Abstract
Geographic Information Science and Technology: Experiences in Online Education
Track: User Presentations - Teaching
Authors: Darren Ruddell
Education in Geographic Information Science and Technology (GIST) is experiencing rapid growth as students and professionals from public, private, government, and academic sectors increasingly utilize geospatial technologies to conceptualize, visualize, and analyze various natural and human processes. Advances in computing systems over the past three decades have not only afforded breakthroughs in the fundamental technologies of geoprocessing tools (e.g., Geographic Information Systems, Global Positioning Systems, Remote Sensing, and Location-Based Services), but they have also provided the infrastructure that is transforming the traditional education system (i.e., classroom-based) to a flexible and spatially independent alternative: distance learning. This presentation shares the successes and challenges of online education as experienced in the Geographic Information Science and Technology (GIST) program at the University of Southern California's Spatial Sciences Institute.