Fostering Student Success in Geospatial Technology

该项目的重点是开发、实施和评估地理信息科学(GISC)的五门核心课程，这些课程正在为曼哈顿社区学院CUNY Borough的全面GISC计划的未来发展和实施奠定基础。PIS从附近的CUNY Hunter College聘请了适当的专家协助，还与国家地理空间技术中心(NGTC)、其他两年和四年制机构、当地私营行业以及联邦、州和城市机构的代表合作，在GISC开发、调整和实施模范教材和关键教学战略。短期活动旨在创建、改编和传播新的学习材料和教学策略，以反映地理空间技术的进步，该项目服务于双重目的，即为学生在不同行业的入门工作做准备，并促进学生转到当地地理信息科学(GISC)学士学位课程。该项目还试图提高学生的批判性思维和解决问题的能力，同时提高他们的地理空间素养。这是通过创新使用新兴技术、案例研究、实践教学和课堂研究来实现的。这些教学方法建立在NGTC社区学院网络已经进行的研究的基础上，并以新的方式扩展。该项目正在开发的GISC课程大大加强了大城市地区的学生学习，并提供了一批新的训练有素的技术人员，能够加入并加强当地和区域的劳动力。同样，PIS项目正在制定的教学方法和战略有可能成为适合在其他城市地区和服务于传统上在STEM学科中代表性不足的群体的机构复制的国家模式。

This project is focusing on the development, implementation, and assessment of five core courses in Geographic Information Science (GISc), which are building the foundation for the future development and implementation of a full-scale GISc program at the CUNY Borough of Manhattan Community College. The PIs have engaged appropriate expert assistance from nearby CUNY Hunter College, and also are working with representatives from the National Center for Geospatial Technology (NGTC), other two-year and four-year institutions, local private industries, and federal, state, and city agencies to develop, adapt, and implement exemplary educational materials and key pedagogical strategies in GISc. The short-term activities are aimed at creating, adapting, and disseminating new learning materials and teaching strategies to reflect advances in geospatial technology, and the project is serving the dual purpose of preparing students for entry level employment in a variety of industries and facilitating student transfer to local baccalaureate degree programs in Geographical Information Science (GISc).The project is also attempting to increase critical thinking and problem solving skills among students in addition to improving their geospatial literacy. This is being done through the innovative use of emerging technologies, cases studies, and hands-on instruction and in-class research. These instructional methods build upon and extend in new ways research already being undertaken by the NGTC's network of community colleges. The GISc courses that are being developed by the project are significantly enhancing student learning in a large urban area and are providing a new pool of highly trained technicians able to join and enhance the local and regional workforce. Likewise, the instructional methods and strategies being developed by the project PIs have the potential to become a national model suitable for replication in other urban areas and at institutions serving groups that are traditionally underrepresented in the STEM disciplines.