Development of an Interdisciplinary Environmental Studies Geographic Information Analysis (GIA) Program at Montclair State University

该项目的目标是将地理信息分析(GIA)方法和技术纳入蒙特克莱尔州立大学地球与环境研究系的本科生环境研究课程。该项目的基本原理是，GIA将促进选定课程的重组，围绕跨学科环境研究的更积极学习和实践方法。要制定的跨学科框架的定义是从整体的角度对现象和系统进行审查，包括分析当代环境问题和问题的科学和社会层面的特点和融合。可以说，尽管近年来开发了许多学术计划和课程，从跨学科的角度明确或隐含地解决环境问题和问题，但已发现可用于跨学科教学的标准方法和技术存在重大缺陷。该项目提出，GIA是开发真正跨学科课程的核心工具。GIA允许深入研究变量之间的空间关系。GIA使人们能够显示空间环境数据，如土地利用和地质，并询问这些现象如何以及为什么相互作用的问题。GIA的整合将以三种方式促进系学生的跨学科学习：1)通过加强对环境问题的整体理解和概念化，改变环境问题和问题识别；2)通过鼓励头韵问题解决方法来加强分析思维，认识到自然系统和社会系统之间的关键相互作用；以及3)专注于解决和评估学生/团体动态产生的环境问题的不同视角。获得所需的设备，以及由此扩大的GIA实验室的发展，将使三套传统的讲课和实验室课程得以重新编写：1)非专业课程；2)专业方法和技术课程；3)专业跨学科课程。项目结果将由一个新的系级结果评估委员会进行评估，该委员会将通过审查学生的成绩组合和毕业面试来评估学生的成功。该项目的成果将通过以环境研究、地质学和地理教育为重点的期刊上的出版物向学术界传播。鉴于蒙特克莱尔州立大学被定义为一所教学大学，有大量学生参与教师培训，而且重组后的课程中有很大一部分学生(每年约1000人)将是非理科专业的学生，因此该项目的结果应引起极大的兴趣和影响。

The project objective is the integration of geographic information analysis (GIA) methods and techniques into the undergraduate environmental studies curriculum in the Department of Earth and Environmental Studies at Montclair State University. The rationale for the project is that GIA will facilitate the restructuring of selected courses around a more active-learning, hand-on approach to interdisciplinary environmental study. The interdisciplinary framework to be developed is defined as the examination of phenomena and systems from a holistic perspective including an analysis of de character and integration of the scientific and societal dimensions of contemporary environmental issues and problems. It can be argued that although many academic programs and curricula have been developed in recent years which either explicitly or implicitly address environmental issues and problems from an interdisciplinary perspective, a significant deficiency in the standard methods and techniques available for interdisciplinary instruction has been identified. The project proposes that GIA is a central tool in the development of a truly interdisciplinary curriculum. GIA allows for the intensive investigation of the spatial relationship among variables. GIA enables one to display spatial environmental data, such as land use, and geology, and to ask questions about how and why these phenomena interact. The integration of GIA will foster interdisciplinary study among the department's students in three ways: 1) changing environmental issue and problem identification as a consequence of enhancing overall understanding and conceptualization of environmental issues; 2) strengthening analytical thought by encouraging alliterative problem-solving approaches which recognize key interactions between natural systems and societal systems; and 3) focusing on differing perspectives in addressing and evaluating environmental issues that emerge from student/group dynamics. The acquisition of the requested equipment a nd resulting development of the department's enlarged GIA laboratory will allow the reworking of three sets of traditional lecture and lab courses: 1) courses for non-majors; 2) methods and techniques courses for majors; and 3) interdisciplinary courses for majors. The project results will be assessed by a new departmental outcome assessment committee which will evaluate student success through a review of their portfolios and exit interviews. The results of the project will be disseminated to the academic community through publications in journals focusing on environmental studies, geology and geography education. The project results should be of significant interest and impact given that Montclair State University is defined as a teaching university with a large number of students involved in teacher-training and that a significant portion of the students in the restructured courses (approximately 1000 per year) will be non-science majors.