Challenges and Prospects of Integrating GIS Education in Development Studies in a Global South Context

Abstract

Geographic Information Systems (GIS) are increasingly applied to support evidence-based decisions across disciplines, including the global development and humanitarian sector. However, higher education programmes in development-related fields rarely integrate GIS as a teaching and learning component. This paper describes a GIS module collaboratively developed for a Vietnamese undergraduate development studies curriculum. It explores opportunities and barriers to its implementation by examining feedback from students and academic staff. Based on the experience and findings, a set of recommendations are put forward, opening up a debate about GIS education in development studies in the Global South and how this may be facilitated.

Keywords:

• Geographic information systems (GIS)
• education
• Vietnam
• student feedback
• development studies

Acknowledgements

We are grateful to the staff and students at Hanoi University for their warm welcome, their enthusiasm in the module, and their time to provide insightful and valuable feedback. We are also grateful to Dr Niamh Moore-Cherry for her insights and advice.

Notes

1 http://geocenter.digitaldevelopment.org/

2 https://mapaction.org/

3 Development studies is an interdisciplinary subject area that combines modules from a range of disciplines including economics, political science, sociology, geography, gender studies and anthropology. Development studies programmes can range from being more theoretical and critical, to more policy-, practice- or action-based. In Vietnam, development studies-related programmes tend to be policy and practice-based.

4 The Bachelor of International Studies at the partnering Vietnamese university contains a ‘development research’ stream, which prepares students for careers in development (e.g. working with international development organisations and NGOs). In autumn 2019, a Bachelor of Development Studies programme formally approved, and the GIS module discussed in this paper is an elective module within this programme.

5 Popular concepts of place used in geography in Vietnam include region (Northern/Central/Southern), province, district and commune. Some of the information fields incorporated into the GIS module for development studies also included those which were previously introduced through the subject of geography at secondary and high school levels, such as geographical location, area, climate features, population density, and ethnic groups.

6 https://qgis.org/en/site/

7 Aside from a ‘Project/Field Research’ module that the students had not yet taken.

8 See Thanh (2010) for a detailed discussion. This is not intended to suggest that the customary formal teaching and learning approach is not effective, but simply to state that it has not provided the students with prior opportunities to engage with the teaching and learning style required from the GIS module.

9 The GIS module was taught in English as this is the main language of instruction in the partnering Vietnamese university.

10 Such as Scribble Maps (www.scribblemaps.com/) or MyMaps (www.google.com/maps/about/mymaps/)

11 https://www.qgistutorials.com/en/

Additional information

Funding

The work leading to this paper has been funded by Irish Aid, under grant reference number VIBE 2017.06.

Notes on contributors

Ainhoa González

Ainhoa González is an Assistant Professor in the School of Geography, University College Dublin, Ireland and Director of the MSc in Geospatial Data Analysis. She is an environmental planner and educator. Her research focuses on developing and applying geospatial analysis methods and tools for assessing environmental change and impacts, supporting participative planning, informed decision-making, and sustainable development.

Christine Bonnin

Christine Bonnin is an Assistant Professor in the School of Geography, University College Dublin, Ireland. Her research examines livelihoods, coping and resilience and the local food systems and food security of marginalised groups in Southeast Asia (Vietnam, Philippines) with a focus on borderlands, ethnic minorities, marketplace traders, and workers in the informal economy.

Eoin O'Mahony

Eoin O'Mahony is a geographer and researcher with interests in GIS, urban justice and public housing.

Nga Nguyen Hong

Nga Nguyen Hong is a lecturer at the Faculty of International Studies, Hanoi University, Vietnam. Her research focuses on gender and development, and she is responsible for delivering GIS training in the Faculty.

Tien Nguyen Thi Minh

Tien Nguyen Thi Minh is a lecturer and the vice-dean of the Faculty of International Studies, Hanoi University, Vietnam. Her research interest is in community development and industrial relations.