This presentation was given at the Royal Geographic Society's Annual Conference (2014) on the findings from interviews with Interdisciplinary Researchers who've learned GIS on what GIS Concepts matter to them (as framed by the Geographic Information Science & Technology Body of Knowledge).

1. Learning and Applying GIS
in
Interdisciplinary Research:
From Theory to Practice
Patrick Rickles & Claire Ellul

2. Standardised Education of GIS

3. Using
Geographic
Information
Systems
The Right Tool
for the Right Job
Understanding
Space
Learning
Process

4. Organisation for
Economic Co-operation
& Development - Types
of Learning
Informal: Experiential
Non-Formal: Semi
Structured,No
Certification
Formal: Structured,
Certified

5. Standardised,
Formal Education
NCGIA Core
Curriculum (1990)
GIS&T Body of
Knowledge (2006)
Learning about GIS

6. G1. Analytical Methods
G2. Cartography and Visualization
G3. Design Aspects
G4. Conceptual Foundations
G5. Data Modeling
GIS&T Body of Knowledge

7. G6. Data Manipulation
G7. Geocomputation
G8. Geospatial Data
G9. GIS&T and Society
G10. Organizational and
Institutional Aspects
GIS&T Body of Knowledge

8. How are people
ACTUALLY
learning GIS
and which concepts
are relevant?

9. Personal Journeys of Learning GIS

10. SURVEY PARTICIPANTS
1. Anthropologist
2. Psychologist
3. Cultural Geographer
4. Environmental Scientist
5. Social Entrepreneur
Varying Backgrounds (age,
gender,etc.)
Varying Technical Expertise
Varying Levels of Exposure to
GIS and Depth of Use

11. QUALITATIVE INTERVIEWS
Background Questions on
Interdisciplinary Research
and GIS Applications
Identifying Relevant GIS
Concepts
Perspectives on Training (If
Offered)
GIS Tasks Performed and
Ways of Obtaining
Information

12. FINDINGS
GIS&T BoK Knowledge Area 1 2 3 4 5
Analytical Methods 6 3 4 - 1
Cartography and Visualization 1 5 1 2 2
Conceptual Foundations 5 7 - 1 4
Data Manipulation 4 2 - - 6
Data Modeling 8 - 5 1 -
Design Aspects 9 4 3 1 7
Geocomputation 7 - - - -
Geospatial Data 2 1 2 2 3
GIS&T and Society 3 6 6 3 5
Organizational & Institutional Aspects 10 - - - -
“Identifying Important
Concepts in GIS in
Interdisciplinary Research”
(Rickles & Ellul,2014)

13. FINDINGS
GIS&T BoK Terms: Jargon or
Vague
“Geospatial Data” and
“Cartography and
Visualization” – Important
Keen on Training
Face-to-Face
Dependent on Time
Informal Learning through
Google,YouTube,Forums,
and Personal Help
“Simple Search Terms for
Simple Answers”

14. FINDINGS
“Do People Understand Spatial
Concepts: The Case of First-Order
Primitives” (Golledge,1992)
1. “Simple” Concepts not
Comprehended by Many
2. Terms not Widely Understood
3. Unaware of Environmental
Characteristics
4. Many Misunderstandings in
“Common Sense”
5. Differing Modelling Criteria
6. Need for Expert Knowledge

15. Future Directions and Growth

16. Further
Work for
Robustness Language
Optimisation
Establishing
Underlying
Knowledge

17. How did you learn
and apply GIS in
Interdisciplinary
Research?
https://opinio.ucl.ac.uk/s?s=32249
@mapperpat