Geography Reference
In-Depth Information
to download or purchase software. Datasets served on web GIS are the easiest
means of school access, given that internet speeds exceed 30 mbps.
Many schools in Japan are facing budget defi cits and do not have funds for inter-
net connection. A classroom internet (LAN) for all schools in the same city is con-
nected to the city education center. At least one internet circuit is connected to that
center. To prevent students from browsing non-educational sites, software is used to
block search engines such as Google and Yahoo. This fi lter makes it diffi cult to
access web GIS sites, because Google Maps 3 is one mapping platform used in class-
rooms. Its use during instruction is for the display of elements on town maps, as
well as satellite and aerial photos. With a login account, students can have editing
capability with the “My Places” menu.
Web GIS sites for geography education are developed by GIS specialists. For
example, Murayama ( 2002 ) developed “Web GIS for Geography Education, 4
which stores census statistics on population, industry, and cultural information for
cities, prefectures, and nations. Users can create and edit maps, produce scatter
plots, and do multivariate analysis. Another platform was designed by Ugawa et al.
( 2003 ) called “Let's inspect it—The frog map”. 5 This website stores base maps and
allows users to browse and edit. There is an element of citizen science, in which
students can input frog habitats on a public web map. The last example is led by
Oshima et al. ( 2011 ), who operates “Teaching materials for 'geographic and earth
scientifi c experiments' in junior and senior high schools with satellite data”. 6 This
site uses a web GIS management software (ArcGIS Server 7 ) and stores satellite
images (visible and infrared), population density maps, green coverage maps, and
heat island maps for browsing.
15.3.2.2
Desktop GIS Software
Desktop GIS software allows users to display and edit spatial data stored in personal
computers or on servers. Data can be accessed and manipulated online or offl ine.
However, there is a fi nancial cost to purchase the software and robust computer
hardware is needed. Fortunately, there are some free desktop GIS software that have
a low-demand computer specifi cation. Generally, proprietary desktop GIS software
has advanced and additional functions relative to web GIS. Some desktop GIS soft-
ware has been revised for geography education. A summary of these and associated
software are provided below.
3 https://maps.google.com/maps . Accessed 31 July 2012.
4 http://giswin.geo.tsukuba.ac.jp/teacher/murayama/edugis/index.html . Accessed 31 July 2012. (J)
5 http://map.edb.miyakyo-u.ac.jp/kaeru/ . Accessed 31 July 2012. (J)
6 http://earthgis1.isc.chubu.ac.jp/Jikken/ . Accessed 31 July 2012. (J)
7 http://www.esri.com/software/arcgis/arcgisserver . Accessed 31 July 2012.
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