This document discusses embedding GIS in undergraduate learning at Newcastle University. It provides an overview of the Geomatics group, which includes 11 academics and 10 researchers. The group teaches GIS to around 200 undergraduate students from various programs, as well as 100 postgraduate students and 20 PhD students. GIS is taught throughout the undergraduate curriculum, from basic concepts in stage 1 to advanced techniques like spatial statistics and Python scripting in stage 3. Practical field courses apply GIS skills. Challenges include keeping up with changing technology and ensuring value for high tuition costs. The group seeks better integration with open source tools and industry to provide work opportunities for graduates.

1. Embedding GIS in
Undergraduate
Learning

2. Welcome & Introduction
Laura Hanson
GIS Teaching Officer
BSc (Hons) Geography, Surveying and Mapping
Science
MSc Sustainable Management of the Water
Environment
Worked for 6 years in Local
Authorities

3. Newcastle University
• Striving for excellence in teaching
and research
• Part of the Russell Group
• Research-led teaching
• ESRI products used throughout the
University in teaching and research

4. Geomatics

5. The Geomatics
Group
World Leading and Internationally Excellent Staff
• 11 Academics
• 10 Researchers
• 3 Support Staff
• Leaders of International Organisations
• Global experience and links
• Staff Support & Student Experience = Not Just a Number

6. Undergraduate
• BSc Surveying and Mapping Science
• BSc Geographic Information Science
– Cohort of around 35 students per year
– Only Undergraduate GIS course in England
– Wide range of backgrounds and extra curricular
interests
– Start-up pack including books, PPE and tablet PC
– Potential £3000 Scholarship
– Professional Accreditation (RICS & CICES)

7. Geomatics
Students

8. Who?
• Other Undergrads - Around 200 Students
– Civil Engineering
– Physical Geography
– Environmental Science
– Planning
– No BSc/BA Geography!
• Postgrads – 100 students
– All taught MSc students in Civil Engineering
and Geosciences
– Inc. Petroleum Geochemistry, Flood Risk
Management and Engineering Geology
– To include Transport Management – next
year
• + Faculty PhD Course – 20 Students

9. Who?
• Continuing Professional
Development
– Introduction, intermediate and
spatial analysis
– Delegates from a wide range of
organisations
• NERC
– Advanced environmental data
analysis using GIS
– 20 students
• Schools
– Introduction courses for Teachers
– Sessions in schools

10. GIS Teaching
• ArcGIS taught throughout
• From the very basics through to
competent, advanced users
• Not just button pressing
• Learning the theory and application
• Also programming in Python, Matlab
and R
• Range of techniques
– Lectures, seminars, practicals,
fieldcourses
• High levels of contact time
– c.20 hours per week
• Professional education

11. Stage 1
• Introduction to GIS
– GIS to the Masses
– From the very basics
– Includes
• Data management
• Sourcing map data
• Making maps
• Basic Analysis in 2D & 3D
– MCE
– Viewshed
• Editing and digitising

12. Stage 1 Fieldcourse

13. Stage 1 Fieldcourse
• New in 2014 - Introduce
more GIS
• 2 ½ day exercise
• Soil moisture v terrain
characteristics v stats
• + Basic survey

14. Stage 2
• GIS Theory and Application
– Modelling GIS data
– GIS analysis
– Design and management
of a full GIS project
– Applied GIS analysis
using ArcGIS including
• MCE
• Network analysis
• Building spatial data models
– Methods of interpolation

15. Stage 2
• Applied Geospatial Data
Handling
– GIS users and uses
– Cartographic data handling
– Web solutions
• Open Source & ESRI
– Metadata
– Spatial Data
Infrastructures

16. Stage 3 Fieldcourse

17. Stage 3 Fieldcourse
• 3 Exercises
• DTM densification &
network design & test
• Landcover classification
• Urban development in
Hexham

18. Stage 3
• Environmental
Informatics
– Mixture of advanced GIS
and remote sensing
techniques and application
– Python scripting
– Spatial statistics
• Including Geographically
Weighted Regression

19. Stage 3
• Dissertation Projects
– Majority of projects
contain some GIS
– Regularly using ESRI
– Pushing the bounds of the
software
– Developing tools and
models in Python
– Analysing data using
Spatial Statistics

20. Breadth
& Depth
©ESA2004

21. Future…or now
• Introduce
– CityEngine
– BIM
– ‘Big data’
– Web development
– ArcGIS Pro
– ArcServer and enterprise
databases
– More Open Source?
• What’s next?

22. Challenges
• Focus
• Giving the students value
for money
– £9000
• Keeping up with the tech
– Resourcing
– Materials
– Research led teaching

23. What would help?
• Better integration with Open
Source
– easy to have a hybrid
• Sort out some of the long term
bugs
– Naming constraints – Raster
functions
– File locks
• And quickly sort out the new
ones…

24. What would help?
• Make Coordinate Systems
more visible
– Compelling students to
understand them
– What is actually going on
– Educate in how to select the
correct one & how to convert
between
• Lessons in/ Guidance on
Styling
– Easy to create bad maps
• Helping Uni’s to get up and
running with new software

25. What can you do?
We need more students! And we need your help!

26. Integration with
Industry
• Connections with Alumni
• Life during and Beyond
• Summer Placements

27. Graduate Job
Opportunities

28. Integration with
Industry
• Site Visits
• Lectures
• Sponsorship
• Industry Advisory Panel
• Skills for industry

29. BSc Surveying and Mapping Science
BSc Geographic Information Science

30. Questions?
l.hanson@ncl.ac.uk
@nclgeomatics