate Program Essentials: Placement

Following an integrative model that shows the complex connections of recruitment, retention, and placement, this final paper in a three-part series explores the demanding endeavor of placing geography graduates into rewarding professional careers. Employment markets will continue to be robust for geography graduates, particularly for those with geospatial skills. Geography departments, however, must clearly understand employment trends from local to national levels to place their graduates. Survey data of alumni are valuable in constructing productive placement plans.