Teaching GIS in Bulgaria: time for rethinking the concepts

Size: px

Start display at page:

Download "Teaching GIS in Bulgaria: time for rethinking the concepts"

Karen Marshall
8 years ago
Views:

1 Teaching GIS in Bulgaria: time for rethinking the concepts Stelian Dimitrov, Anton Popov, Alexander Kotsev Sofia University St.Kliment Ohridski, Faculty of Geology and Geography, 15 Tzar Osvoboditel Bd, Sofia 1504, Bulgaria,

2 Instead of introduction In the recent years the use of computers and information technology as a whole changed dramatically the system of higher education. In the case of academic geography this role is played more or less by Geographical information Systems and related Geoinformation (GI) technologies. While in the beginning GIS was very technical, now it is more science driven. The contemporary GIS technology is simplifying all the time the interaction with the computer hardware and software and offering more and more opportunities for the user to operate with the artificial (digital) geographical environment.

While in the beginning GIS was very technical, now it is more science driven.

3 GIS and GI literacy are not formed only by technical skills, but demands more than ever before basic spatial culture and understanding. The contemporary level of development of the technology requires GIS education which must place an emphasisze on the geographic fundamentals of the technology and on the deployment of concepts and analytical skills, rather than using point and click teaching approaches and keyboard commands.

The contemporary level of development of the technology requires GIS education which must place an

4 Main topics Problem-based learning (PBL) is a common approach to education PBL and associated techniques are widely used in GIS education GIS in Bulgaria Our vision is that the whole curricula should be PBLoriented, aiming to provide Geographic Information Science principles, rather than mastering powerful software Some examples

is that the whole curricula should be PBLoriented, aiming to provide Geographic

5 GIS in Bulgaria GIS became popular in Bulgaria relatively late In practice in the beginning of 1990s GIS technology was introduced and started to evolve very slowly in the country Despite of the initial interest, GIS was not very well known till 1995, when the government started some significant initiatives, related to GIS.

slowly in the country Despite of the initial interest, GIS was not very well

6 GIS education The first GIS course, taught within Sofia University began in the academic year 1995/6. Gradually, geographic information sciences found their place within the Bulgarian educational system and today GIS courses and programs could be found in most Universities and relevant academic institutions. In 2001 in the Faculty of Geology and Geography started the first and still the only one Master degree program in GIS.

today GIS courses and programs could be found in most Universities and relevant academic institutions.

7 GIS MSc program is designed in four mutually penetrating and interacting modules GIS fundamentals module: GIS literacy module GIS applications module GIS practicum

8 The last of the above modules is an illustration of the design of our curriculum, which aims to provide a more geographically orientated GIS knowledge and skills in combination with hands on real world experience through PBL.

geographically orientated GIS knowledge and skills in

9 Assessing Deforestation, by Using GIS, Remote Sensing and Surveying Techniques (project funded by the NATO scientific programme, and accomplished with the University of Pennsylvania and the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill ) RGB multiband LANDSAT ETM 7 image R=4 band, G=5 band, B=3 band

accomplished with the University of Pennsylvania and the University of North

10 Five students were involved in statistical data collection, surveying, GPS data collection, as well as GIS database production, through digitalization of paper maps. Results: students received real world experience in combination of GIS analytical techniques, Remote sensing and survey techiques

11 Urban Audit project ( Bulgaria ( funded by EUROSTAT through Bulgarian National Statistical Institute)

12 The projects aims to collect information on the living conditions in 258 large and medium-sized cities within the European Union and the candidate countries (EU27). In that project the students were involved in the process of building the GIS databases of 5 Bulgarian cities: Sofia, Vidin, Varna, Burgas and Plovdiv. Results: expertise in building of GIS database, Two students started to work there on full-time basis

In that project the students were involved in the process of building the GIS databases of 5 Bulgarian

13 Conclusions The simple point and click methods could be useful in GIS training for beginners, but not for education of people, who want to be GIScience professionals. GIS analysis is as different as it is similar to traditional geographical analysis and mapping, meaning that the GIS education should begin with a course or a system of courses on theoretical basis of geographical analysis and be organized in close relation to the core Geography program of the department or faculty.

GIS analysis is as different as it is similar to traditional geographical analysis and mapping, meaning that the GIS

14 According to us, the most appropriate approach for involvement of students and for making them understand the importance of the use of GIS as geographical, but technologically driven approach for solving our world s spatially related problems is the PBL and associated techniques. Therefore those techniques are widely used in our postgraduate courses. Our whole curriculum is in a way organized around them, aiming to provide education, where teaching Geographic Information Science focuses not only on mastering powerful software packages such ArcGIS, but also on the real world problems being solved by applying the concepts underneath.

Therefore those techniques are widely used in our postgraduate courses.

15 Thank you!

Practical Aspects of Project Based Interdisciplinary Teaching with GIS. Alexander Kotsev, Anton Popov, Stelian Dimitrov

Practical Aspects of Project Based Interdisciplinary Teaching with GIS Alexander Kotsev, Anton Popov, Stelian Dimitrov During the year of celebration of the 111 th year of Academic Geography at Sofia University