These are the sheets of the presentation.

1. Participatory GIS in Empowering Rural Communities:
Development and Field Trials
Nagesh Kolagani, Dr. Palaniappan Ramu and Dr. Koshy Varghese
Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Chennai 600036 INDIA
3rd International Open Source GIS Conference
Velp, The Netherlands
June 25-28, 2012

2. Google Map of Reservoir and Farms
Does not know their descriptive data; Does not show other needed features (e.g. wells)

3. Village Youth gathering such Data using GPS & Questionnaires

4. Collecting Spatial Data as GPS Waypoints
For point layers:
(such as wells)‫‏‬
As GPS 'way points'
For line and polygon layers:
(such as streams and farms)‫‏‬
As GPS tracks:
Can not deviate from boundary
Difficult for streams, farms, etc due to presence of thorny bushes, etc.
OK for roads, etc.
As GPS routes:
User interface is difficult for use by a villager
As GPS 'way points':
To be joined later using GIS

5. A Sample Questionnaire for Farms Layer

6. School Children Producing GIS Maps from Such Data

7. villageQGIS: Auto-connecting GPS points

8. Entering Questionnaire Data into Appropriate GIS layer

9. Comparison of villageQGIS and QGIS
Using villageQGIS software: (e.g. 3 clicks)
For each feature of each layer (of type line or polygon):
Constructing lines and polygons from GPS point data:
- specify way points to join as a string e.g. “209-213, 218, 221-224”
- visually verify correctness of boundary points & joined line/polygon
Converting lines and polygons into GIS features:
- select layer name from a list box e.g. “streams” or “farms”
- fill resulting attribute form with data from questionnaire
Using QGIS software: (e.g. at least 17 clicks)
For each feature of each layer (of type line or polygon):
- Select desired feature and select option to add new a feature
- For each GPS point: (e.g. 209,210,211,212,213,218,221,222,224”)
- locate it on the screen, using find button or appropriate label option
- draw a line connecting it to previous point
- fill resulting attribute form with data from questionnaire
- Save

10. A Sample Village Map

11. Tutorial
Input data:
GPS and Questionnaire data about:
- a stream and a reservoir
- farms under that reservoir, etc
Task:
Create a GIS map:
- first using villageQGIS
- then using QGIS (or Map Windows GIS)
Compare the time taken and map accuracy

12. Querying Attributes of Mapped Features
...

13. Easy Interface to View Complex Data in Simple Ways
This will help villagers understand their problems & solutions and participate better

14. Default Views: Farms Classified based on Social Data

15. Multi-Criteria Classification e.g. Technical & Social Data

16. Interface for Local Experts to Build Custom Views

17. Experiments on Ease-of-Use in Map Preparation
● Participants:
6 sub-groups of 3 village students each
● 3 sub-groups use Quantum GIS software (Control group)
● 3 sub-groups use villageQGIS software (Test group)
● Task:
Produce GIS maps from given GPS and Questionnaire data sets

18. Experiments on Ease-of-Use in Map Preparation
3
QGIS
2.5
villageQGIS
2
Ratio of times taken
(with QGIS and 1.5
with villageQGIS)
1
0.5
0
1 2 3
Experiment no.

19. Experiments on Ease-of-Use in Map Preparation
3 Desired
spatial QGIS
2.5
accuracy villageQGIS
2
Ratio of times taken
(with QGIS and 1.5
with villageQGIS)
1
0.5
0
1 2 3
Experiment no.