Abstract

The Geospatial Coffeehouse: Connecting Islands
Track: Education
Authors: Alexander Chaucer

It is often the case that at a school, college, or university, there is one, if any, GIS expert. In some ways, this can be a lonely position. In Fall 2010 a group of GIS Instructional Technologists and Faculty from some small liberal arts colleges in the Northeast decided to create a new forum for communication leveraging videoconferencing capability to come together over virtual coffee and discuss predetermined topics. The Geospatial Coffeehouse was born, with assistance from the National Institute for Technology in Liberal Education, and four sessions where held over fall 2010, with more scheduled for spring 2011. The Geospatial Coffeehouse pilot project aims to create sustainable opportunities for geospatial professionals to connect with peers remotely. In this session I will discuss our findings from the sessions regarding what worked and share ideas and insights for others who might be interested in creating their own geospatial coffeehouse series.