Abstract
Incorporating Service Learning in a Geographic Information Systems Class
Track: Lightning Talk - Teaching
Authors: Lisa Tranel
Students in an undergraduate GIS class were assigned a service-learning project to experience real world applications of GIS. The semester project assessed the best neighborhoods for a Habitat for Humanities chapter to fundraise in the community. As students learned skills to obtain, organize, digitize, and query data, they were assigned tasks to define efficient neighborhood distributions for door-to-door fundraising. Tasks included gathering, digitizing and displaying streets and houses in their assigned neighborhoods. Students also investigated demographic and crime data that might indicate the potential for successful and safe fundraising. The primary challenges were assessment of learning goals and data quality. Students benefited from the opportunity to put their newly learned skills to use and some participated in fundraising after the maps were complete. Student involvement in this project provided diverse insight into the process of creating effective maps and a connection to the local community.
service-learning, fundraising, assessment, undergraduate, education