Why GIS?

Teacher Jennifer Stack had worked in the geographic information system (GIS) industry for many years before moving into education. She was therefore well aware of the capabilities of GIS and the many different ways that this technology can be applied in our world today to help people solve complex societal, environmental and economic challenges.

However, Ms Stack found that most young people didn’t encounter GIS while at school and were therefore oblivious of the opportunities that it might offer them in their future. “A lot of young people are unaware of GIS as a potential career,” she says. “I wanted to change this by offering GIS lessons in my own school, but also by working with other schools in Ireland to share my knowledge and enthusiasm for GIS.”

Benefits for students

Ms Stack began by teaching GIS to a group of 60 pupils at St Mary’s CBS The Green School, the Catholic all-boys secondary school where she works. Pupils used Survey123 for ArcGIS to collect data at Dingle Ocean World, using mobile devices, and complete surveys about ecosystems along the shoreline. They then used ArcGIS to display their data on interactive maps and created highly visual story maps. This project enabled the pupils to gain practical experience of using GIS to collect data in the field, analyse it and present their findings clearly in a digital format.

After achieving success in her own school, Ms Stack established a Creative Cluster of four national schools and began to share her expertise with other teachers throughout the area. With her support, students at the nearby Presentation Secondary School, an all-girls school, explored gender equality in education using ArcGIS. In other schools, students used ArcGIS to investigate topics as diverse as the local marine industry, food waste and the health of the bee population. “Pupils come up with wonderful ideas for projects!” Ms Stack says. “GIS is a powerful tool for them to analyse the world they live in. I just give them the right tool to explore their ideas and they run with it.”

Ms Stack believes that giving young people the opportunity to use GIS helps to get them involved in real world issues. “GIS gives young people a voice,” she says. “They can investigate the community they live in, analyse data for themselves and evaluate the significance of issues at a global level. Pupils can use GIS to gain answers to their questions and see more clearly what they can do in their communities to improve the environment or help other people, for example. It helps them to take ownership of important issues.”

The teaching of GIS in schools also enables pupils to learn valuable new skills that will benefit them in their future careers and studies. As well as learning technology skills, the pupils learn how to work in teams to explore topics from different perspectives and present their points clearly. For example, one group of students created an ArcGIS story map to support a Safer Internet campaign and raise awareness of online safety with students, teachers and parents in the community.

In another particularly successful project, Ms Stack brought together science students and geography students to explore attitudes to the HPV vaccine. The students used ArcGIS to survey local opinions and present a series of recommendations, backed by evidence. Their hard work and accomplished use of GIS technology earned them third place in the Social and Behavioral Sciences intermediate group category at the BT Young Scientist Award competition.

The teacher’s perspective

“The Esri ArcGIS for Schools programme is unbelievable,” Ms Stack exclaims. “It provides full access to the Esri ArcGIS software, for free, and includes resources and support from Esri Ireland all the way, as well as the platform for hosting data. Through the programme, students can also log into ArcGIS Online from home, to continue their GIS projects as homework. Pupils get the opportunity to use industry-standard software and gain transferable skills that they can use in their future careers.”“The Esri ArcGIS for Schools programme is unbelievable,” Ms Stack exclaims. “It provides full access to the Esri ArcGIS software, for free, and includes resources and support from Esri Ireland all the way, as well as the platform for hosting data. Through the programme, students can also log into ArcGIS Online from home, to continue their GIS projects as homework. Pupils get the opportunity to use industry-standard software and gain transferable skills that they can use in their future careers.”

The comprehensive and supportive nature of the ArcGIS for Schools programme made it very easy for Ms Stack to convince her head teacher, Anne O’Callaghan, of the feasibility of introducing GIS into the curriculum. “When I went in to talk to my principal and propose GIS lessons, I gave her details of the ArcGIS for Schools programme, and there was very little persuading to do,” she recalls.

Ms O’Callaghan is passionate about providing digital learning opportunities for students and has given Stack her full support. St Mary’s CBS The Green School became the first school in Ireland to timetable GIS lessons for six classes a week, and it hosted a GIS Day to inspire teachers and pupils from other schools. Thanks to the flexibility of the ArcGIS for Schools programme, Ms Stack has been able to deliver valuable lessons for groups of students throughout the area, even in classrooms where there are no PCs on desks. “I take along my own laptop,” she explains. “Because ArcGIS works on the cloud, it is possible to teach GIS outside of computer labs. I always tell schools: Don’t worry about what technology you have available to you. There is always a way to integrate GIS into your teaching.”