Abstract
Geoscience teaching and learning has gained significant attention in recent years. Geoscience today is a space-age science making extensive use of remote sensing data, high performance computing, spatial data base management, andanalysis and visualization of data. Geographic Information System and Remote Sensing (RS) software are an integral part of geoscience teaching and learning. Despite the demonstrated utility of commercial/proprietary tools such as ArcGIS and ERDAS IMAGINE for teaching and learning in geoscience there are problems in accessing this software in lowresource settings. Proprietary GIS and RS software are expensive and often more complex than required. A new generation of free and open source software are now available which have potential to positively impact geoscienceteaching and learning.
The goal of this paper is to assist teachers at institutes with limited budgets to understand and appreciate the potential of RS and GIS free/open source software in geoscience education. This paper explores the possibilities in using this software, it provides a list of software against teaching categories and elaborates their uses in geoscience teaching andlearning. Our analysis reveals that for all the categories of commercial software used in geoscience teaching and learning a suitable free or open source alternative is available. These free tools are particularly useful for handling low quality spatial data and are therefore suitable for use in schools with limited budget.
The goal of this paper is to assist teachers at institutes with limited budgets to understand and appreciate the potential of RS and GIS free/open source software in geoscience education. This paper explores the possibilities in using this software, it provides a list of software against teaching categories and elaborates their uses in geoscience teaching andlearning. Our analysis reveals that for all the categories of commercial software used in geoscience teaching and learning a suitable free or open source alternative is available. These free tools are particularly useful for handling low quality spatial data and are therefore suitable for use in schools with limited budget.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Title of host publication | Proceedings of the IADIS International Conference on International Higher Education (IHE 2011) |
| Editors | Heling Huai, Ji-Ping Zhang, Piet Kommers, Pedro Isaias |
| Place of Publication | China |
| Publisher | International Association for Development of the Information Society Press (IADIS Press) |
| Pages | 75-79 |
| Number of pages | 5 |
| Volume | 1 |
| ISBN (Print) | 978-972-8939-56-4 |
| Publication status | Published - 2011 |
| Event | IADIS International Conference on International Higher Education (IHE 2011) - Shanghai, China Duration: 8 Dec 2011 → 10 Dec 2011 |
Conference
| Conference | IADIS International Conference on International Higher Education (IHE 2011) |
|---|---|
| Period | 8/12/11 → 10/12/11 |
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Cite this
Nawaz, M., & Shaw, G. (2011). FREE and Open Source Software for Geoscience Teaching and Learning. In H. Huai, J-P. Zhang, P. Kommers, & P. Isaias (Eds.), Proceedings of the IADIS International Conference on International Higher Education (IHE 2011) (Vol. 1, pp. 75-79). China: International Association for Development of the Information Society Press (IADIS Press).