GeoS4S - Second GenerationGeospatial Education: Principles and Design

Abstract

The first generation of geospatial education was implemented in two flavours: full-fledged dedicated programmes like Surveying, Cartography and (to a limited degree) in Geoinformatics. More frequently, a range of geospatial methods and technology courses like mapping, remote sensing and image analysis, spatial analysis or geostatistics were inserted as curricular elements into traditional programmes like Geography, Resource Management or Planning. The emerging 'second generation' of geospatial educational strategies addresses previous shortcomings: outreach into a wider set of disciplines (healthcare, public administration, construction engineering and journalism, to name but a few), support for lifelong learning, and full leveraging of opportunities afforded by online elearning. The modular approach to learning resources development implemented in GeoS4S aims to enhance all of the above through a set of Open Educational Resources.