A Virtual GIS Laboratory for Interdisciplinary Undergraduate Education

地质学（42） 该项目采用了1995年第一次全国GIS教育应用会议提出的四项建议，通过在课程材料、公平获取数据、教师培训和跨学科合作方面进行具体改进，实现了我们的虚拟GIS实验室。通过在地理系引入四门课程，将地理信息系统纳入课堂，对课程进行了修订，并改进了技术。 这将重点转向GIS解决问题的应用程序的跨学科发展，通过适应最近的教学创新，包括：1）WEBGIS的概念化由肯尼斯E。Foote和Anthony P. Kirvan，2）由德克萨斯大学奥斯汀分校开发的虚拟地理系说明的虚拟教室，3）构成修订后的核心课程一部分的NCGIA主页，以及4）面向项目的GIS。 一个新设立的全州范围内的网站许可证与ESRI公司保证所有的学生和教师轻松访问GIS软件。 在这个项目中提出的教师研讨会帮助整个校园的教师将GIS技术和虚拟GIS实验室产品纳入他们的课程。 该设备用于改造地理系现有的地理信息系统实验室，使之成为虚拟地理信息系统实验室主页的网络服务器的主机，并使地理信息系统学生能够利用ARC/INFO和ArcView软件提供数据集。 从虚拟GIS实验室主页，用户可以要求（1）先进的GIS数据收集和分析的形式，成品准备课堂使用和（2）GIS数据访问和咨询支持那些已经在自己的GIS项目工作。 该主页还包括额外的本地数据集，一个常见问题，适合大学的关注，讨论列表，和示例GIS演示。 一个地理信息系统咨询小组监督虚拟地理信息系统实验室的管理、使用和评估。 该项目是一个适用于全国区域综合大学的跨学科GIS教育的教学模式。

Geology (42) This project adapts four recommendations by the 1995 First National Conference on the Education Applications of GIS in the implementation of our Virtual GIS Laboratory by making specific improvements in curriculum materials, equitable access to data, teacher training, and interdisciplinary collaboration. Curriculum revisions and technological improvements have occurred through the integration of GIS into the classroom by introducing a four-course sequence within the Geography Department. This shifts the focus toward the interdisciplinary development of GIS problem-solving applications by adapting recent pedagogical innovations including: 1) WEBGIS as conceptualized by Kenneth E. Foote and Anthony P. Kirvan, 2) the virtual classrooms illustrated by the Virtual Geography Department developed by the University of Texas at Austin, 3) the NCGIA home page that forms part of the revised Core Curriculum, and 4) project-oriented GIS. A newly instituted state-wide site license with the ESRI Corporation guarantees all students and faculty easy access to GIS software. Faculty workshops presented in this project aid faculty across campus in incorporating GIS technology and Virtual GIS Laboratory products into their curricula. The equipment is used to adapt the existing GIS laboratory, housed in the Geography Department, to host a web server for a Virtual GIS Laboratory home page and to enable GIS students to make available data sets using ARC/INFO and ArcView software. From the Virtual GIS Laboratory home page, users can request (1) advanced GIS data collection and analysis in the form of a finished product ready for classroom use and (2) GIS data access and consulting support for those already working on their own GIS projects. The home page also includes additional local data sets, a FAQ appropriate to university concerns, a discussion list, and sample GIS demonstrations. A GIS Advisory Panel oversees management, use, and assessment of the Virtual GIS Laboratory. This project is a pedagogical model for interdisciplinary GIS education adaptable at regional comprehensive universities nationally.