Visual Decision Making - GIS



Learning, understanding and problem solving have a very high visual component. GIS stands for Geographic Information Systems, applications which compose maps of relationships as easily as one would compose a paragraph. These relationships are as basic as the above map of schools in western North Carolina or a state highway map and as complex as multiple layers of a community’s infrastructure of pipes, wires, roads and buildings. Deeper understanding of GIS begins with learning more examples of applications and the elements of a GIS map. GIS plays a significant role in problem solving at both the Look and Evoke stage of the LEAP model.

GIS software enables a user to build maps in layers and to search data which can be displayed as relationships among the data on the map. Applications range from desktop computer tools such as ArcView by ESRI to web server map systems such as provided by maps.google.com, earth.google.com/, maps.yahoo.com and http://www.mapquest.com/, terraserver.microsoft.com/ and http://terraserver.microsoft.com/. All play an important role in data driven decision making. See this example of mapped criminal activity in Chicago and imagine the use of this information by both police and local citizens.

Study a free GIS program. Use it to compose your own maps, and explore its tutorials as a next step in understanding the power and functionality of GIS software.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Habermas as Blogging Philosophy

Image
Audio FAQ It is hard to match the socializing and harmonizing potential of sharing a meal with someone. What is there about the clink of silverware and dishes that stimulates conversation and a little problem-solving. Are blog sites just a weak substitute for good mealtime conversation? Unless videoconference pricing drop off a cliff, it is hard to imagine replacing blog sites any time soon with doing a videoconference lunch with multiple points around the globe. Now there's something to look forward to. A meal seems such a perfect image for communicative action theory. Given global social customs, one could conjecture that brains and stomachs take particular pleasure in doing their digesting together. Habermas's Communicative Action Theory (1984) provides a deeper perspective from which to examine the nova-like explosion of blogging. Who would have known there was such an additional pent-up life-force needing further social discourse? What was so limiting about phones, email,
Read more

Innovations in Image Composition

It's fascinating to watch the doubling of pixels for camera resolution for the same price, making it almost worth while to buy a new camera every year. The innovation curve for image making continues to shoot upward. Keep an eye out for new developments in image creation and comment away with news of the latest changes.
Read more

3D Leaps Forward

We work and play in a three dimensional world. We jump into 2 dimensional space for our textual and photographic information and most of our compositions. Creating in 3D used to mean sculpting rock, clay and other media. In digital environments, it also meant significant costs for software and hardware to create 3D images. A pair of programs have changed the cost to computer users, Google Earth and SketchUp. See samples of Google Earth at www.gearthblog.com/blog/archives/2006/03/expecting_lots.html . See video tutorials of SketchUp at http://sketchup.google.com/tutorials.html
Read more