The Teachers Teaching Teachers GIS Institute: Assessing the Effectiveness of a GIS Professional Development Institute

The authors assessed eight years of a national professional development institute focused on providing geographic information systems (GIS) teaching and technical skills for educators, titled Teachers Teaching Teachers GIS (T3G). Through a survey (N = 276 [out of a total population of 450]), the authors determined that the institute generally met its goals of equipping educators so that they could (1) teach GIS concepts and skills for their peers, (2) create GIS-based curricula, and (3) communicate the value of GIS to other disciplines. Over the eight years that the institute ran in a face-to-face format, the institute reflected broad changes in GIS technology and methods, including the transition from desktop to Web-based GIS and the movement to shorter lessons. Our study also revealed challenges and benefits of this model of professional development and broader issues of adoption of GIS in primary, secondary, university, and informal areas of education. These revelations allowed us to expose and evaluate strategies to advance the implementation and effectiveness of the use of GIS in instruction.

Automated summary

The authors evaluated an eight-year national professional development institute T3G, finding that it successfully equipped educators with GIS skills and knowledge to teach and communicate GIS concepts. The study also revealed changes in GIS technology and methods, as well as challenges and benefits of adopting GIS in education.