Minerva Project

GISAS Project

The GISAS Project Geographical Information Systems (GIS) Applicated into European Secondary Schools2003-2006 Summary of the project

The GISAS project introduces Geographical Information Systems (GIS) into European secondary schools. The objective of the project is to create a model on how to incorporate GIS into secondary school geography and environmental education in Europe. The project develops ways and methods in which GIS technology is incorporated into school education and into both pre- and in-service teacher training. The project partners will co-operate with BSCW groupware and use existing GIS software and develop an integrated web-based GIS application to collect, visualize, manage and share local GIS data on water and river basins. The produced digital educational materials, maps and locally collected GIS data form the basis of the web-based learning environment created by the project. This learning environment contains data from different European counrtries and focuses on the educational needs of secondary school teachers and their students, the target groups of our project. The web-based GIS learning environment, printed publications, digital maps and the integrated web-based GIS application form the main outputs of this project. The University of Helsinki (FI) and Josef Stefan Institute (SI) will develop, test and use these outputs in real-classroom situations with the help of the teachers and their pupils of the seven partner schools in five European and in two candidate countries. The Finnish National Board of Education (FI) will disseminate the results and products so that these can be used in secondary school and teacher education in Europe.

The partners

The University of Helsinki (FI) is the co-ordinating institution. Professor Petri Pellikka will be the project coordinator and his tasks are supervision, especially in the GIS part, participation in the project meetings and contribution to the outputs of the project. For the practical coordination and administration the University of Helsinki employs M.Sc.Tino Johansson full-time for this purpose. In addition, the University of Helsinki also employs M.Sc. Ilta-Kanerva Kankaanrinta for the. She will make research on the educational use of web-based learning environment and other applications in the project. She has a long experience on e-learning and web-based education and she will also participate in the planning, implementing and evaluating stages of the project.

The National Board of Eduction (FI) is in charge of the dissemination and pedagogic evaluation and consultation of the project.

The Josef Stefan Institute (SI) will plan, create, introduce and maintain the integrated web-based GIS application for the project. They will organise training for the partners to use the new application.

The Sint-Dimpnacollege (BE) has a coordinating role among the partner schools. They will collect local water data with GPS and other equipment. They will manage the local data collected in other partner schools and combine it into a database which is then saved in the GIS application. The school will coordinate the field work and testing of the GIS software in the partner schools. In addition to general water-related issues, they will focus on a theme "Water and Society".

The Holy Heart Institute (FR) will collect water-related data locally and share it with the others. In addition to general water-related themes, they will focus on "Water and Politics"- theme and provide papers and GIS data on it for the project database. The theme includes both local and European levels.

The 2 nd Lyceum of Larisa (GR) will collect water-related data locally and, among other things, focus on the theme "Water and Culture".

The Scientific Lyceum of Piero Gobetti (IT) will also collect local GIS data on water and focus on the theme "Water and Tourism" in local and European context.

The Torsbergs Gymnasium (SE) will collect GIS data locally and focus on the theme "Water and Economy" in local and European level.

The Széchenyi Ferenc Gymnasium (HU) will use GPS receiver and GIS to collect local water data and focus on the theme "Water and Hazards".

The Gaigalava Elementary School (LV) will also collect local water-related data with GPS and other equipment. Their specific theme will be "Water and Habitats" in local and European level.

Coordinating Institution

Helsingin Yliopisto