Toward Widespread Geographic Information Literacy: An Undergraduate Computer Laboratory for Geographic InformationScience

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The primary objective of this project is to enhance the geography curriculum by providing undergraduate students greater access to and instruction in the use of current technology -- computer applications in courses in Statistics, Geographic information Systems (GIS), Cartography, Remote Sensing, and Research Methods. This would be achieved by converting an existing mixed-mode lecture/lab classroom into a state-of-the-art instructional lab. The lab will consist of eighteen Pentium II computers with high-resolution monitors, one large-format digitizing tablet, two laser printers, a color scanner, and an XGA-class projector and screen. Some of the peripheral devices are already in place, (he tablet, scanner, and one laser printer), and would be accessible from all computers. The lab will enable each student to have access to a workstation. It has a projection system to provide students with easily-followed instructional demonstrations, and it is fully networked so that students have access to data on a central server as well as full access to the internet. The lab employs appropriate software for teaching undergraduates the principles of geographic information science, including traditional and spatial statistics, cartography, geographic information systems, and remote sensing. Students will learn these tools in the techniques courses, and then be able to apply them in other more systematic courses, including Geographic Research Methods, Weather & Climate, Urban Planning, and Geo-morphology. The lab will dramatically increase the number of students who would receive some instruction in computer-based concepts and techniques, from approximately 40 per year to over 200. Also, the quality of instruction is expected to improve as the our students no longer need to share workstations during class instruction time. Furthermore, our students will now be able to do a much greater variety of applications than possible with the computers in the current lab.