An Introduction to GIS

What
at is
sGGIS?
S
 What is GIS?
• GIS = Geographic Information System
– Links databases and maps
– Manages information about places
– Helps answer questions such as:
• Where is it?
• What else is nearby?
• Where is the highest concentration of ‘X’?
• Where can I find things with characteristic ‘Y’?
• Wh
Where is
i the
th closest
l t ‘Z’ to
t my location?
l ti ?
 GIS in Education
• O
Over 7,000
7 000 universities
i iti worldwide
ld id
teach GIS
• GIS used in multiple disciplines:
Agriculture
g Geography
Archaeology Geology
Architecture/Lanscape Arch. Meteorology
Business Oceanography
Computer Science Law Enforcement
Environmental Science Public Health
Engineering History
Journalism Sociology
Military Science Urban/Regional Planning
Natural Resource Management
 Agriculture
– Farm management
– Pest/Disease tracking
g
– Crop monitoring
– Yield prediction
p
– Soil analysis
 Natural Resource Management

• Forestry
• Ecology
• Mining
• Petroleum
• Water Resources
 Planning and
Economic Development
• Land Use/Zoning
• g
Emergency y Preparedness
p
• Population Forecast
• Market Analysis
• Property Tax Assessment
• Transportation
GIS: A Framework for Understanding
and Managing Our Earth

Geographic Knowledge
Creating
Measuring
Organizing Holistic
Analyzing
Modeling
Comprehensive
p
Systematic
Analytic
Applying Vi
Visual
l
Planning
Managing
Acting
g
 GIS enhances
education because it is:
• Multi-disciplinary
• A real-world technology using real data
• Involves authentic tasks / assessments
• P
Promotes holistic
h li i / systematic
i approachh
• Engages multiple ways of learning
• Encourages community connections
• Used at scales from local to global
 Geography matters
Today’s challenges require geographic approach
• Climate Changeg
• Urban Growth
• Sustainable Agriculture
g
• Water Quality and Availability
• International and National Security
y
• Energy
• Epidemiology/Disease
p gy Trackingg
• Natural Hazards: Seismicity, Weather Events
 GIS as infrastructure
Mobile GIS
PC, PDA
Ph
Phone

Desktop
D kt GIS
ArcInfo
ArcEditor
A Vi
ArcView Network
ArcReader Virtual Globes
ArcGIS Explorer
Google Earth
Server GIS Virtual Earth
ArcGIS Server
Portal Toolkit

Geodatabases XML
Files DBMS
 ESRI Education Program
• Resources
– Software Site License Program
www.esri.com/sitelicense
– ESRI Virtual
Vi t l Campus
C online
li training
t i i
traning.esri.com

• www.esri.com/highered