Bridging the Academic–Public Divide in GIS and Cartography: A Framework for Integrating Community Partnerships in the Classroom

Abstract

In undergraduate geography programs in the United States there is increasing demand for students to be prepared for real-world project management and to possess strong GIS technical skills and cartographic communication skills upon graduation. There is, however, limited time and opportunity within the framework of traditional undergraduate programs to offer this type of hands-on training while simultaneously increasing conceptual and theoretical knowledge and improving technical abilities. This article outlines a framework for integrating community partnerships into real-world GIS learning opportunities for undergraduate students. Our primary objective is to provide an active learning opportunity that mimics a real-world project scenario within the Geography Department's undergraduate GIS curriculum.

Keywords:

• GIS
• collaborative projects
• civic engagement

Notes

¹ Pacione (1999) states that “Applied geography is concerned with the application of geographical knowledge and skills to the resolution of real-world social, economic and environmental problems” (p1).

² Applied research is practiced within the tradition of applied geography (defined above).