Abstract

GIS Virtual Communities: Thinking, Living and Breathing GIS
Track: Educational Research and Teacher Education
Author(s): Miguel Peixoto, Marco Painho

ISEGI - New University of Lisbon (UNL, Universidade Nova de Lisboa) teaches, since 2002, a MSc in Geographical Information Systems and Science (GIS&Sc) through eLearning which is the first MSc in Portugal offered in distance learning mode. The MSc is now on its seventh edition with more than 240 students enrolled and 9 professors, creating a large group of people with a special interest on Geographical Information Systems (GIS) and forming a community of practice. In order to keep our alumni in close contact and pursuing long life learning objectives, we have created and developed a Virtual Community with a special focus on GIS. This community, amongst other things, has encouraged social interactivity and scientific and technologic knowledge sharing. At the end some of the accomplished results are discussed and some conclusions are presented.

Miguel Peixoto
ISEGI-UNL
Campus de Campolide
Lisboa , Lisboa 1070-312
Portugal
Phone: +351 21 387 04 13
Fax: +351 21 387 21 40
E-mail: mpeixoto@isegi.unl.pt

Marco Painho
ISEGI-UNL
Campus de Campolide
Lisboa , Lisboa 1070-312
Portugal
Phone: +351 21 387 04 13
Fax: +351 21 387 21 40
E-mail: painho@isegi.unl.pt