Improving Reasoning and Technological Competency Across the Curriculum through Targeted Applications of GIS

学科：跨学科(99)该项目正在将地理信息系统(GIS)技术整合到专业研究学院的五(5)门课程(商务、刑事司法/安全、消防科学、护理和公共卫生)中，以促进新泽西城市大学整个课程的批判性思维、定量推理和技术能力的提高。新泽西城市大学是一所位于纽约市大都市中心的西班牙裔服务机构。正在开发五个新的1学分特定学科练习模块，以补充现有的3学分核心课程，创建一个将服务于所有5个学位课程的4学分(3+1)序列。特定学科的练习源于由学科专家教授的地理信息系统课程，并正在进行调整和实施，以适应新泽西州北部的经济气候、人口分布和城市环境。这项活动的智力价值在于通过将激动人心的相关练习整合到入门课程中，将多面手和专业方法的优势结合到地理信息系统培训中。学生们立即从这些练习中发现相关性，并掌握自己的学习经验。这会产生更高的动力，从而提高持久性和保持性。克服与地理信息系统有关的挑战所带来的动力和自尊的增加反映在其他领域能力的提高上，特别是技术、批判性思维和定量推理。这些领域的改进能力正在用源自国家模型的NJCU标准进行确定和衡量。这个项目的更广泛的影响是，核心能力的提高，加上动力、保留率和对毕业的坚持性的提高，使NJCU的学生，其中许多是代表不足的少数族裔的成员，能够在21世纪的劳动力市场上成功竞争。

Discipline: Interdisciplinary (99)This project is integrating Geographic Information Systems (GIS) technology into five (5) courses of study (business, criminal justice/security, fire science, nursing, and public health) in the College of Professional Studies, as a means of facilitating the improvement of critical thinking, quantitative reasoning, and technological competencies across the curriculum at New Jersey City University, a Hispanic-Serving Institution in the heart of the New York City metropolitan area. Five new, 1-credit, discipline-specific exercise modules are being developed to augment a current 3-credit core course, creating a single 4-credit (3+1) sequence that will serve all five degree programs. The discipline-specific exercises originate from GIS courses taught by disciplinary experts, and are being adapted and implemented to fit the economic climate, demographic distribution, and urban environment of northern New Jersey.The intellectual merit of this activity is in marrying the strengths of generalist and specialist approaches to GIS training by integrating exciting, relevant exercises into an introductory course. Students immediately see relevance in these exercises and take ownership of their learning experience. This produces high motivation, which results in improved persistence and retention. The increased motivation and self-esteem that result from surmounting GIS-related challenges are reflected in improved competency in other areas, especially technology, critical thinking and quantitative reasoning. Improved competency in these areas is being identified and measured with NJCU rubrics derived from national models. The broader impacts of this project are that improvements in core competencies, coupled with improved motivation, retention, and persistence to graduation, enable NJCU students, many of them members of under-represented minorities, to compete successfully in the 21st century workforce.