Integrating GIS into an Earth and Environmental Science Curriculum

地球系统科学(40)在弗吉尼亚卫斯理学院的一个新的地球与环境科学(EES)项目中，我们正在将地理信息系统技术整合到大多数野外、实验室和课堂课程中。我们的项目包括要求装备一个增强型实验室/讲堂和一个小型地理信息系统实验室，并购买两台能够收集数字数据的环境监测设备，以供在ArcView中输入和使用。虽然地理信息系统已成为操纵、分析和显示空间数据的重要工具，但对于地理以外的学生来说，接触和熟练使用这项技术并不总是那么容易。为了帮助缩小差距，我们正在将地理信息系统整合到现有EES课程的几乎所有课程中。我们正在调整南罗斯大学、刘易斯和克拉克大学、华盛顿和李大学、理查德·斯托克顿大学和迈阿密大学的部分示范项目。刚开始大学生涯的学生在低年级的课程中只熟悉少量的空间操作，主要受益于地理信息系统的可视化方面，而即将毕业的EES专业的学生在空间数据分析的所有方面都变得相当熟练。由于可用的数据存在几乎无限的多样性，同样多样化的课堂情景被用来鼓励假设建立和检验、因果讨论和合作学习。未来的K-12教师和参加EES课程以满足一般学习要求的学生也发现，课堂和实验室中的GIS组件使体验更具互动性、可视化刺激性和趣味性。

Earth Systems Science (40)We are integrating GIS technology into most field, laboratory, and classroom courses in a new Earth and Environmental Sciences (EES) program at Virginia Wesleyan College. Our project includes a request to equip an enhanced laboratory/lecture classroom and a small GIS laboratory, and acquire two pieces of environmental monitoring equipment capable of collecting digital data for import and use in ArcView . Although GIS has established itself as an important tool for the manipulation, analysis, and display of spatial data, it is not always easy for students outside of geography to gain exposure to, and proficiency with, this technology. To help narrow the gap, we are integrating GIS into nearly all courses of the existing EES curriculum. We are adapting parts of exemplary programs at Sul Ross University, Lewis and Clark University, Washington and Lee University, Richard Stockton University, and Miami University. Students just beginning their college career become familiar with only a small number of spatial manipulations in their lower division courses, benefiting mostly from the visual aspects of GIS, whereas EES majors close to graduation become quite proficient in all aspects of spatial data analysis.Because the available data exist in almost limitless variety, equally diverse classroom situations are being employed to encourage hypothesis building and testing, discussion of cause and effect, and cooperative learning. Future K-12 teachers and students taking EES courses to fulfill general studies requirements are also discovering that GIS components in lecture and lab make the experiences more interactive, visuallystimulating, and fun.