Integrating Geographic Information Systems (GIS) into Inquiry and Problem Solving Tasks

1
Integrating Geographic Information Systems
(GIS)into Inquiry and Problem Solving Tasks

• TAHPDX Teaching American History Project
• Community Geography Project
• Institute of Portland Metropolitan Studies
• Portland State University

2
Topics

• What is GIS?

• Methods of Inquiry Problem Solving Process

• The Nature of Geographic (geospatial) Data

• Classifying Displaying Data

3
What is a Geographic Information System?

• "A geographic information system (GIS) is an
  integrated system of hardware, software, and
  procedures designed to support the collection,
  management, manipulation, analysis, modeling, and
  display of spatially referenced data about
  Earths surface in order to solve complex
  planning and management problems.
• -- Geography for Life National Geography
  Standards, 1994, p. 256.

4
Geospatial Data

• Spatial (positional data) that has been
  georeferenced, or relates to a geographic
  coordinate system (such as latitude longitude)

How do we get this type of data ?
5
Create the Digital Earth
6
Assign Spatial Coordinates Global Positioning
System (GPS)
7
Examples of Geospatial Data

• Climatological
• Satellite imagery
• Aerial photos
• Public lands (surveying)

8
Advantages of geospatial data

• Position is inherent
• we have the WHERE
• Can be used to address geographic problems

9
Challenges of geospatial data

• Complex data sets
• Large data sets
• Usually requires computers to display and analyze

10
Things To Think About When Approaching A
Geospatial Question

• What is the nature of the data used to identify
  and understand the phenomena?
• What information does the data provide?
• What appropriate methods can be used to analyze
  the data?
• What appropriate methods should be used to
  display the results?
• What tools are available?

11
Inquiry

• Traditional Approaches
• Problem Solving Process
• What is Geographic Data?
• Classifications of data
• ArcView Legend Schemes
• Geographic Concepts

12
Traditional Approaches

• Deductive

the deriving of a particular conclusion by
analysis and reasoning

• Inductive

inference of a generalized conclusion from
particular instances
13
Other Approaches

• Quantitative
• Measuring a phenomena mathematically
• Count, amount, or number
• Estimations
• Totals
• Measurable greater / less / equal
• Duration and intensity

14
Other Approaches

• Qualitative
• Describing a phenomena
• the nature of phenomena
• its characteristics
• its rank

15
Problem Solving Process
1. Identify the problem
2. Collect data to solve the problem
3. Explore the data
4. Analyze the data
5. Evaluate the results
6. Present the results
16
Geographic Data

• Discrete Continuous
• Raster Vector
• Point, Line, Area, Volume

17
Discrete Data the actual location can be
specified
Rivers
Schools
Parcels
18
Continuous Data phenomena that can be measured
over a surface
Soils Data Elevation Data
19
Data Formats

• Raster
• Vector
• Tables

20
Raster Data is stored in a grid file structure
and is associated with continuous surface data
21
Vector Data is stored in discrete structures
Line
Point
Polygon
22
Table (Spreadsheet) Data

• Most common data format for information that has
  geographic characteristics but is not
  georeferenced such as census (demographic),
  gross domestic product (economic), voting
  (political), toxic chemical releases
  (environmental), etc
• the lists is endless on what data is collected.

23
Table Data a.k.a The SPREADSHEET
24
Classification of Data

• Nominal
• Ordinal
• Interval
• Ratio

How geospatial data is collected, analyzed and
displayed depends on what type it is.
25
Nominal (descriptive) Each data record is unique
and can be named.
26
Ordinal (lt , gt) The data has been ranked into
ordered categories, ranges, and relationships
(orders ranks).
27
Interval (, -, average) The data has an equal
distance between categories. There are numeric
values with an arbitrary zero. In other words
this measurement level is used to organize
features along a continuum.
28
Ratio ( x, / ) The data is set at an interval
with a true zero. In other words this is a how
you display a percentage such as population
density.
29
ArcView Legend Schemes

• Single Symbol
• Graduated Color
• Unique Value
• Dot
• Chart

30
Single Symbol
31
Graduated Color
32
Unique Value
33
Dot
34
Chart
35
Geographic Concepts

• Most / Least
• Density
• Inside / Outside
• Whats Nearby
• Change over time and space

36
Most / Least
37
Density
38
Inside / Outside
39
Geographic Problem Solving

• Identify the problem is GEOGRAPHIC in nature

• Collect the GEOGRAPHIC data to solve the problem

• Explore the data using GEOGRAPHIC VISUALIZATION
  AND SPATIAL DATA EXPLORATION

• Analyze the data using SPATIAL ANALYSIS

• Present the results using CARTOGRAPHY

40

• AS A GROUP DISCUSS
• Discuss the geographic nature of the problem
• Find the data needed to answer any questions or
  structure the problem what do you already have
  in terms of data sets that applies to your
  question?
• Analysis needed to solve the problem refer to
  geographic concepts
• Choose a method/classification scheme for
  presenting the results