Integrating GIS into a topical intro geo course

Barbara TewksburyHamilton College

An example from Hamilton College

• GIS integrated as a tool in intro geo courses

• NOT point and click GIS

• Real GIS analysis for students

• Two components– Intro GIS modules for all courses– Course-specific activities

Intro modules

• What we needed– A hook– Activities to practice techniques in

ArcMap without getting bogged down in projections, coordinate systems, data structures, etc.

– Geo-specific basic intro

Three intro modules

• Written as self-guiding tutorials• Accompanied by GIS primer where

students can look things up• Have integrated geoscience

questions• Available atserc.carleton.edu/NAGTWorkshops/intro/activities/25063.html

Module 1: Mt. St. Helens

Module 2: Clinton Topo

Module 3: Adirondacks

Course-specific activities

• Example: Geology and Human Events in Africa and Middle East

• Variety of GIS projects in Egypt

• Designed to emphasize analysis, rather than teaching GIS techniques

• Students receive repeated practice in basic GIS techniques and learn new ones in context of solving the analysis

Field trip

• Prepare hillshaded from LiDAR• In field: fluvial history of Mohawk River?

Field trip

• Prepare DEM hillshade and bedrock map• In field: control of bedrock geo on topog?

Earthquakes in ArcScene

Follow up with ArcScene of eqs in E. Med and N.Africa to evaluate risk to Aswan High Dam.

Water resources, Egypt

Why don’t the Egyptians integrate the Toshka LakesInto New Valley water plans?

Qattara Depression Solar Hydroelectric

What is the optimum configuration for power generation, and is it worth it?

North Darfur Paleolake

How big might the lake have been? What field studies would you do, and what would you look for?

Generalizing

• Students do not need full GIS course• Teach them only what they need to

know to do the analyses• Use GIS where other types of

analyses are inadequate• Use GIS for problem-solving, not

point-and-click