The information in this paper is changing as we are in the process of continually updating, enhancing, and extending the training for the ArcGIS 8.x products and services. To view and download a complete current copy of this paper please go to the following websites after July 27th, 2002
Maine DEP web site - and click on the download link- then select the training materials
or at the St George Consulting web site - and click on the Company link, then the download link
1) Maine DEP has trained over 160 users in ArcGIS 8 Desktop applications by creating its own training program consisting of a two-day introductory class and multiple one-day advanced topic classes. This has greatly increased the use of GIS in the agency, and has likely saved an estimated $400,000 since its inception in December 1999. The program was created after investigating Esri Virtual Campus and Esri on-site training, and realizing they were inadequate for Maine DEP's needs. MDEP decided to create a customized course which focuses on its unique Citrix/SDE enterprise GIS implementation, and which utilized real data from a real Maine DEP groundwater contamination scenario. The first version of the program was created by a team of GIS Unit staff, and eventually updated and unified by this author. The introductory class is now in its third revision, and continues to be popular with MDEP staff, almost always filling all spaces. The entire training program may be downloaded from http://www.state.me.us/dep/gis. It covers many GIS topics relevant to Maine DEP staff. Cost-benefit analyses show a tremendous cost savings when creating customized training in an enterprise, plus the benefit of users learning on their own system. Organizations considering or implementing enterprise GIS need to consider training as a key component in their system.
2) The experience of the St George Consulting Group has had in providing GIS services to government organizations, private companies, and educational institutions. It will discuss the impacts on lack of training, the costs of training, and how training fits into the overall enterprise GIS application development process.
This course trains students in basic and advanced functions of the ArcGIS8x Spatial Analyst Extension. The course attempts to provide staff of the Maine DEP with tools that match applications that they may need to accomplish to support key functions of their job. The course will challenge students technically and also in grasping important concepts and theories about how GIS is used to perform serious analysis. This course has a regional focus, geographically, and will demonstrate a methodology using Spatial Analysis tools to conduct environmental suitability analysis. We at the Maine DEP GIS Unit think that purposes of learning analysis tools is for users to learn how to prevent environmental degradation and sprawl in a pro-active fashion using the best technology and training available.
The course contains many sections. Each section teaches an individual process where students learn to create and derive key layers for watershed, soil, groundwater, topographic analysis, etc. The process culminates with a final analysis that weights derived data layers originating from features and raster layers generated during each section. The suitability model shows a weighted gradient for areas most suitable for development ranging to areas most important for conservation.
The data being used covers a study area of two major service centers, Bangor and Ellsworth and fifteen towns spanning the Union River Watershed. The towns are Towns in study area: Aurora, Amherst, Clifton, Eddington, Veazie, Osborn, Brewer, Mariaville, Holden, Otis, Waltham, Dedham, Eastbrook, Franklin, T8 SD. This area was selected to recognize cross boundary relationships between service centers, towns, natural systems and habitat.
Analysis Tools are taught for many applications and primarily on suitability for development. Suitability is based on ecological factors, landscape factors, existing development, service centers and the lay of the land. The culminating analysis is based on slope, soils, distance from/to service centers, distance from surface and groundwater hydrology, landscape fragmentation, proximity to existing development and viewsheds
Technical aspects - data, software, tools and geo-processing. These exercises use several key environmental data layers available in the Maine state data catalog. Exercises will teach students to create layers derived from the original layers. Each exercise generates derived data layers in the form of terrain models, hydrology models, value-weighted grid. Viewshed models are and applied include surface analysis, reclassifying data to change input and output values, using look-up tables, using the raster calculator
The training program discussed in Part I herein was developed jointly by the following Maine DEP GIS staff:
Michael Smith
Christopher Kroot
John Lynam
Erika Lloyd
Tracy Weston
The training program discussed in Part III herein was developed by Gordon Longsworth and Christopher Kroot using lessons and projects from the College of The Atlantic GIS Lab Students in the spring of 2002. Technical analysis methods and tools were developed with assistance from Thomas Burns of GIS Mapping and Analysis, Portland Maine.