ERIC Number: EJ1465777
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2025
Pages: 18
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0309-8265
EISSN: EISSN-1466-1845
Available Date: 0000-00-00
Evaluating Geospatial Education Provision: A Case Study of Aotearoa New Zealand
Mairéad de Róiste1; Scott C. Pool2; John H. Lowry3
Journal of Geography in Higher Education, v49 n2 p185-202 2025
Geospatial technology is still a growth area and knowledge of these technologies remains essential for a skilled workforce. In higher education, geospatial curriculum design is predominantly determined by educators and is influenced by what educators believe should be taught. Knowledge of national or regional provision can support a richer understanding of expected provision and areas of over or under-provision to better support the needs of varied geospatial roles and identify possible programme specialisations. In this paper, we describe an approach for evaluating Aotearoa New Zealand's provision of geospatial education in the tertiary education sector. First, we examine and compare current course offerings in New Zealand's tertiary sector against selected institutions in five countries using the GIS&T Body of Knowledge and Geospatial Technology Competency Model as a framework for comparison. Second, we evaluate the results of a focus-group workshop of geospatial education providers and geospatial industry stakeholders about perceived needs in geospatial education in New Zealand. We find this approach works well to support a better understanding of what is provided for both educators and industry. By including industry geospatial professionals in identifying perceived gaps, educators' knowledge of industry needs will grow as well as industry's understanding of current provision.
Descriptors: Foreign Countries, Geographic Location, Geographic Concepts, Technology, Skilled Workers, Higher Education, Curriculum Design, Faculty, Courses, Geographic Information Systems, Comparative Analysis, Teacher Attitudes, Industry, Stakeholders, Attitudes
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: New Zealand
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: 1School of Geography, Environment and Earth Sciences, Te Herenga Waka Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington, Aotearoa New Zealand; 2KiwiRail - Wellington, New Zealand; 3College of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Sciences, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, USA