Geospatial Resources & Map Collection 2008 Year in Review The Geospatial Resources & Map Collection on the second floor of Bracken Library provided services to a variety of students, faculty, and community members and organizations over the course of 2008. Students and researchers used the maps, atlases, GIS software, and other resources of the GRMC for knowledge creation and classroom instruction.
The list of classes using the GRMC in 2008 is extremely diverse: geography, urban planning, historic preservation, landscape architecture, architecture, anthropology, art, history, communications, construction management, geology, elementary and secondary education, political science, sociology, music, Spanish, and biology.
The GRMC also hosted specific classes using maps, atlases, GIS, and other resources. Students in English classes learned how to use maps and atlases as visual aids in papers and presentations and how to cite maps properly. The students were asked to find a map that related to a research paper on elections.
Social studies methods classes learned how to use maps and atlases in their classrooms. Women’s studies classes learned about maps and atlases related to women’s issues. Students in these classes also learned about the new online tutorials and guides for lesson plans and women’s studies issues on the GRMC Web page.
Students in geography visited the GRMC to complete a special project about urban development. The students were able to track the growth of various American cities using historical and current maps from the Collection. Earth, Sea, and Sky geography students used topographic maps from the GRMC in their classrooms (shown above) to study the effects of flooding and urban sprawl on landscapes. Other maps from the GRMC were used in classroom projects for Natural Resources and Environmental Management and education programs at the Ball State Museum of Art.
Maps from the GRMC were also used for the Rinker Center for International Program’s weekly Culture Exchange presentations. And maps of dozens of countries provided the backdrop for the booths at the Center’s International Festival in November.
Journalism students learned how to use GIS software to create maps for the news. This information is also available as an online tutorial on the GRMC Web page. Foundations of Education students used census data from the GIS lab in the GRMC to create custom maps about various school districts for immersive learning projects.
The GRMC also provided workshops on GIS technology to faculty and staff. Introduction to GIS and Google Maps on the Web were custom classes offered by the GIS Specialist in the GRMC.
Keeping track of the numbers for the past year: 2,782 items were circulated from the GRMC in 2008; 2389 reference projects were researched using 21,949 items in the room; GIS software was used 336 times; 1,353 people used the large-format plotters for printing; and 35 classes with 738 participants were given instructional sessions.
For more information about using the resources of the GRMC for your classroom or to schedule an instructional tour, please contact Melissa Gentry at 765/285-1097 or mgentry@bsu.edu. The GRMC is open Monday through Friday from 8:00 to 5:00, but evening classes can be accommodated.
No comments:
Post a Comment